Husband arrested over murder of beloved Nonna
Frank Dimasi, 91 has been charged over the murder of his wife, Maria, 85, who was found dead inside the couple's home over the weekend.
Maria was found with multiple stab wounds inside the couple's home in Findon, Adelaide, at around 11:20pm on Saturday.
Frank was arrested at the scene and charged over the murder of his wife of over 50 years on Monday.
He is currently under police guard at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, having suffered from self-inflicted and non-life threatening wounds, according to SA police. He is also reported to suffer from a "neurological disability".
Maria was a beloved member of the Italian community in Adelaide.
She was regarded as the "neighbourhood matriarch” and was well-known because of her love for cooking, including making meals for the vulnerable.
She was heavily involved with the family's taxpayer-funded meal service, Nonna’s Cucina, that even Health Minister Mark Butler recognised her hard work and described her as "extremely generous".
“Maria lit up the kitchen at Nonna’s Cucina,” he said. “She was always extremely generous and made sure no one ever left her company hungry.
“Maria gave so much to her community and will be greatly missed by her loved ones and everyone who had the pleasure to meet her.”
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas also paid tribute to the beloved great-grandmother and described the murder as "tragic".
“On a personal level, Maria Dimasi was a very significant contributor to our state, particularly in the western suburbs’ Italian community,” said the premier.
“Nonna’s Cucina, which will be very well-known to a lot of South Australians, did amazing work delivering meals to people that are vulnerable, particularly the elderly.
"This is a good person who has lost their life in tragic circumstances.”
The premier is currently facing increasing pressure to authorise a Royal Commission into domestic violence in the state, after five women have allegedly been killed at the hands of a partner since November 16, according to The Advertiser.
The publication also reported that this is "the worst DV toll in Australia's history".
In their first public statement issued through the police late Monday, the couple's family paid tribute to Maria, who they described as “loving mother to her four children, her 10 grandchildren and a great grandmother to 13”.
“Maria had a caring nature and shared love and happiness to those around her,” they said in the statement obtained by The Advertiser.
“Maria was the centre of our family, bringing us together to care for and support each other. Family was everything to Maria, and she was everything to her family.
“Maria has warmed the hearts of many and we would like to extend our gratitude for the support the community has provided as we come to terms with our loss.”
They added: “The support truly shows that Maria was loved by many and has made a positive impact to the community.
“We will always remember Maria for her warmth, caring nature, compassion and her beautiful smile.”
They also thanked Nonna’s Cucina for allowing her to spread joy with the community and said that they will come together as a family in the coming days to celebrate Maria's life.
“We thank Nonna’s Cucina for supporting Maria to share her joy with the community.
“The past few days have been difficult for our family as we process the grief of losing our beautiful mother and Nonna.”
Images: Facebook/ Nine News.