After the police were notified about the disappearnace of Virginia Cacioppo, by Cacioppo's concerned sister inlaw, the investigator Commissary Serrao took on the case. When authorities came to Cianciulli's home she was reluctant to give out any information, but as soon as her son, Giuseppe, was accused of helping her she immediately confessed. Cianciulli was tried for murder in Reggio Emilia in 1946.

Above is Cianciulli's kitchen and the pot she converted her victims remains into soap.

Evidence Found:

Investigators found the different axes she used to cut up the bodies.
They also found the basins used to hold the victim's blood.
The pot she used to mix body parts with caustic soda and and make soap were found in her kithen.
Neighbors were asked about any suspicious activity. Several admitted that around the times of the murders there would be an awful smell coming from Cianciuli's house. However they didn't question the smellly concoction.
They didn't believe that a woman could kill, dismember, and dispose of a body within and hour and forty minutes. So Leonarda was asked to explain/reinact how she cut up the bodies.
While on trial she admitted to giving the copper ladel, she used to mix the victims remains with other soap ingredients, to the war effort.
In trial she was extremely proud and detailed when being accused of the murders, at points in the trial she would correct the prosecuters.

Techniques:

Since the victim's bodies had been disposed of and some evidence had been sent to the war effort, investigators were key to solving the crime. Questioning and interogations pulled the truth out of Leonarda Cianciulli. Investigaors were able to get detailed accounts of how she murdered the three women, who the women were, which weapons she had used to kill them, and how she disposed of the bodies and other evidence.