Picture this: Two six-year-old girls, bright-eyed and inseparable, taken for a weekend with their father. It’s supposed to be a routine visit. But when Monday comes, they don’t return home. Their mother waits, her panic growing. The father’s phone is off. The house is empty. And then, a chilling letter arrives: “The children rest in peace. They have not suffered.” What happened to Alessia and Livia Schepp? And how could two little girls vanish into thin air?
Welcome to True Crime Tales with Cosette, where we unravel the world’s most haunting mysteries. Today, we dive into one of Europe’s most perplexing cases—the disappearance of Alessia and Livia Schepp, a case that spans three countries, a father’s suicide, and a trail of clues that lead nowhere. Grab a cuppa, settle in, and let’s uncover the truth behind this heartbreaking enigma.
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| Alessia and Livia Schepp |
Act 1: The Perfect Family, Torn Apart
In the quiet suburb of Saint-Sulpice, near Lausanne, Switzerland, Alessia and Livia Schepp were born on October 7, 2004. The twin sisters were the pride and joy of their parents, Irina Lucidi, an Italian-born Swiss lawyer, and Matthias Schepp, a Canadian-born engineer. The couple had met while working for Philip Morris in Italy, marrying in 2004. To the outside world, they were a perfect family—successful, multilingual, and deeply devoted to their daughters. But beneath the surface, cracks were forming.
By 2010, Irina and Matthias’s marriage was crumbling. Irina described Matthias as controlling, particularly over the girls’ upbringing, dictating their routines, what they watched, and even their bedtimes. Unable to tolerate it any longer, Irina left Matthias in mid-2010, and the couple separated. They both stayed in Saint-Sulpice, sharing custody of Alessia and Livia. Despite the split, Matthias was said to adore his daughters, and the girls, described as bright and cheerful, seemed to thrive.
But in January 2011, everything changed. Irina had recently told Matthias she wanted a divorce, a decision that reportedly devastated him. On Friday, January 28, Matthias picked up Alessia and Livia for a weekend visit. It was a routine arrangement. He promised to return them on Sunday, later texting Irina to say he’d drop them at school on Monday instead. Irina had no reason to suspect anything was wrong. But when Monday came, the girls didn’t appear.
Irina called Matthias repeatedly. His phone was off. She rushed to his house, finding it empty—except for a handwritten will. Alarmed, she contacted the police. What followed was a chilling discovery that would spark an international manhunt.
Act 2: A Trail Across Europe
The police pieced together Matthias’s movements. On Sunday, January 30, 2011, at around midnight, Alessia and Livia were last seen with their father in Saint-Sulpice. By 5:04 p.m. that day, Matthias’s Audi A6 was recorded crossing the Swiss border into France. He was heading south, towards Marseille. The girls were presumed to be with him, though no footage confirmed it.
In Marseille, Matthias made large cash withdrawals—around 7,000 euros. He sent Irina a postcard, saying he couldn’t live without the girls. Then, he boarded a ferry to Propriano, on the French island of Corsica, a place the family had holidayed before. A witness claimed to have seen Alessia and Livia playing in the ferry’s play area, but this was never confirmed. On February 1, Matthias disembarked in Corsica. Crucially, police later said he appeared to be alone when he left the island on another ferry to Toulon, France, that evening.
The trail continued. On February 2, Matthias was photographed at a toll booth in Italy, alone. By February 3, he was in Cerignola, a small town in southern Italy. That night, at 11:47 p.m., Matthias threw himself under a train, ending his life. The twins were nowhere to be found. But the most chilling clue came in a letter he sent to Irina, postmarked February 3.
The letter was devastating. Matthias wrote, “The children rest in peace. They have not suffered.” He claimed he had killed Alessia and Livia and ensured they were in a “tranquil place.” Swiss police revealed Matthias had searched for firearms, poisons, and ferry schedules on his work computer before the trip, suggesting meticulous planning. The letter implied a horrific truth—but without bodies, could it be believed?
Act 3: Theories and Dead Ends
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Twins,” spanned Switzerland, France, and Italy. Police searched lakes, forests, and even a water tank near Cerignola’s train station. In Corsica, they scoured holiday spots the family had visited. But no trace of Alessia or Livia was found. The prevailing theory, backed by Matthias’s letter and his internet searches, was that he had killed the girls—possibly poisoning them—and disposed of their bodies, perhaps in the Mediterranean Sea during the ferry crossing.
Irina Lucidi, heartbroken, refused to give up hope. She made public appeals, clutching her daughters’ toys. The girls’ uncle, Valerio Lucidi, spoke of the family’s fear that Matthias’s actions stemmed from a mental breakdown. Matthias’s family echoed this, describing him as a loving father who must have snapped under the strain of the divorce. But not everyone believed the girls were dead.
In 2014, an anonymous letter to the Italian TV show Chi l’ha Visto? claimed Alessia and Livia were alive, living in Canada or Lachute, Quebec, with false passports. The letter alleged Matthias had paid for forged documents to smuggle them out of Europe. Italian journalists investigated in Ottawa, but Ottawa police had no record of the case, and the lead fizzled out. Could Matthias have orchestrated such a complex plan? Or was it a cruel hoax?
Another theory suggests Matthias left the girls alive somewhere—perhaps with a carer or another family. The large cash withdrawals, only partially accounted for, fuelled speculation he paid someone to take them. But if they were alive, why haven’t they surfaced? At six, Alessia and Livia spoke fluent French and Italian and would likely remember their mother. By now, they’d be teenagers, capable of seeking help. The silence is deafening.
Act 4: A Mother’s Endless Search
Irina Lucidi has never stopped searching. In 2015, Italian journalist Concita De Gregorio published a novel, Mi sa che fuori è primavera, written from Irina’s perspective, capturing her grief and resilience. The book won a prestigious Brancati Prize, bringing renewed attention to the case. But answers remain elusive. Swiss police, while thorough, found no definitive evidence of the girls’ fate. The case remains open, a haunting reminder of how quickly a family can be torn apart.
What happened to Alessia and Livia Schepp? Did Matthias, consumed by despair, take their lives before ending his own? Or could they still be out there, hidden by a father’s desperate plan? The truth remains locked in a mystery that spans continents and hearts. If you know anything—anything at all—please contact Missing Children Switzerland or the Lausanne Police. Even the smallest clue could bring closure to a mother’s endless pain.
Thank you for joining me on True Crime Tales with Cosette. If this story moved you, please like, share, and subscribe to keep these cases alive. Until next time, stay curious and stay safe.
