Police officers are searching for a second suspect believed to be directly involved in a double murder last Wednesday.
Mobile police were actively pursuing the suspect throughout yesterday but no official notice of him being wanted was launched for fear he might go into hiding.
That strategy might change should he remain at large.
Investigators believe he acted as an accomplice to 39-year-old Jason Galea, who late on Friday was charged with the murder of his brother-in-law, drug baron Mario Camilleri known as L-Imnieħru, and his 21-year-old son, Mario Jr.
Police said 58-year-old Mario Snr was killed in Marsaxlokk at around 12.45pm on Wednesday while his son was shot and stabbed 34 times in Qajjenza, Birżebbuġa, shortly afterwards.
Though police are fairly certain that L-Imnieħru was also shot, it has not been ascertained medically yet because of the body’s advanced state of decomposition.
The heat, and the conditions of the site, such as the fact that the bodies were covered in manure from the cow farm next door, accelerated the rate of decomposition.
The probe has cast a wide net and several people have been questioned. But it appears the murders are not linked with the spate of gangland killings seen in recent months.
“Nothing should be ruled out at this stage but there seems to be no link with the previous murders,” a police source said.
Meanwhile, forensic police continued combing the field in Qajjenza, where the two men were found buried in a shallow grave, which also unearthed a foot belonging to a third person.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that the foot may belong to 27-year-old Matthew Zahra, who went missing in August last year, but DNA tests are underway.
He had been seen last in Valletta but his car was found abandoned in Marsaxlokk.
Nothing should be ruled out at this stage
Mario Camilleri Snr has been a prominent feature of Malta’s underworld for decades, particularly in relation to drug trafficking. His most infamous conviction relates to the bribery of disgraced former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and Judge Patrick Vella in 2002.
L-Imnieħru was convicted of having paid the judges €23,000 and €11,600 respectively to reduce his 16-year drug trafficking sentence to 12 on appeal.
He had been jailed for four years on appeal while his eldest son Pierre and another co-accused Anthony Grech Sant were each jailed for three years. His son Pierre and his wife Mona were also co-accused in an alleged drug trafficking ring being run from prison and which involves 19 suspects in all.
Mario Jr also faced several charges dating back when he was just a teenager.
Magistrate Doreen Clark is carrying out an inquiry while assistant Commissioners Pierre Calleja and Ray Zammit, Superintendents Paul Vassallo, Silvio Valletta, and Inspectors Michael Mallia, Chris Pullicino, Louise Vella and Trevor Micallef are investigating.
mmicallef@timesofmalta.com