An Italian artist who planned to hitchhike from Italy to Israel in a white wedding dress in order to bring a message of peace to the Middle East was raped and murdered in Turkey two weeks ago, police announced Saturday.  Her body was found over the weekend two weeks after she went missing near the town of Gebze.

The artist has been identified as 33-year-old Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, also known as Pippa Bacca.  Police arrested a local 38-year-old man who admitted to the murder. 

“She was very sure of herself.  To our great sorrow, she met the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time,” her fiancé told reporters.  The Internet site that tracked the artist’s journey said Saturday, “Unfortunately, Pippa’s message of peace did not succeed in overcoming human evil."