Cingoli (Macerata), July 17, 2026 – An episode of honesty and civic sense, featuring two employees of Ekonore, a bio-disinfestation company headquartered in Milan with an operational office in Viareggio, and the local police of Cingoli. During the specialist post-mortem cleanup and sanitization intervention entrusted to the company at the home of the 65-year-old housewife, originally from Switzerland, Cornelia Daniela Merz – found lifeless in her bedroom in mid-June, deceased for at least two months – an unexpected discovery was made: 135,900 euros in cash.
A treasure hidden among envelopes, drawers, and wardrobe
The savings of a lifetime hidden among envelopes, drawers, and wardrobe. Money earned and regularly set aside. “Without batting an eye, fully adhering to the principles of the company’s code of ethics – explains lawyer Maurizio La Veneziana (legal counsel) –, our technicians immediately suspended activities at the discovery site and contacted CEO and founder Francesco Colombo to report the incident. Management ordered the immediate involvement of authorities: the technicians then coordinated with the local police command, specifically Inspector Marco Rumaghella. Together, they inventoried the sum, which was immediately taken into custody by the officers according to the prescribed procedures.” The money was then handed over by the local police to Merz’s husband, who secured it in a bank account. “Colombo wants to emphasize how those working in this sector often enter difficult, intimate, and painful contexts, where human respect and discretion matter as much as technical competence,” concluded the lawyer.
“If I had taken that money, I would have paid off the mortgage, but I didn’t even think for a second about doing it”
“If I had taken those envelopes, I would have paid off the mortgage. But I didn’t even think for a second about taking them, for a matter of principle.” The 32-year-old Roman Marco Ellul, married, is one of the two technicians from Ekonore who, during the post-mortem cleanup intervention at the farmhouse in Troviggiano – where Cornelia Daniela Merz was found lifeless, deceased for at least two months – came across the treasure of 135,900 euros. The same amount, coincidentally, as his mortgage.
Alongside him, colleague Umberto Porrelli, 36, from Fano and father of two children. “An amount that can be tempting, but honesty and integrity come first – he adds –, taking that money would have meant stealing. And that’s not what our creed teaches us.”
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“The house was under seizure and no one was there, then the discovery of the money: we called the local police”
Both are Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The house was under seizure and no one was there – he recounts –. We started our work and at some point, to proceed with the sanitization of all fabrics, we opened the wardrobe and inside we found a cardboard envelope with a wool blanket. Inside was an envelope with cash and underneath a wooden box. We immediately realized that there could be more money there and elsewhere. Since the local police officers had left us their phone number when they opened the door, we called them. Upon their arrival, together, we made a video to document the discovery and proceeded with counting: there were 38,900 euros. The officers upstairs found another 97,000. We did not open the envelopes earlier out of privacy and because it didn’t seem right to “dig inside the house.”
“We feared getting into trouble if the origin was doubtful”
The technician admits that, at first, he and his colleague were a bit scared: “These days, such a large sum raises concerns. We feared getting into trouble if the money’s origin was doubtful.” But those white envelopes, placed here and there among memories, contained the family’s savings. But if, instead of Ellul and Porrelli, there had been two heartless people, things might have gone differently. “It’s the first time I’ve come across such a discovery – says the 32-year-old –. Usually, the homeowner is always present.” Merz’s husband and son are now in a healthcare center in the Fabriano area, waiting to return home.
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