A 56-year-old man allegedly killed his 86-year-old mother near the Sardinian capital Cagliari late on Sunday by stabbing her 30 times with two knives, police said.
Investigators believe Angelo Dessi, attacked his mother, Paola Schiffino, her after an argument at the apartment they shared in the town of Quartu, some 10 kilometres east of Cagliari.
Police were called by Dessi's two brothers who allegedly both rang the apartment and were told by Dessi when he answered the phone: "Things aren't good. I've killed Mum."
Dessi's brothers let themselves into the apartment where they found Schiffino's lifeless body slumped on the apartment's kitchen floor in a pool of blood with knives sticking out of her stomach and chest with candles and pictures of the Virgin Mary arranged around her.
Police arrested Dessi at the scene. He was reportedly in his bedroom, semi-clothed and raving. He allegedly has psychiatric problems but has no previous history of violence.
Prosecutors ordered an autopsy on Schiffino's corpse.
