Amanda Knox is Free

[Antilles]

From the article:

A third defendant in the case, Rudy Hermann Guede of the Ivory Coast, was convicted in a separate trial of sexually assaulting and stabbing Kercher. His 16-year prison sentence — reduced on appeal from an initial 30 years — was upheld by Italy's highest court in 2010.

They have an upheld conviction for the murder - why would they need to "move their asses" any further?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16209973

Miss Knox has returned to her hometown of Seattle in the US, and is looking to sign a deal to write a book about her experiences.

Rudy Guede, an Ivorian, was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years' jail in a separate trial.

He is now the only person serving time for the murder although prosecutors said he could not have killed Miss Kercher by himself

[libstaK]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...europe-16209973

Miss Knox has returned to her hometown of Seattle in the US, and is looking to sign a deal to write a book about her experiences.

Rudy Guede, an Ivorian, was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years' jail in a separate trial.

He is now the only person serving time for the murder although prosecutors said he could not have killed Miss Kercher by himself

Exactly why couldn't he? The prosecutors want that to be the case to show why they went after Knox in the first place, I don't see any evidence that suggests he could not have acted alone.

Also from the article:

The court said the forensic evidence could not ultimately prove the couple were at the scene of the crime on the night of the murder.

It pointed to what it said were flaws in collecting forensic evidence and testing DNA traces originally linked to the defendants.

The prosecutors' case could not stand, the court added.

The document said: "The bricks of that building just gave way. It's not just a case of reassembling the bricks... but rather a lack of the necessary material for the construction."

Referring to a motive, it said: "The sudden choice of two young people, good and helpful to others, to commit evil for evil's sake, without any further reason, seems even more incomprehensible (if it is) to support the criminal act of a young man they had no relation to."

The fact that they had no relation to Guede speaks for itself in addition to the fact that Guede received a reduced sentence for doing a deal with the prosecution and claiming (without evidence to support it) that they acted with him because that is what they (the prosecution) asked of him - would you deny yourself a reduced sentence if all it took was to support some Prosecutors' wish to blame someone else for your deed? Not if you are already capable of murder IMO.

[Myles]

From where I'm sitting, she may have got away with murder.

[Antilles]

From where I'm sitting, she may have got away with murder.

She did, buddy, she did.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8803077/Amanda-Knox-Guilty-or-innocent-five-reasons-why.html

FIVE REASONS KNOX IS GUILTY

1) The confession.

Knox confessed that she was in the house on the night of the murder and that she heard Miss Kercher scream, identifying a Congolese bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, as the assailant. She told the court during the trial that the confession was made under duress but then repeated the entire account in a five page memorandum the next morning.

2) The false accusation.

The prosecution said the fact that Knox falsely accused Lumumba of being the killer was a sign of her own guilt and an attempt to throw them off her trail. He was arrested in a dawn raid by armed police and spent two weeks in jail. It was only by chance that a Swiss businessman read about the case and came forward to say he had been talking to Lumumba in his bar on the night of the murder — offering him a rock-solid alibi. Lumumba says Knox nearly ruined his life and is suing her for defamation.

3) The alibi.

Sollecito could not back up Knox’s alibi on the night of the murder.

She claimed she spent the evening with him, smoking marijuana, watching the French film Amelie and making love. But Sollecito told police he could not remember if Knox was with him that evening or not.

Even assuming his memory was hazy because of the drugs, it seemed odd that a young man who had just embarked on a new relationship could not recall whether he had spent the night with his girlfriend or not.

4) Computer and telephone records.

Sollecito claimed he used his computer to download and watch cartoons and Amelie. But computer experts told the court that there was no activity on his laptop between 9.10pm on Nov 1, and 5.32am the next morning — the time frame in which the murder took place.

Knox and Sollecito turned off their mobile phones on the night of the murder, from around 8.40pm, and turned them back on at around 6am, inviting further suspicion.

