20 January 2024 , 20:42
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An Italian family who lost their three-year-old girl during a family picnic almost three decades ago are still holding out hope that she's alive.
In August 1996, Catello Celentano was on holiday with his family in Naples, when his daughter Angela ran over to him to complain over pals not letting her use a hammock. It turned out to be the last time he ever saw her. When he got up to help her, he turned away momentarily and she had seemingly vanished into thin air.
Over the next 27 years, her devastated family waited patiently for any clue that would show little Angela was still alive after all this time. Members of the public have reported potential sightings, and named potential suspects, which kept the family's hope alive.
Angela's family has been beset with false hopes. Her father previously said: "Until I am certain that my daughter is dead, until I have a body to cry on, I will continue to look for her alive. Even if I have to go to the end of the world."
A judge has now offered the parents another glimmer of hope as the case may soon be re-examined on the basis of a number of clues found hundreds of miles away in Turkey.
Mum's touching gesture to young son who died leaves Morrisons shopper in tears
The couple had taken their three young daughters, aged between one and six, to Monte Faito - where they were on a trip with an Evangelical community from Naples. Catello had simply been lounging around when Angela approached him to tell him: "They won't let me get in the hammock".
Angela's parents Catello and Marisa Celentano (Newsflash)
A progression photo of how Angela would look now (Newsflash)Catello told his little girl that he'd take her to the hammock, but then turned briefly to chat with his wife. In a matter of seconds, he turned and as he reached out his hand, his daughter didn't grasp it. The holiday then turned into hell as they frantically searched the area for any sight of the youngster, but she couldn't be found.
The panic-stricken dad raced over to the hammock, but couldn't see his daughter anywhere. He returned to his wife and told her Angela was missing.
The pair began shouting out her name, asking anyone they came across if they'd spotted her. Within minutes, the entire tour party was combing through the local area, with police following shortly behind.
Catello and Maria searched the mountain for days with the help of a large group of volunteers, Italy's Carabinieri, armed forces, dog units and a police helicopter. The police investigation soon discovered that two little boys were the last to see her. Renato, 11, and Luca, 12, had reportedly walked down a path with her. On questioning, police discovered that their testimonies did not match, and the boys frequently changed what they said.
Catello was recovering at home in Naples nine days later when the phone rang. On the other end was the voice of a little girl sobbing, along with a voice that said "your father", before the call cut off.