Tears as Amanda Knox's verdict is read
The American former exchange student and her family sob as she is found guilty of murdering her roommate.
American university student Amanda Knox's stepsisters Delaney and Ashley, sister Deanna, mother Edda and father Curt leave the Perugia jail after visiting Amanda, in Perugia, Dec. 5, 2009. An Italian court sentenced American student Amanda Knox to 26 years in prison and jailed her ex-boyfriend for 25 years after they were found guilty of murdering Knox's British roommate during a drunken sex game. (Max Rossi/Reuters)
ROME, Italy — After deliberating for 14 hours, a jury found American exchange student Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty in connection with the gruesome murder of Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007.
The families of all three were on hand as the chair of the eight-member jury read the verdict and announced a sentence of 26 years in prison for Knox and one year less for Sollecito. The jury also ordered them to pay a third of 22 million pounds ($36.3 million) in damages sought by Kercher’s family. They were found guilty of all charges against them except for one minor charge of criminal theft.
A third suspect, Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede, was previously found guilty in connection with Kercher’s slaying and sentenced to the maximum 30-year term in a fast-track trial. On Friday, he was also ordered to pay a third of the damages.
Knox and her family broke into tears as the verdict was announced, sobbing loudly after maintaining composure for the first few seconds after the verdict was announced. As she was lead away from the court, Italian television reported that Knox's sobs could be heard from the corridor that led to her holding cell.
Sollecito, who had been less composed than Knox during the trial, sat rigidly, staring into space. His father sat silently with his head in his hands and his stepmother appeared to hyperventilate.
(The reaction online was similarly virulent, as GlobalPost's student correspondents report.)
Knox was sentenced to an extra year for the additional charge of criminal slander for incorrectly implicating Diya “Patrick” Lumumba, a Congolese bar owner who was cleared of charges after being held for two weeks. But both sentences were under the 30-year maximum allowed by law in murder cases.
Lawyers for both parties immediately announced their intention to appeal the sentence.
Knox’s parents said they had prepared two statements while waiting for the verdict. Their plan was to hold a 30-minute press conference and answer a few questions at Perugia’s Brufani Hotel if their daughter was found not guilty. With the guilty verdict, they simply had the statement they prepared read to the huge scrum of reporters covering the event, saying they were “extremely disappointed in the verdict rendered,” and adding that they “find it difficult to accept this verdict when we know that she is innocent.”
Similar reaction followed from the U.S., where U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Knox’s home state of Washington said she was “saddened by the verdict.” The Democratic senator said she had “serious questions about the Italian justice system and whether anti-Americanism tainted this trial.” Cantwell vowed to call for a review of the trial through Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Italian embassy in Washington.
Banana republic of jurisprudence.
There is a mountain of forensic and circumstantial evidence against Knox and Solicito.
Forensic evidence which the jury were allowed to hear as evidence -
Merediths DNA found on in Solicito's house. Meredith had never been to his house.
Solicito's DNA found on Meredith's bra strap.
Blood found in the bathroom. This was Knox's blood mixed with Meredith's.
Footprints found showing more than one person present. These footprints were found using luminous glasses.
Circumstantial Evidence -
CCTV showed Knox going to the property on the night of the murder.
Guede has said he was at the property on the night of the murder. He says Knox and Solicito were there also.
A fake break in. If Guede had broken in alone, why would he stage a fake break in ?
Guede was a petty criminal. But not known as violent or a rapist.
Why did'nt Guede take the lap top, which was in clear view.
Knox knew Guede and spoke to him on the phone before and after the murder.
If Guede acted alone, why did he clean the hallway but not toach the bedding with his DNA.
A witness saw Knox and Solicito on a hill, looking down at the property on the night of the murder.
Knox's table lamp was in Meredith's bedroom, overlooking the bed.
The hallways had been extensivly washed with bleach after the night of the murder. It is a well know fact that bleach is an excellent way to remove evidence. Knox was waiting outside a shop the morning after the murder. She bought bleach once the shop opened.
Both Knox and Solcito's phones were switched off at around the same time on the night of the murder. There phones were usually kept on much later.
Solicito claims to have been on the internet on the night of the murder. Evidence refutes this.
The lies:
Knox claims to have lied due to police pressure. However her defence lawyer has not put in a complaint. I assume Italian police interview rooms have CCTV and tape recorders. Some of Knox's lies were when she was being interviewed as a witness, not suspect.
Knox has admitted the trial was fair. There was an American representative in court throughout the trial who was there to ensure the trial was conducted fairly.
