Amanda Knox (26 years in prison) and Sollecito (25 years) guilty of Meredith Kercher murder

Well, after an amazingly drawn out trial, I can't help but really wonder if Justice has been done?

BBC News

American student Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend have been found guilty by an Italian court of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

Knox, 22, bowed her head and burst into tears as she was jailed for 26 years for murder and sexual violence.

Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 25, looked impassive as he was given 25 years.

Miss Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student from Surrey, was found with her throat slit in Perugia in 2007. Knox had denied killing her in a sex game.

I don't know if this even makes the News in the US but it's a pretty big deal in the UK!

ABC News Amanda Knox Found Guilty in Italian Murder Trial

Italian law seems strange to me:

The court ordered them to pay one million euros to Miss Kercher's mother and the same amount to her father.

Her siblings would each receive 800,000 euros, the court ruled.

Almost like a mix of a civil law suit and criminal trial!

All the best ATS.

Background

Why did Amanda Knox murder Meredith Kercher?

Battle beyond the murder trial

The case in pictures



[edit on 4-12-2009 by kiwifoot]

This case is a real enigma from my perspective.

Her behavior directly after arrest was certainly bizarre, the boyfriend is pretty strange, the guy previously convicted had his DNA all over the place and virtually all American defense attorneys maintain the evidence and motive is beyond slim.



IMO, given that there are so many questions and that there is no way she received a trial by an unbiased jury, she ought to at least be expedited to the U.S. to serve out her term.

[edit on 4-12-2009 by Sergeant Stiletto]

I was just reading about this.

The most likely suspect to me sounded like the man who lived below them, Guede. He admitted to having sex with the victim right before the murder (and many rapists who get caught red handed claim it was consensual and that someone else came along later- just like Guede ended up doing). He admitted to being there at the time of the murder (so he places himself at the scene and at the time) and fecal matter in the toilet turned out to be his (and he admitted that, too). Then claimed someone entered into the window, slit the victim's throat, made a comment to Guede, then fled right in front of him. Yeah, that makes sense. So Guede fled to Germany where he was caught and extradited. Fleeing makes him appear even more guilty.

Meanwhile the couple gave conflicting testimony. One story said they were there and heard the screams while the other story said they had been at the boyfriend's apartment and didn't come upon the body until the next morning.

Then it said the couple killed the girl in a drug induced frenzy but only marijuana? I was under the impression it does not influence the mind in such a way like harder substances would do so that makes no sense.

Very strange. The first suspect seemed guilty as hell but I have mixed feelings about the couple. The female was apparently interrogated for over 30 hours the first time so that has to do things to the brain. But she also later admitted to accusing an innocent man (who ended up being arrested then released) to get herself off. That's nuts. Really strange case. Glad I wasn't on the jury.

Bit torn on this one..

The Italian legal process is long, drawn out and painful. They also have questionable levels of quality and professionalism in their Police force. They barely have a functioning Government half the time!

Having said that, there are many holes in the defence story, which certainly hasn't helped the case. If they were truly innocent, this should have been borne out in their testimony, which it wasn't.

EDIT: To add, marijuana, no matter what quantity consumed, will not drive someone into a "drug fuelled" frenzy. In fact, the more that is consumed, the less likely they are going to do anything, let alone go on a horny rampage.

[edit on 4/12/09 by stumason]

Thank god justice was served and this evil monster is going to go to jail for a very long time.

Now, saying that, I don't know whether or not she's in fact guilty of the murder, she just has the same first name as my ex wife, so therefore her going to jail makes me smile a little bit.

This could be way off,but has anyone thought this verdict may have been politically influenced?

The Italians have convicted 23 US CIA agents(in their absence) for the illegal rendition of people in Italy,during the war on terror.
Could it be that someone high up in the Italian Government has rigged the trail,in order to lock up an American citizen?

Maybe they will try to do a behind the scences deal,to let Amanda serve in the US in exchange for one or more of the agents?

Probably way of the mark,but I wouldn't totally rule it out.

Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
Could it be that someone high up in the Italian Government has rigged the trail,in order to lock up an American citizen?

Could it be that the woman was guilty.

The case has thrown up lots of talk and opinion, but at the end of the day she has gone through due legal process where she has been properly defended and evidence has been properly presented. If the jury found her guilty (plus her ex-bofriend)( then good, I thinks that's fair.

