Celeste Manno, 23, from Melbourne, Australia, was murdered on Nov 16, 2020, by Louis Sako, a former co-worker. Sako’s troubling behavior had been growing more intense for months before her death, showing how dangerous stalking can be and how protective measures can sometimes fail.
Celeste met Sako at a Melbourne call center. After Sako was fired, Celeste, showing kindness, offered him some comforting words. Sako misinterpreted this gesture, developing an unhealthy obsession.
In the following months, Sako’s behavior became alarming. He sent Celeste numerous messages, ranging from affectionate to threatening. Despite Celeste’s efforts to block him, Sako, created new accounts to continue his harassment.
Concerning her safety, Celeste and her family went to the police. At first, the police didn’t take her worries seriously because Sako hadn’t broken any laws yet. But after Sako sent a threatening message, they gave Celeste a safety order.
The order was supposed to keep Sako away from her, but it didn’t stop him. He continued to watch Celeste and was angry about what he saw as her rejection.
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On the night of Nov 16, 2020, Celeste posted a photo on Instagram with her boyfriend, Christopher Ridsdale. Sako’s fixation turned deadly.
After seeing a photo of Celeste with another man, he went to her home armed with a knife and hammer. He broke into her bedroom smashing a window and attacked her while she was asleep. Celeste was stabbed 23 times in Minutes, leading to her death
Sako fled but later surrendered to the police. He admitted the murder of Celeste and blamed the authorities, saying the police didn’t take his threats seriously. Although he claimed he was not in his right mind during the attack, evaluations confirmed he was aware of his actions.
Sako was deemed fit to stand trial and pleaded guilty to murdering Celeste Manno.
Celeste’s death profoundly affected her family and friends. They remember her as kind and caring, with her life cut short by someone she had tried to help.
Her mother, Aggie DeAro, who was present during the attack, continues to deal with the trauma of losing her daughter.
Celeste’s family now advocates for better protections against stalking and stricter enforcement of intervention orders. They hope to prevent others from facing similar pain and loss.
