Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Mauri, the newspaper editor, orchestrated Anchisi's murder to halt the investigation before it exposed his drug operation. Working with Garrù, one of the actual killers, Mauri staged the hit-and-run to make the killing look like an accident. By eliminating the prosecutor, Mauri believed he could stop the inquiry into his criminal activities before it reached him.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Inspector Vezzi notes the unusual speed of the case being closed as an accident, hinting at powerful interests benefiting from the prosecutor's death.

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The killer was Mauri, the newspaper editor himself. Throughout the film, Mauri posed as a reluctant publisher while actually orchestrating the elimination of everyone connected to the incriminating photographs. He killed Garrù outside the nightclub, stabbed Roversi during the ransom drop, strangled Uncle Fifi, and attacked Olga - all to keep his drug operation hidden.

Foreshadowing: Mauri hesitates to publish the photos despite the potential scoop, and he is the one who organizes the ransom drop - revealing his desperation to control the evidence.

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Don Salvatore laughed at Carlo's demand for 20 million lire because the amount was excessively high and the mafia boss saw the young photographer as overstepping. More importantly, Don Salvatore had no intention of paying for evidence that could implicate his own organization. The rejection signaled that Carlo's attempt to profit from the photos would not work through criminal channels.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Inspector Vezzi manipulates the press by suggesting mob involvement, establishing that the mafia already has reason to want the case closed quickly.

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Carlo became the killer's primary target because he possessed the photographs documenting the staged murder. These photos threatened to expose Mauri's drug operation and the conspiracy surrounding Anchisi's death. By eliminating Carlo, Mauri could recover or destroy the evidence and silence the only witness with visual proof of the crime.

Foreshadowing: Carlo's decision to photograph everything and then attempt to sell the photos directly places him in the crosshairs of those who need the truth suppressed.

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The killings began the moment Carlo photographed the staged murder and decided to use the evidence for profit. His attempts to blackmail both the mafia and the newspaper created a chain reaction - Mauri, fearing exposure of his drug operation, systematically eliminated everyone who knew about the photos or could connect them to Anchisi's murder.

Foreshadowing: The very first scene establishes Carlo as a witness with a camera, setting in motion every subsequent violent event.

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Vezzi used Carlo as bait because conventional police work had failed to identify the killer. By staging a meeting where Carlo would appear vulnerable, Vezzi created an opportunity for the killer to reveal themselves. The plan worked - when the killer fired, the bullet struck protective glass instead of Carlo, and the sudden lighting revealed Mauri as the attacker.

Foreshadowing: Vezzi's earlier frustration at the delays and his redirecting of blame toward Carlo and the press establish his willingness to take desperate measures.

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Mauri was identified during the staged meeting trap. Carlo waited as bait while police hid nearby. When the killer arrived and fired, the bullet struck a pane of protective glass. When the room lights were turned on, the killer's mask fell and Mauri was revealed. He was immediately arrested and later confessed to killing Anchisi to protect his drug operation.

Foreshadowing: The ransom drop scene shows the killer knew details only someone with inside knowledge would have, hinting the threat came from within the newspaper itself.

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Olga was attacked because the killer was searching for Carlo. When Carlo and Olga went into hiding, the killer tracked them down. Finding only Olga, the attacker assaulted her trying to force her to reveal Carlo's location. Olga died from her injuries in the hospital, marking the film's devastating personal cost.

Foreshadowing: The earlier attack on Uncle Fifi establishes that the killer will eliminate anyone close to Carlo to get what he wants.

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Uncle Fifi was killed because he was Carlo's boss and the person who first received the incriminating photographs. As the intermediary who helped plan how to monetize the evidence, Uncle Fifi knew about the photos and could potentially cooperate with police or reveal information. The killer strangled him to eliminate this loose end.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Uncle Fifi's role in encouraging Carlo to exploit the photos, making him a target once the killer began systematically removing everyone connected to the evidence.

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The photographs changed hands multiple times throughout the film. Carlo first gave them to Uncle Fifi, then tried selling them to the mafia and newspaper. During the ransom drop, the killer stabbed Roversi expecting to find the photos, but they weren't with him - it was a trap. The photos ultimately served their purpose in exposing the conspiracy when Mauri was unmasked.

Foreshadowing: The failed ransom drop, where the killer finds nothing, demonstrates that Carlo had learned to protect the evidence by keeping it hidden.

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Mauri hired Garrù to kill prosecutor Anchisi because the investigation threatened to expose Mauri's drug operation. Rather than risk a lengthy prosecution that could reveal his criminal network, Mauri arranged for the prosecutor's death and staged it as an accident. Garrù was the hired killer who carried out the actual murder while Mauri coordinated from within the newspaper.

Foreshadowing: The film reveals Mauri's drug operation only at the end, but his hesitation about publishing and his quick action to silence threats provide subtle early hints.

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