Prosecutor seeks life sentences for two Americans accused of killing an Italian police officer while on vacation in Rome

• Two US men are charged with murder in the stabbing of a police officer in Rome, Italy in 2019.
• On Saturday, a prosecutor asked for both men to receive life sentences.
• The men said they acted in self-defense and that they did not know the man was a police officer.

An Italian prosecutor on Saturday asked for life sentences for two Americans facing murder charges in the July 2019 killing of a police officer in Rome.

The Americans, Finnegan Lee Elder, 21, and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 20, have been accused of stabbing the officer, Mario Cerciello Rega, after a botched drug sale. They were 19 and 18 at the time of the killing.

Prosecutor Maria Sabina Calabretta said the men deserved the maximum possible sentence under Italian law, saying a "grave injustice" was "committed against a good man who was working," The New York Times reported.

Elder admitted to stabbing the officer, though he said it was in self-defense, while Natale-Hjorth tussled with another officer. Police said Cerciello, who was 35 and newly married, was stabbed 11 times with a 7-inch blade, Reuters reported.

The Americans, who are from California, said they were visiting Rome when they tried to buy cocaine from a local dealer but were actually sold crushed aspirin. When they realized they had been fooled, they stole the backpack of the person that connected them to the dealer, in an attempt to get their money back and actual cocaine.

That person, which Italian media has reported was a police informer, contacted the police about his stolen bag, Reuters reported.

The two officers, who were not wearing uniforms, approached Elder and Natale-Hjorth near the hotel where they were staying in the Prati neighborhood.

The Americans said they did not know the men were police officers, however, the other officer present denied this, saying he and Cerciello identified themselves.

During the trial, Elder said he "panicked" and believed the officers were "thugs" sent to retrieve the pack, The Times reported. He said he thought Cerciello was going to kill him.

Natale-Hjorth first said he did not know Elder had brought a knife, but police found his fingerprints on the ceiling of their hotel room where the knife was hidden, Reuters reported.

A verdict in the trial is expected in April.

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