The pregnant newlywed who was lost in the water after a Venice boating crash that killed her husband has been found dead. Gabriella Querino’s body was discovered in a Venice lagoon on Tuesday, just over a mile from where her husband Sean Michieli’s body was found Saturday morning. The couple’s boat sank after a collision with a water taxi. A nautical homicide investigation is underway.
Querino, 26, and Michieli, 25, had been married for three months. According to Querino’s family, the couple had a “serious argument” the night before the fatal incident, and she had informed her mother she was packing her bags. She later texted her mother that the disagreement had been resolved and they were going out for dinner. Her family noted that it was unusual for Querino to communicate via text, as she typically preferred phone calls and video chats.
Gabriella Querino’s mother, Gisele Elorriaga, arrived in Italy on Tuesday night, hours after her daughter's body was found. “I lost two children,” Elorriaga told Gazzettino.
Michieli’s cause of death has not yet been released, with an autopsy scheduled for the following week. He was hospitalized with serious injuries after being pulled from the water before he died. Michieli’s sister, Chantal, expressed her grief online, writing, “I would give anything to have just one more minute with you. I love you, my big brother.”
Querino’s family has expressed suspicions about the circumstances of the crash, stating, “there are too many silences and things that don’t add up.” Authorities are reportedly seeking to speak with two American tourists who were on board the water taxi at the time of the collision.