Meredith's parents said they were satisfied with the verdict.
The jury took 13 hours to reach a guilty verdict. This seems a short time for such a long trial
At first I laughed whenever I read these uninformed knee-jerk comments from people with no understanding of what they write about. Like everyone who comments anywhere about this story, I have no insight into the inner-working of this trial -- nobody who does can comment publicly. But I will say that I am a lawyer trained in Italy and I know it is extraordinary difficult to get this kind of conviction, particularly with so much attention on the case. Italy had every political incentive to find Knox not guilty, and will likely pay a political cost for her conviction. They studied the evidence for two years. If she was formal guilty it was because the evidence and arguments showed that was the case. The italian justice system is not without faults, but of what I write about I am sure. I cannot laugh about these ignorant comments any longer.
The utter lack of professionalism by the Italian police and prosecutor is beyond belief. There was no evidence tying Knox to the murder in any believable way. Allowing a jury to not be polled prior to selection is tantamount to setting up a kangaroo court especially when they are allowed to go home, read the tabloid and be pressured by family and friends to find her guilty. The jury's overriding concern was their fate after the trial if they had found her not guilty.
The Italian justice system in this case was a farce and a reminder of the Inquisition. She was tried in the media and the courts allowed that to stand. The other tragedy of it is the Kershner family did not receive justice either having a miscariage of justice attached to them.
I suppose this is to be expected from a country that cannot maintain a functioning government without corruption, manage a working economy and fields a military that is a running joke in the world. The Italians have made imcompetance a national standard.
while I understand sympathizing with a fellow american I am outraged by such slanderous comments towards Italy.Before expressing an opinion you should inform yourself on how the italian court system works and its laws(maybe Amanda should have too)These are the kinds of ignorant comments that have spread anti americanism around the world. You are soo sure that the american court system is better? Had she been tried and found guilty in any of the states that has the death penalty--that would have been better right because if americans are doing it it can't be wrong!! OH grow up! she came to Italy and therefore is subject to its laws. In my opinion she was lucky maybe you should research some of the legendary incompetence of the american police and justice system.
I will admit it was wrong to blame an entire country but I still stand by my remark regarding the Italian military. My point was a case this flawed would never have made it to court in the U.S. I worked 35 years in the criminal justice system in the U.S. and am very aware of its shortcomings. "You are soo sure that the american court system is better? "Had she been tried and found guilty in any of the states that has the death penalty--that would have been better right because if americans are doing it it can't be wrong!!" I worked in one of those states and I can say with some confidence this would have never made it to trial. And if it had in some way it would never have risen to a capitol case. All criminal justice systems fail in some way to provide "justice". In the case of Knox and Sollecito it was a complete meltdown. As to the incompetence of American police and prosecutors, Italy has more than a nodding acquaintance with incompetence and perhaps is more able to recognize it.
Angel face "Foxy Knoxy" not only brutally took one life - she bankrupted her family and will spend the next 26 years behind bars.
Justice is served.
We can never know what happened that night. Even Ms Knox has probably constructed a version that she now believes. That's what can happen when one is under the influence of drugs &/or alcohol. What is most troubling is that the American press has treated the story as if Ms Knox were the victim, and paid little attention to the real victim, Ms Kercher.
People say there was no motive. Howeve it is common for young female flatmates to not get along. From what I read Knox and Meredith were different people and did not get along.
Meredith had taken Knox's bar job. That could have been the final straw for Knox. That could also explain why Knox tried to frame the bar manager.
It's been established that there was no break in. Only a poor attempt to create a fake break in. Somebody let Guede into the property. Meredith did not know Guede so is unlikly to have let him in. Knox knew Guede and spoke with him on the phone prior to the murder.
Knox's footprints were found at the murder scene when the police used luminous glasses. Attempts had been made to wash over these prints with bleach. Knox had bought bleach the morning after the murder.
Lets not underestimate the substantial circumstantial evidence. It was'nt long ago that people were tried on this alone. The defence lawyers are naturally tryng to attack the DNA evidence as DNA evidence is so conclusive.
The Italian police should be commended. They charged Guede and could have left it at that. However they were convinced that more people were involved and arrested Knox & Solicito (who is a middle class Italian).
Knox claims she lied due to smoking cannibis and having no memory. There is no scientific evidence that cannibis causes such severe memory loss.
If Knox was innocent, surely she would have told the truth straight away. It always easier to prove the truth than to prove lies.
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