5) The staged break-in.

A bedroom belonging to one of Miss Kercher’s Italian flatmates was ransacked on the night of the murder, with a window smashed with a rock. But police said the break-in was staged - broken glass from the window was found on top of clothes scattered on the floor, suggesting the window was broken after the contents of the room were messed up. Prosecutors accused Knox and her boyfriend of staging the break-in to make the killing look like a burglary that had turned into rape and murder.

The article also gives 5 reasons why Knox is innocent so before I'm accused of being one eyed there you go.

Numbers one, two and three above are very interesting to me. She can't explain them. No-one who bothers going on about how innocent she is (cough) explains them either.

[FurthurBB]

She did, buddy, she did.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8803077/Amanda-Knox-Guilty-or-innocent-five-reasons-why.html

FIVE REASONS KNOX IS GUILTY

1) The confession.

Knox confessed that she was in the house on the night of the murder and that she heard Miss Kercher scream, identifying a Congolese bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, as the assailant. She told the court during the trial that the confession was made under duress but then repeated the entire account in a five page memorandum the next morning.

2) The false accusation.

The prosecution said the fact that Knox falsely accused Lumumba of being the killer was a sign of her own guilt and an attempt to throw them off her trail. He was arrested in a dawn raid by armed police and spent two weeks in jail. It was only by chance that a Swiss businessman read about the case and came forward to say he had been talking to Lumumba in his bar on the night of the murder — offering him a rock-solid alibi. Lumumba says Knox nearly ruined his life and is suing her for defamation.

3) The alibi.

Sollecito could not back up Knox’s alibi on the night of the murder.

She claimed she spent the evening with him, smoking marijuana, watching the French film Amelie and making love. But Sollecito told police he could not remember if Knox was with him that evening or not.

Even assuming his memory was hazy because of the drugs, it seemed odd that a young man who had just embarked on a new relationship could not recall whether he had spent the night with his girlfriend or not.

4) Computer and telephone records.

Sollecito claimed he used his computer to download and watch cartoons and Amelie. But computer experts told the court that there was no activity on his laptop between 9.10pm on Nov 1, and 5.32am the next morning — the time frame in which the murder took place.

Knox and Sollecito turned off their mobile phones on the night of the murder, from around 8.40pm, and turned them back on at around 6am, inviting further suspicion.

5) The staged break-in.

A bedroom belonging to one of Miss Kercher’s Italian flatmates was ransacked on the night of the murder, with a window smashed with a rock. But police said the break-in was staged - broken glass from the window was found on top of clothes scattered on the floor, suggesting the window was broken after the contents of the room were messed up. Prosecutors accused Knox and her boyfriend of staging the break-in to make the killing look like a burglary that had turned into rape and murder.

The article also gives 5 reasons why Knox is innocent so before I'm accused of being one eyed there you go.

Numbers one, two and three above are very interesting to me. She can't explain them. No-one who bothers going on about how innocent she is (cough) explains them either.

Really only the third one is odd. Lots of people let the police lead them to say things that are not true. When I was a kid I got in trouble for shoplifting with my friends. The police were trying to get me to say all kinds of things for hours telling me they knew it was my friends responsible for some string of shoplifting. I kept my cool and never said anything because there was nothing to say, but one of my friends was tricked into saying all sorts of things that were not true, including accusing her own brother of something he didn't do. The police can be intimidating if you do not grow up in a family of lawyers.

[Myles]

Really only the third one is odd. Lots of people let the police lead them to say things that are not true. When I was a kid I got in trouble for shoplifting with my friends. The police were trying to get me to say all kinds of things for hours telling me they knew it was my friends responsible for some string of shoplifting. I kept my cool and never said anything because there was nothing to say, but one of my friends was tricked into saying all sorts of things that were not true, including accusing her own brother of something he didn't do. The police can be intimidating if you do not grow up in a family of lawyers.

