Manuel Foffo and Marco Prato were arrested after the naked body of Luca Varani was found in the bedroom of an apartment owned by Foffo in Collatino, in Rome’s outskirts, on Saturday night.

Varani was allegedly tortured, stabbed and beaten with a hammer by the two university students during a two-day party that was fuelled by alcohol and cocaine.

“We wanted to kill someone only to see what affect it would have on us,” 30-year-old Foffo told prosecutor Francesco Scavo, Ansa reported, citing sources.

“We went out in the car the night before, hoping to meet someone. Then we thought of Varani, who my friend (Marco Prato) knew.”

Foffo, a law student, confessed the murder to his father, who reported the crime to police.

Prato, meanwhile, sought refuge in a hotel near Piazza Bologna, where he attempted to kill himself with barbiturates, La Stampa reported. The 29-year-old is now in hospital under police guard.

“I do not know why we did it,” a distraught Prato reportedly said through tears.

Investigators seized two kitchen knives and a hammer from the apartment.