A 29-year-old Italian model and reality television star was found dead on the balcony of her Milan apartment on Tuesday night, October 14, 2025, after neighbors heard desperate screams and called police. Pamela Genini was allegedly stabbed 24 times by her former partner, 52-year-old businessman Gianluca Soncin, in what prosecutors are calling a premeditated attack involving stalking and femicide.
Neighbors in the Gorla neighborhood reported hearing Genini’s cries for help around 10 p.m., with some attempting to break into the third-floor apartment to rescue her. According to multiple Italian newspapers, witnesses on a nearby balcony saw the violent confrontation unfold and shouted to arriving officers about what was happening inside the apartment.
Genini had been on the phone with another former romantic partner when she discovered Soncin inside her property. He had allegedly used a copied key to gain access to her apartment in the weeks leading up to the murder. Upon hearing her alarmed reaction, the second ex-boyfriend immediately dialed emergency services.
When police rang the intercom, Genini answered and said, “It’s Glovo,” trying to pretend a delivery was being made instead of revealing the danger she was facing inside. By the time officers and firefighters broke down the apartment door, the young model had already sustained fatal injuries to her neck, back, chest, upper limbs, and hands.
As authorities entered the apartment, Soncin allegedly turned the knife on himself, slashing his throat twice in an apparent suicide attempt. He was stabilized at the scene and transported to Milan’s Niguarda hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, then later transferred to San Vittore Prison, where he remains under police supervision. The suspect has exercised his right to silence since his arrest.
Soncin now faces charges of 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 Genini show Soncin had been stalking her, with additional allegations of physical abuse and threats.
The couple had been dating for more than a year before the murder. Reports indicate their relationship had deteriorated in recent months, with Genini planning to leave Soncin. The second former partner told authorities the relationship between Genini and Soncin had become significantly strained prior to the incident.
Genini was originally from Strozza, a small village in the Imagna Valley of the Bergamo Prealps, and had been living in Milan for several years. She began her modeling career at age eight and turned professional at 16 with her mother’s support. In a previous interview, she explained that photography must be simple, natural, and spontaneous for her, with her cheerfulness emerging through the work.
Beyond modeling in high-fashion campaigns throughout Milan, Genini had established herself as an entrepreneur. She cofounded the swimwear brand SheLux with friend Elisa Bartolotti, creating a Made-in-Italy beachwear line inspired by their shared passion for fashion and the sea. She also ran a luxury real estate business in the city.
At age 19, Genini appeared on the Italian reality dating show “L’isola di Adamo ed Eva Italia” on Deejay TV, hosted by Vladimir Luxuria. The controversial program required contestants to meet naked on a desert island. Following news of Genini’s death, Luxuria remembered her on social media, noting she was the contestant with a pure soul and commenting, “One more down,” apparently referencing that another former contestant, Polina Kochelenko, died in 2021 after drowning in a canal while trying to save one of her dogs.
Genini’s social media presence reflected a glamorous lifestyle filled with travel to destinations including Monte Carlo, Dubai, Venice, Paris, Portofino, the Dolomites, and Positano. She frequently posted photos from red carpet appearances at events like the Venice Film Festival and was often accompanied by her chihuahua named Bianca. Locally, she could be found in the province of Bergamo, including Sant’Omobono and a hairdresser in Ponte Giurino.
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. It remains unclear whether Soncin was ever convicted of fraud in that case.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
