No Publicly Released Video Exists of Chamila Wijesuriya’s Last Moments in Parco Nord
By [Your Name], Crime Correspondent, May 12, 2025
Milan, Italy – The tragic case of Chamila Wijesuriya, a 50-year-old Sri Lankan-Italian barista found dead in Milan’s Parco Nord on May 11, 2025, has gripped the city, with widespread interest in her final moments captured on surveillance cameras alongside her suspected killer, Emanuele De Maria. However, as of May 12, 2025, no video footage of those moments has been publicly released, and authorities have tightly controlled access to the recordings, which are central to the ongoing investigation. Below is a detailed account of what is known about the surveillance footage and the circumstances surrounding Wijesuriya’s last sighting, based on credible reports.
What the Surveillance Footage Shows
Chamila Wijesuriya, a long-time employee at the Hotel Berna near Milan’s Central Station, was last seen alive on Friday, May 9, 2025, around 3:15 p.m., entering Parco Nord with Emanuele De Maria, a 35-year-old convicted murderer on work release from Bollate prison. According to Corriere della Sera and Il Messaggero, a security camera near Via Gorky in Cinisello Balsamo, close to Wijesuriya’s home, captured the two walking together into the park. The footage, described by investigators, shows them heading toward an area near a small lake, roughly a kilometer from the park’s entrance.
Approximately two hours later, around 5:15 p.m., a second camera at the Bignami metro station on Viale Fulvio Testi recorded De Maria exiting the park alone. Wijesuriya did not appear in this footage, raising immediate suspicions. Her cellphone was later found in a trash bin at the Bignami station by a cleaner and returned to her 17-year-old son after he was contacted, further tying De Maria to the scene. Il Giorno reported that this temporal gap—between their joint entry and De Maria’s solo departure—is a focal point for investigators trying to reconstruct what happened.
Why the Video Remains Unreleased
The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by Francesco De Tommasi, has not released the footage, citing the active investigation into Wijesuriya’s murder and De Maria’s subsequent suicide on May 11, when he jumped from the Duomo’s terraces. Italian law restricts the release of evidence in ongoing cases to prevent tampering or public interference. A source cited by ANSA confirmed that the videos are being analyzed forensically to clarify the nature of Wijesuriya and De Maria’s relationship and the events leading to her death, which involved cuts to her throat and wrists, consistent with De Maria’s 2016 killing of a 23-year-old woman.
While Corriere TV published a video on May 11 showing the Parco Nord lake where Wijesuriya’s body was found, it contained no surveillance footage of her or De Maria, focusing instead on the crime scene. Posts on X speculating about a public video, such as @CrimeWatchEU’s claim of “leaked footage” circulating, lack verification and are likely misinformation, as no credible outlet has reported such a release.
The Investigation’s Focus
Investigators believe the footage holds clues to a possible motive. Wijesuriya and De Maria, colleagues at the Hotel Berna, may have had a personal relationship, as suggested by TerranostraNews, which reported a “sentimental connection.” Her husband told Il Giorno he was unaware of De Maria, and Wijesuriya had claimed to be heading to the gym before vanishing, contradicting her presence in the park. The day after their meeting, De Maria stabbed another colleague, Hani Fouad Abdelghaffar Nasr, outside the hotel, suggesting a possible link between the incidents.
The discovery of Wijesuriya’s body in the lake, spotted by a passerby around 4:00 p.m. on May 11, followed extensive searches by carabinieri, firefighters, and divers, prompted by the surveillance footage. De Maria’s suicide hours earlier, identified by his tattoos and fragments of Wijesuriya’s ID found on him, closed the case against him but left questions unanswered.
Public Interest and Ethical Considerations
Public demand for the video, reflected in X posts like @MilanChronicle’s “When will they show the Parco Nord tape? We need answers,” underscores the case’s emotional weight. However, releasing such footage risks sensationalizing a tragedy and distressing Wijesuriya’s family, who have expressed anguish over her loss. Italian media, bound by privacy laws, have refrained from pushing for access, with La Stampa noting that the footage’s release is unlikely before the investigation concludes.
As of now, the surveillance video of Chamila Wijesuriya’s final moments with Emanuele De Maria in Parco Nord remains under wraps, accessible only to investigators. It captures a critical window—3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on May 9, 2025—when Wijesuriya’s fate was likely sealed. While the footage has shaped the case, directing searches to the lake where her body was found, its contents are known only through secondhand reports. For those seeking answers, the wait continues as Milan’s authorities piece together a tragedy that has left a community in mourning.
Sources: Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Giorno, ANSA, La Stampa, TerranostraNews, X posts from @CrimeWatchEU, @MilanChronicle