Regards

My wife and kids think she's innocent. I think that if innocent were a country she'd be on the edge of the solar system. You can tell alot by a person's body language (unfortunately women have more tells than men it seems although this is not the rule). If she didn't do it then she either saw it happen or was aware it was going to happen.
Guilt by association. Her boyfriend looks like the typical Euro-scumbag that preys on foreign women (I mean no offense to Europeans- there are Americans who do the same.). Possibly drugs, sex, money involved. And this POS really got lucky considering she only got twenty something years. The family would wait a lifetime and never have their daughter back. If it were me I would have gone life just for the fact that she can't lie worth a damn.
I don't know if I buy her police beating story either but that's just an opinion as is all of my reply.
Wish I could punch the boyfriend- his scarf and psuedoacademic look really perturb me. Piece of [snip].

Mod edit: Please don't circumvent the censors.

Peace

[edit on 10-12-2009 by Dr Love]

Lesson learned by other young people I hope:

When in a foreign country do not commit a crime and get caught. You will get no mercy and a fair trial is usually out of the question.

Not everybody loves Americans.

Originally posted by dizziedame
When in a foreign country do not commit a crime and get caught. You will get no mercy and a fair trial is usually out of the question.

OK, but what about the trial do you think was unfair? She was represented by a legal team, well treated and faced a jury. She's guilty in the eyes of the law and that is that. It does not matter that she was an American.

Regards

Its a strange case... personally I couldnt say either way whether I think they were guilty or not, although Im suprised the blame didnt get put just on the guy who lived below them.
Im confused by the 1 million euro thing... Im sure giving the family money isnt really going to make them feel much better. What are they even going to do with the money.. go on holiday? Go shopping?

Clearly, some people think 'Johnny Foreigner' doesn't have a clue about justice and there's no way innocent American Ms Knox could possibly be guilty.

Wake up!

The trial was a long, long trial and she got a fair and legal defence — the best money could buy. In this case, money didn't matter and justice was done. Her (and boyfriend's) DNA wasn't found at the scene — no DNA. They'd taken the time since switching off their cell phones to use freshly bought bleach to scrub the place clean. It wasn't logical none of the woman's DNA would have been at the scene. She lived there!

She wasn't beaten by police, just as Patrick Lumumba wasn't involved.

Originally posted by dizziedame
Lesson learned by other young people I hope:

When in a foreign country do not commit a crime and get caught. You will get no mercy and a fair trial is usually out of the question.

Not everybody loves Americans.

Absolutely. It would not surprise me if they locked her up simply to lock up an American.

Guys, Americans are not really like in Europe. Think twice before going there and spending any money.

They did not lock her up for being an American, they locked her up for murder.

They locked up an Italian, too.

She was found guilty by a jury. Live with it.
Yes there are 'miscarriages of justice'. These are a minority I believe. Yes it could be a wrong decision, but what I see here is the understandable patriotic tendency to defend your own. How many times do you see the parent of a convicted killer in denial?

[edit on 6-12-2009 by unicorn1]

I hate to say it because Amanda is a very attractive young lady, but she slit that girl's throat. Her DNA was found on the handle of the suspected murder weapon!! She'll probably beat the rap on her appeal, but, honestly, I think she killed the girl and then had a night of sex and drugs with the guy that was implicated with her.

[edit on 6-12-2009 by SpeakerofTruth]

reply to post by Bluebelle


The DNA evidence says it all to me. The body was in her apartment. I don't buy the story that they "just stumbled into the body in Amanda's apartment."



[edit on 6-12-2009 by SpeakerofTruth]

reply to post by Floh


Wow. She is GOOD! Somehow she was able to use bleach to clean-up all of HER and her boyfriend's DNA from the crime scene but leave intact all that of Guede. Now THAT is a truly accomplished murderer.

Oh by the way, OJ is innocent.

Besides the criminal vs. civil aspects of the case I am surprised that you can be found guilty of raping and murdering someone in Italy and be sentenced to 26 years. I wonder how long that "really" is... Italy's laws are not ours ...


I thought one senerio that might fit the facts:

Guede murdered Kerchner, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito saw the immediate aftermath or caught him in the act and for unclear reasons agreed to keep silent. Afterwards, when they were pulled in, they had no way to say "Yeah we saw that Guede had killed her and he told us .... he could get us $100,000 [or 1lb of coc aine or whatever] if we didn't turn him in so we didn't ...."

Just one way that explains how it could seem so clear Guede had sex with her and killed her by the DNA and then Knox and Sollecito would act really weird and lie badly about what they were doing afterward

reply to post by jtma508



She forgot to use bleach on the murder weapon!!!
Her DNA was all over the handle of it. She did it,but,she'll get off. Watch. She'll appeal it in 90 days.