Shivangi Sinha
Netflix’s ‘Murder in Monaco’ extends its focus beyond the death of Edmond Safra and Vivian Torrente to examine later developments in Ted Maher’s life. The series outlines an attempted prison escape involving Maher and another inmate, Luigi Ciardelli. The latter is interviewed in the documentary and he provides a detailed account of how the escape was planned, what occurred during the attempt, and how it ultimately failed. His testimony adds context to Maher’s actions after his conviction and sheds light on events that followed the trial.
Luigi Ciardelli Was a Prison Trustee When He Met Ted Maher
After Ted Maher was convicted and sentenced to prison in December 2002, he met Luigi Ciardelli, a long-time offender with a history of robberies who also served as a prison trustee. Because of that role, Luigi had access within the facility and later said this allowed him to obtain materials essential to an escape plan. He said that Maher invited him to play a game of chess and proposed a plan for escape, which he agreed to. According to him, he persuaded prison officials that Maher was at risk of self-harm and requested to share Maher’s small cell so he could monitor him. Luigi has stated that Maher later claimed credit for bringing cutting tools into the cell, but he said that he was the one who smuggled them in.
He also said the idea of cutting through barriers during late hours came from him, after noticing guards were often distracted by television. Over several weeks, they gathered materials and repurposed them into tools. Luigi kept an eye on the guard while Maher cut through the metal bars. They used a mixture of ash and water as glue to conceal their progress. On January 21, 2003, both men exited the cell and made their way down from the building without immediately being detected. There was a Champions League match that kept the guards busy and they were not alerted till the next morning. Luigi has said that once he reached the ground, he ran, leaving Maher behind. He later explained that the decision was impulsive and driven by fear of being caught.
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Luigi Ciardelli Seems to be Keeping Out of Prison
After fleeing the prison, Luigi Ciardelli remained on the run, but only briefly. In March 2003, Italian authorities arrested him near the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy on minor charges, including vagrancy. His capture brought a quiet end to the escape that had briefly drawn international attention. Beyond that arrest, little verifiable information has emerged about Luigi’s later life. Court records and public reporting offer few details, and he has largely stayed out of view. The Netflix documentary revisiting the Safra case suggests that he is no longer incarcerated, but it does not provide specifics about his current circumstances.
