Reid Alexander Schepis, a first-year student at Italy's John Cabot University, is accused of stabbing his longtime friend, Fabio Malpeso, after a night of Halloween partying in Rome.
ABC News reports that Schepis, who lived with 19-year-old Malpeso and knew him from New Jersey, allegedly stabbed his roommate 25 times after consuming ecstasy and alcohol. The 20-year-old suspect told authorities that he has no memory of the attack.
Malpeso's sister and her boyfriend allegedly heard his screams and got help. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but one expert believes drugs precipitated the violent incident.
"It certainly sounds like some sort of drug-induced psychosis or hallucination," Brad Garrett a consultant and former FBI agent, told ABC News.
An attorney for Schepis said his client became "profoundly upset," cried and apologized when questioned.
Malpeso was hospitalized, underwent surgery and is expected to live, according to the Associated Press. Malpeso was in critical condition when admitted to the hospital, NBC notes.
Strangely, the Rome stabbing occurred exactly five years to the day after British student Meredith Kercher was stabbed to death in Perugia, Italy. Her roommate, American student Amanda Knox, was charged and convicted in the killing, but she was acquitted of murder in October 2011 after serving more than four years in prison.
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