Yes, but that does not blanket "all".

Her lies could be questioned, but we should not totally throw them out.

[docyabut2]

Never believe she or her boyfiend really did it, all though they were there and were to out on drugs to realize what was going on. The guy that was with her room mate (the victim) said he had sex with her and went to the bathroon and came back and she was dead and is in prison for her murder.

[Antilles]

Yes, but that does not blanket "all".

Her lies could be questioned, but we should not totally throw them out.

Knox lied. Sollecito lied. Like I said, no-one who believes in her 'innocence' bothers to reply.

I think Meredith Kercher's family would like some of those questions answered.

Before Knox's book about how badly she's been treated hits ebay.

[Antilles]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/12934632/amanda-knox-has-book-deal-for-memoirs/

What a surprise. Knox has signed a $4 mill bookdeal, after meeting with 'several' publishing companies.

I quote: HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham said Knox, who studied creative writing, would work with a collaborator.

If you read any of her online diaries you'd agree that she studied creative writing. Among other creative activities.

Amanda Knox. Class act.

I wonder if Patrick Lumumba will see any of that money?

[Myles]

Damn, I was wrong. I put my money on her doing a playboy spread to make her money.

[Babe Ruth]

I'm so glad that justice was finally done by the Italian justice system.

Had she been caught up in the US justice system, she would still be in prison serving out some "mandatory minimum" sentence imposed by the criminals in congress.

[hallucinatingmonkey]

I heard somewhere that an appeal has been filed by the prosecution and that this case will be heard again within the next year or two.

Hopefully this time around they don't make the same mistakes as the appeals court did.

[Bonecrusher]

I actually watched this all happen in the courtroom before she got acquitted.

And the curious thing being the fact that I was rooting for Ms Knox.

I don't know what it was exactly but maybe It could be her doe-eyed,innocent expression.

I just couldn't imagine an All-American girl committing murder.

The irony being the fact I plumb forgot about the victim even though she's a fellow Brit.

She could well be guilty for all I know but my heart went right to her on that night.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Walnut Whip

[ali smack]

I believe she is/was innocent and so was her boyfriend.I don't believe they ever killed meredith kercher as there was no evidence that they did.

and the police were corrupt and messed up.

I think that the black chap, which name escapes me killed meredith kercher and that the other 2 were innocent. I also think the black chap probably killed her with some unknown people.

[Regi]

Like I said, no-one who believes in her 'innocence' bothers to reply.

Remember how you once pointed out that I said I first had to refresh my memory on a couple of cases...you said I always had to do that? Ha-ha! Well, I'd have to do that here with this case, but I remember at the time- after her and her boyfriend were imprisoned and having learned of the evidence- being of the belief that they both were innocent. I remember her behavior was strange in an instance or two, but even then, I think it was misinterpreted, and I think her boyfriend acknowledges and points out both of those things, but anyway, it was clear to me that her and her boyfriend were innocent, so needless to say, I'm glad they're finally out of prison.

Edited January 23, 2013 by regi

[Regi]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/18/world/europe/italy-amanda-knox-book/index.html

Sollecito and Knox had been dating for only 8 or 9 days...he described intense pressure from police to throw Amanda under the bus...they "used anything to push me into the corner". There was also pressure for members of his own family.

Sollecito spent 6 months in solitary confinement.

Despite that it was "unbearable...I had all of the world against me"...he stood by the truth.

"For me, they were just offering me another death. So for me, basically, the choice was I'll be the rest of my life in prison- which is almost a death; and on the other plate, were throwing Amanda under the bus- which is also a death, because I can not walk around on the street just realizing that I'm the reason why an innocent girl of 20 years old being put in jail for the rest of her life."

