Italian model and reality television personality Pamela Genini was found dead inside her Milan apartment on the evening of Tuesday, October 14, 2025, after neighbors reported hearing screams and desperate pleas for help coming from the third-floor residence in the Gorla neighborhood. The 29-year-old sustained 24 stab wounds across her neck, back, chest, upper limbs and hands during what authorities describe as a violent confrontation with her former partner, 52-year-old businessman Gianluca Soncin.
Genini had been on a phone call with another former romantic partner when she discovered Soncin inside her property. Soncin had allegedly used a copied key he had made in the weeks leading up to the attack to gain unauthorized entry. Upon hearing her reaction to finding Soncin in her apartment, the second ex-boyfriend immediately dialed emergency services.
Witnesses in an adjacent building reported seeing portions of the attack unfold on the apartment’s third-floor balcony, where Soncin allegedly dragged Genini during the assault. Multiple neighbors attempted to break into the apartment to rush to her aid after hearing her screams. One witness told Italian newspaper Il Giorno they heard Genini screaming, “Help! Help!” moments before she was killed.
When police arrived at the scene and rang the intercom, Genini answered, saying it was Glovo, attempting to pretend the officers were a delivery service. A neighbor on a nearby balcony shouted to get the authorities’ attention about what was happening inside the top-floor apartment. Officers, along with firefighters, broke down the apartment door but arrived too late. By the time they entered, Genini had already succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Upon seeing authorities enter the apartment, Soncin allegedly turned the knife on himself and slashed his throat twice in an apparent suicide attempt. He was stabilized and transported to Milan’s Niguarda hospital, where he received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Soncin remains hospitalized under police supervision and has since exercised his right to silence, refusing to provide statements to investigators.
Prosecutors have charged Soncin with murder aggravated by stalking, premeditation and femicide. In Italy, femicide refers to the killing of a woman due to gender-based motives or domestic violence and is prosecuted as an aggravated form of homicide. Milan prosecutor Alessia Menegazzo indicated that evidence and testimonies from people who knew the victim demonstrate that Soncin had been stalking her, while others claimed she suffered physical abuse and threats from him.
The former romantic partner who was on the phone with Genini during the attack told authorities that the relationship between Genini and Soncin had soured prior to the incident. Another report from news agency ANSA states that while the pair were still involved, Genini was planning to leave him. The couple had dated for more than a year before the murder.
Genini, originally from Strozza, a small village in the Imagna Valley of the Bergamo Prealps, had been living in Milan for several years. She built a multifaceted career as a model in high-fashion campaigns throughout the city and co-founded the swimwear brand SheLux with her friend Elisa Bartolotti. The Made-in-Italy beachwear brand reflected her passion for fashion and the sea. She also operated a luxury real estate business in Milan.
At age 19, Genini appeared on the Italian reality dating show L’isola di Adamo ed Eva Italia (The Island of Adam and Eve) on Deejay TV, hosted by Vladimir Luxuria, where contestants participated naked on a desert island. Following news of her death, Luxuria remembered her on social media, noting that Genini was a contestant on the show she hosted and that she had not forgotten her pure soul. Luxuria also referenced that in 2021, another former contestant from the show, Polina Kochelenko, died after reportedly drowning in a canal.
Genini’s social media accounts reflected a glamorous lifestyle filled with travel and style, featuring posts from Monte Carlo, Milan, Dubai and vacation destinations including Venice, Paris, Portofino, the Dolomites and Positano. She was frequently photographed with her chihuahua, Bianca. In a past interview, Genini described her approach to modeling, explaining that she started having photographs taken at age eight with her first photo books and that her mother always supported her passion. She stated that when she decided at 16 to turn modeling into a career, she had maximum support, and emphasized that for her, photography must be simple, natural and spontaneous.
Soncin was previously arrested by Palermo’s financial police in 2010 in connection with an operation that dismantled a ring operating between Germany and Italy. The group was accused of selling hundreds of luxury cars at artificially low prices and evading taxes through false invoices. Whether Soncin was convicted of fraud in that case remains unclear from available records.