The Possession of Maria Talarico

In 1939, in the Italian town of Catanzaro, a young woman named Maria Talarico crossed a bridge where a man named Giuseppe Veraldi had died three years earlier. She immediately fell into a trance and began speaking in Veraldi’s voice, eventually revealing that his death was murder, not suicide.

The Original Death

In 1936, Giuseppe Veraldi was found dead beneath a bridge. His death was ruled a suicide, though friends and family doubted this verdict. The case was closed without further investigation.

The Possession

When Maria Talarico crossed the bridge in 1939, she collapsed. When she rose, she spoke in a male voice and used crude language foreign to the modest young woman. She identified herself as Giuseppe Veraldi and demanded to see his mother.

The Revelation

Speaking through Maria, Veraldi described his death. He claimed four friends had gotten him drunk, beaten him, and thrown him off the bridge. He named the killers and described details only the dead man could have known. He asked his mother for forgiveness for things he had done in life.

The Investigation

While police did not formally reopen the case, Veraldi’s mother believed her son had spoken through Maria. One of the accused men reportedly confessed on his deathbed years later.

Resolution

After the “visit” with Veraldi’s mother, Maria returned to normal with no memory of the episode. She had never met Veraldi in life and had only heard vaguely of his death.

Assessment

The Maria Talarico case is remarkable for the specific information conveyed, including details of a murder that was officially ruled suicide. If genuine, it represents one of the clearest examples of a spirit using possession to seek justice.