By Calvin Palmer
The wife of an American oil executive faces prosecution over the deaths of their three children in Scotland.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court today issued a petition warrant for the children’s mother 46-year-old Theresa Riggi, who is suspected of murdering her three children.
Eight-year-old twins Augustino and Gianluca Riggi and their five-year-old sister Cecilia were discovered on Wednesday at a townhouse in Slateford Road, Edinburgh, after reports of an explosion.
The children are thought to have been stabbed to death. The results of the autopsies conducted today have not been disclosed.
Their mother is stable in hospital after apparently falling from a second-floor balcony at the house and police are waiting to interview her. She is said to have suffered serious injuries, including several self-inflicted stab wounds.
Pasquali Riggi, 46, an executive with Royal Dutch Shell PLC in Scotland, issued a statement today saying his family is struggling to come to terms with the deaths of the children.
He asked for privacy to grieve for his children.
Riggi, who is originally from Colorado, is not a suspect in the investigation and has been helping police to try to piece together the last movements of his children and estranged wife.
The Riggi children had been at the centre of divorce proceedings between their parents and were being sought by court officers at the time of their deaths after their mother failed to attend a court hearing.
Last month, Theresa Riggi and the children were reported missing from the family home in Aberdeen.
They were later traced to the property in Slateford Road, Edinburgh, but Mrs Riggi failed to attend the court of session in the city on Tuesday for a scheduled hearing in a divorce case brought by her husband.
A judge instructed court officers to locate the children, involve social workers and apply for a protection order if deemed necessary. The Riggis had been due back in court for a further hearing.
[Based on reports by The Press & Journal and Associated Press.]