[Antilles]

Remember how you once pointed out that I said I first had to refresh my memory on a couple of cases...you said I always had to do that? Ha-ha! Well, I'd have to do that here with this case, but I remember at the time- after her and her boyfriend were imprisoned and having learned of the evidence- being of the belief that they both were innocent. I remember her behavior was strange in an instance or two, but even then, I think it was misinterpreted, and I think her boyfriend acknowledges and points out both of those things, but anyway, it was clear to me that her and her boyfriend were innocent, so needless to say, I'm glad they're finally out of prison.

regi, if Knox and Sollecito had been tried in a US court and a by the book police and CSI investigation had been conducted, they'd both be convicted criminals. In prison.

[Regi]

Oh come on, Antilles. I understand your position, but regardless of evidence in a case- or if every aspect of an investigation is considered without flaw- you still can't say for sure that there will be a conviction.

Of course, it's my position that if the investigation HAD been without flaw, then the whole fiasco would have never happened, and we likely would have never even heard of the victim, much less, Knox and Sollecito.

[Antilles]

Oh come on, Antilles. I understand your position, but regardless of evidence in a case- or if every aspect of an investigation is considered without flaw- you still can't say for sure that there will be a conviction.

Of course, it's my position that if the investigation HAD been without flaw, then the whole fiasco would have never happened, and we likely would have never even heard of the victim, much less, Knox and Sollecito.

Well now, you agree with me regi! Let me ask you this and I know you'll give me an honest answer. You always do. If there was such a thing as a scale for innocence, with 1 being guilty and 10 being innocent, where would you honestly place her? Just for the sake of argument.

[Mr Right Wing]

regi, if Knox and Sollecito had been tried in a US court and a by the book police and CSI investigation had been conducted, they'd both be convicted criminals. In prison.

I watched clips from her original trial and my gut instincts said guilty, it was written all over her face.

I think before cases are overthrown a lie detector test or CCT Scan must also take place.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Mr Right Wing

[Regi]

If there was such a thing as a scale for innocence, with 1 being guilty and 10 being innocent, where would you honestly place her? Just for the sake of argument.

Antilles, you're focus is on Knox which is what began this whole danged thing!

Knox and Sollecito are essentially one defendant...what I mean is, you can't have one without the other if you're following the prosecution's theory.

There's another decision pending, but I think it will favor Knox and Sollecito because the reasons the convictions were overturned were grounds of 'non-existence" of evidence", and that "the stated prosecution's theory of an association between Sollecito, Knox, and Guede was not 'corroborated by any evidence' and 'far from probable'."

Re: the pending decision:

"The Public Prosecutor's Office of Perugia appealed to the Italian Supreme Court against the judgement that decided that Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox are not guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher. The verdict of the Italian Supreme Court will conclude the murder case. The first hearing is scheduled 25 March 2013."

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Meredith_Kercher

Edited February 2, 2013 by regi

[Antilles]

regi, when I say Knox I mean both of them together. But you didn't answer me. BTW, I didn't start this thread! I'd still like your answer.

[Regi]

When I said "started this whole danged thing", I wasn't referring to this thread, if that's what you thought I meant.

What I meant was, it appears to me that authorities were preoccupied with Knox... and motive, and tried to force a scenario to fit both. It became a 'couldn't see the forest for the trees' kind of situation.

In terms of homicide, this case was not unusual; it was a robbery/rape/murder committed by one perp- a perp familiar with the home and residents and who seized the opportunity when it presented itself on that particular night.

I don't understand why you'd ask me about my opinion in degrees.

Anyway, I think Knox and Sollecito are each 100% innocent, and Guede is solely 100% guilty.

[MissMelsWell]

I'm sure she's 100% innocent as well. Theres simply no evidence to tie them to the crime except what the police and prosecutors made up.

There were even a few judges from Seattle that reviewed the case and evidence several years ago and wrote letters to the judge and prosecutor in Perugia begging them to do the right thing based on the evidence. Of course they didn't.

I have a few friends who know her fairly well... they say she's doing well these days going about her business and getting back to her life.

[Myles]

Might not be over yet.