Woman missing with her children: More letters found, suicide suspected.

"Two different, undated letters were found; one addressed to her children, and another in which Sonia Bottacchiari made observations about her life. They were found in the home of her father, the children's grandfather, Riccardo Bottacchiari. They suggest a suicidal intent." This information was learned by Rai TG Friuli Venezia Giulia from the Chief Prosecutor of Piacenza, Grazia Pradella. Prosecutor Pradella, speaking to Rai TG FVG, emphasized "the extreme sensitivity of this moment, when it is necessary to maintain absolute confidentiality in respect of the ongoing investigations." Pradella confirmed that the letters were found by a correspondent from Sky TG24 and have already been seized. Three weeks have passed since Sonia Bottacchiari, 49 years old, and her 14- and 16-year-old children disappeared after telling their relatives that they were going to spend a few days at a campsite in Friuli. Today, rescuers are continuing the search in the area of Tarcento (Udine), where the woman's car was found on May 6th. The Carabinieri continue to receive reports, but none have yielded results. The latest report was received yesterday from a person who claimed to have seen the family – and their 4 dogs – during the weekend of April 25th in the area of Pielungo di Vito d'Asio (Pordenone), in the Val d'Arzino. Checks by the Carabinieri of the Spilimbergo company have not yielded any results. Since the car was found on May 6th, searches have been coordinated with an international inter-agency center involving Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. The Slovenian police, without initiating structured searches, have intensified road controls and border checks, but without success. The searches will continue and will be expanded to a radius of approximately 20 kilometers beyond the area already searched during the past week. This information was learned by ANSA from investigative sources. The decision was made by the Prefect of Udine, Domenico Lione, based on information received from law enforcement agencies and rescuers during a meeting. The fire department will continue to coordinate the searches, while the Carabinieri will handle the investigations, in constant coordination with the Prosecutor's Office of Piacenza. It has also been confirmed that the three missing people had at least 4 smartphones: in addition to their personal phones, the mother also had a mobile device that she used in her collaboration with a dairy. All 4 phones were "deactivated" at the same time, a detail that leads investigators to believe that it may have been a deliberate action. Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA