On 9 May 1978, the 61-year-old Prime Minister of Italy was found dead in the trunk of a car in Rome, 54 days after he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades terrorist group.
The Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse) had kidnapped Moro from his car on 16 March, murdering his 5 bodyguards, which led to hundreds of raids as officials searched for him. Pope Paul VI offered himself to the kidnappers in exchange for Moro’s release. The Red Brigades were not interested in the Pope, however; they wanted the release of several prisoners. The government refused to negotiate.
Around 1:30 on the afternoon of 9 May, the Brigate Rosse informed officials that Moro could be found in a car parked near the Tiber River. When officers opened the trunk, they found Moro’s body. He had been shot 10 times.
More than 10 members of the Brigate Rosse were identified as being involved in the kidnapping and murder of Moro. 5 were arrested in the following months, 1 evaded capture until 2004, and 2 were never apprehended (having fled the country).
The Red Brigades remained active until 1988. During the 1970s it was involved in more than 14,000 acts of violence (including 75 murders), as well as robberies and kidnappings (including US Brigadier-General James Dozier in 1981).
