Italian pol possibly linked to death

ROME, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Officials have opened an investigation into a possible link between a dead transsexual prostitute and the former governor of an Italian province, police say.

Piero Marrazzo, ex-governor of Lazio, resigned from office Oct. 27 after an alleged blackmail attempt by three police officers emerged. It involved a video allegedly showing Marrazzo with a transsexual prostitute named "Natalie."

A second prostitute, known as "Brenda," had told police she had a second video on her computer. After she died Friday in an apparent apartment fire, police found the computer soaked in the sink of her unit, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Police said she died of smoke inhalation, but that evidence of a flammable liquid was found near her burned, semi-nude body, ANSA said.

Police believe the computer may have been soaked to try and destroy its contents. It has been sent to a police lab, they said.

"I'm not afraid because I didn't do anything," Natalie responded when asked about Brenda's death. "I wasn't a friend of Brenda's. I never met her."