The celebrated writer of police thrillers, Cesare Battisti, was arrested March 18 in Rio de Janeiro. A writer of over 24 mystery novels, Battisti is accused of aiding in and committing four murders.

Battisti was found at in a hotel near Copacabana Beach in Brazil.

Investigators from the French and Italian sectors of Interpol began following a young female supporter of Battisti months ago. She was en route to give money to the accused and led Brazilian police to him.

“Brazilian police have been following him for several months,” said federal police spokesman, Bruno Ramos, to The Associated Press.

Immediately after the arrest, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi declared the event a “brilliant operation” and began extradition proceedings.

This most recent arrest is just another chapter in the thrilling, event-filled life of Battisti.

In 1976, Battisti founded the organization Armed Proletarians for Communism in south Milan in response to the tense political climate.

At the time, Italy was politically torn between extremist socialist and communist groups and bombings ensued by the various parties.

During Italy’s “anni di pombo,” a decade of politically driven terrorism, Battisti’s organization was responsible for armed acts including kidnappings, murders and robberies. They targeted members of right-wing political organizations and those who supported the police.

Battisti is accused of murdering a butcher and supporter of the Italian Social Movement, Lino Sabbadin, and a prison guard in the late 1970s.

He is also implicated in the murders of a policeman and a jeweler, Luigi Torregiani.

After being imprisoned for two years, Battisti escaped from a Frosinone prison in 1981 and fled to France in the early 1990s.

In reaction to the influx of leftist activists fleeing Italy, France created safeguards for them. Socialist French president, Francois Mitterrand, sponsored a program to allow Italian militants asylum if they abandoned their violent ways.

Battisti lived in France for over a decade, during which his trial continued in Italy. In 1990, he was convicted in absentia, a ruling confirmed by high court in 1993, of the murders of Sabbadin and the guard.

Battisti received the sentence of life in prison.

“Not to say that he should be, but if he were to be extradited back to Italy, it seems there needs to be a new trial where he can defend himself in person,” said first-year Hannah Johnston.

In 2004, in response to criticisms of being too lenient on terrorism, France rescinded its policy of allowing political asylum.

Italy and France immediately began a joint effort to extradite Battisti back to Italy.

However, Battisti did not attend his judicial meeting and fled the country with the aid of a French-based “support committee” made up of his followers.

On March 19 of this year, Battisti was transferred to a jail in Brasilia, the country’s capital, but extradition is proving to be problematic.

Ramos explains that Brazil does not support any punishments that are longer than 30 years in prison and often won’t extradite fugitives if their impending punishment is longer than that or involves death.

Brazilian politicians, including Representative Fernando Gabeira, are speaking out against Battisti’s capture.

“Battisti is a man dedicated to his intellectual work . [and] deserves our help,” said Gabeira via his Web site, www.gabeira.com, according to CNN.

Other groups are reaching out to help the alleged murderer. Parisian artists and writers are also supporting him, claiming he is a writer of crime novels, not an actual criminal.

“All writers write about their lives because it comes from their subconscious,” said Visiting Instructor of English Caroline McAlister.

The relationship between his writing and his life has been further complicated by pleas of innocence in his books.

“I am guilty, as I have often said, of having participated in an armed group with a subversive aim and of having carried weapons. But I never shot anyone,” said Battisti in his novel, “Ma Cavale (My Escape).”

The Brazilian courts will now have to decide the fate of this acclaimed author and fugitive.