December 4, 2009 6: 00 p.m.
In Perugia Italy an Italian jury just rendered its verdict in the murder trial of Amanda Knows an American student and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito who were both just convicted today Dec. 4, 2009. Just after midnight Italian time the two accused are charged and have been convicted of the murder of Meredith Kercher from Britain who was a student in Italy several years ago.
Meredith was a student who attended at the University of Leeds and completed part of her degree courses in Italy as part of an exchange program. Meredith’s father John Kercher is a freelance journalist in England and wrote a piece in June of his last meeting with his daughter in the Daily Mirror. Meredith Kercher appeared in a musical video for a singer in 2007 just before her death.
Back in 2007 Meredith Kercher and Amanda Knox were roommates while studying in Perugia in Italy. Meredith was only 21 years old at the time of her murder and she was found in a pool of blood in the flat shared with Knox.
The prosecution pinned its case on the night of the murder which found Knox and Sollecito at the apartment and a forth individual was present Rudy Hermann Guede from the Ivory Coast. Guede in a separate trial was also convicted of the murder after he fled to Germany and was tracked down and brought back to Italy and was sentenced to 30 years for the murder and rape of Meredith Kercher.
Amanda Knox Convicted of Murder in Italy Dec 4, 2009
The lengthy trial has many questions unanswered questions especially regarding the prosecutor in the trial who is under investigation himself. The prosecutor Giuliano Mignini who was laid the official charges against Sollecito and Knox must have initiated a publicity campaign against Amanda Knox and her image of a pretty girl doing cartwheels in front of the police station. Many American women are disgusted in the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s extra-curricular activities. The story was a hot issue on Italian media and there was a revolt against Amanda Knox on television every night apparently her smiling face appeared on the news.
Amanda is reported to have cried after the verdict was swiftly determined in 13 hours of deliberation. The two accused were removed from the courtroom and taken back to prison with sirens blaring down the street while a throng of media pushed back from the streets.
Amanda Knox Sentenced to 26 Years for Murder in Italy
The prosecution contends that Amanda and her boyfriend got into an argument and the two men started attacking and sexually assaulting Meredith under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The prosecution painted a picture of a rather sex crazed Amanda Knox who disliked her roommate, was unclean and a she devil and who bought underpants the day after the murder.
In her defense Amanda’s lawyers painted her as a dean’s list student at home and said she was not in the apartment but went to it the next morning to find the door open and Kercher dead.
Amanda Knox and Ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito Convicted
By all reports the murder weapon was a 6 and half inch knife which was found at Amanda’s boyfriend’s home yet all the DNA evidence belonged to Guede not to Knox. The one problem Knox has is that she gave conflicting evidence that first she was at the apartment and then another version where she was not there but at her boyfriend’s home.
The fact that she was high on drugs does not happen to help her case for memory is always vague at best. This was part of the prosecutions case against the two accused that it was a night filled with drugs and sexual games in which Knox played a part along with her boyfriend in the murder.
The news reports from Italy indicate that the young American is convicted and has been given 26 years in jail rather than a life sentence in a case with many conflicting reports and lack of evidence. Amanda Knox did not know Raffaele Sollecito for more than a few days before the murder and did not have a long term relationship with him.
The parents of Amanda Knox Curt and his wife Edda Mellas vow to keep fighting for their daughter in an appeal which is expected to take years. Both the parents are moving to Italy to fight the verdict and the penalties of a suit an award of 7.5 million dollars from the accused. The parents of Meredith Kercher vowed that the accused will not “profit” from the death of their daughter and have kept their distance from the court proceedings.
TAGS: Knox Verdict Guilty, Knox Convicted of Murder in Italy, Italy prosecute Amanda Knox, Murder of Meredith Kercher, Perugia murder trial Amanda Knox, Amanda Luciferina, Raffaele Sollecito Guilty of Murder, world news, media news.
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[...] Amanda Knox Convicted of Murder in Italy |TAGS: Knox Verdict Guilty, Knox Convicted of Murder in Italy, Italy prosecute Amanda Knox, Murder of Meredith Kercher, Perugia murder trial Amanda Knox, Amanda Luciferina, Raffaele Sollecito Guilty of Murder, world news, media news. … Read more [...]
that’s the thing about traveling to other countries – when you cross the border you are subject to the system of law active in that country.. and every system has it’s flaws regardless
@ EricDavidson
There’s plenty of weakness in the US judicial system too.
The reason this case has become so controversial is because the family of Amanda Knox deliberately attempted to discredit the Italian judicial system in the media and put pressure on it so that it cold only reach one verdict – not guilty.
That backfired as it created an angry public and media in Italy that became convinced that the whole Knox family were arrogant and dishonest and created a tide of resentment against Amanda Knox.
I don’t know whether she was innocent or guilty and i have no vested interest in the case but it appears there is lots that Amanda and Raffaele lied about and there certainly seems enough circumstantial evidence there to pursue a conviction. Without being at the trial and being privvy to all of the evidence it’s impossible to have a strong opinion one way or another whether you’re Italian, British, American, a senator etc etc. Being convinced about something with only a fraction of the available evidence is foolish.
True there are weaknesses in any judicial system and the US system is far from perfect often punishing the innocent. The problem with the Italian system is not sequestering their juries, and allowing full media press coverage without putting a ban on the press. Whether Knox could have had a “tainted jury” is the question and therefore she is entitled to make use of the appeal system. No one knows if she was “guilty or innocent” and the questions remaining now are : did she get a fair trial? Did her lawyers work diligently to create doubt in the jury? Did the jury have the direction from the court and does Italian law demand ” guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt”? These will all be resolved hopefully in her appeal.
All evidence must be presented in the follow up appeal -whether it is damning or not.
Politicol News
3 ADULTS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER.
Having traveled in Italy in my Navy years, I feel the Italians have a legal system very close to the US. While everyone can make a mistake, and we all do, this, I feel, was not the case. Italian Police, armed with a swift response and looking at the facts at the vila, allowed them to take the correct action. Charge all three for murder.
All parents will want to think their child can do no wrong, but each of just know better. Something did take place and murder resulted. We know WHO was in the small house and most of what happened.
The Italian government did its fair and just job. Amanda was found guilty along with the 3 others Remember? This is is not about a pretty US girl Amanda being roughed about by bully Police, but 3 ADULTS who took part in actions that ended in murder!
We as a whole, will no longer let another families child die and not take action. This was not going away by flying back to their home country.
This is not about a pretty face to sell news rags, this was about THREE ADULTS being accountable for their actions.
“Well done” to the Italian Police and the court system.
The verdict – “Guilty as proven” by a legal court.
The prosecutor in the case of Amanda Knox leaves much to be questioned in his own corruption therefore a retrial is necessary. Still if she were to be tried in the USA she would have got 5 years max, and credit for time served. The Italian court can look into its own corrupt system and as well its own fascist President.
PN.