Mesina was murdered in mid-1935 after she attempted to fend off a would-be rapist and suffered 74 strikes with a stone before she died.

Once she completed her initial education - which spanned a brief period of time - she took over housekeeping at home in order to assist her bedridden mother who suffered from a heart condition.

Mesina set off for Mass one morning with a friend and after that went to gather firewood in mid-1935 when 19 year old Giovanni Ignazio Catigu (1916-1937) attacked her and tried to rape her.

Mesina defended herself and Catigu murdered because she resisted his violence, striking her with a rock.

[3] Catigu was soon apprehended and on 27 April 1937 sentenced to death; the firing squad executed him on the following 5 August.