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Amanda Knox Case: Italian Court Overturns Murder Conviction
WWW.NBCNEWS.COM ^ | 3/27/2015

Posted on 03/27/2015 2:52:26 PM PDT by CaptainK

The highest court in Italy on Friday has overturned the murder convictions of Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend in the sensational 2007 stabbing death of her British roommate.

The ruling was the latest turn in an odyssey of international justice for Knox, who spent four years in an Italian jail after the killing. She has returned to the United States and vowed not to return to Italy.

She and the ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted in 2009, then acquitted and freed in 2011. An appeals court overturned the acquittals and ordered a new trial, and they were convicted again last year. Knox was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison. Sollecito was sentenced to 28 1/2 years.

Knox and Sollecito were arrested after the roommate, Meredith Kercher, was found dead in a pool of blood in their apartment in the university town of Perugia, as many as 40 knife wounds over her half-naked body.

Prosecutors argued that Kercher was killed as part of a sex game. Knox and Sollecito said they were alone together on the night in question, watching a movie, smoking pot and having sex.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amandaknox; italy; knox; murder
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To: Tired of Taxes

False


141 posted on 03/28/2015 11:19:11 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Tired of Taxes

I’m just writing how it struck me (did look over the material - and I do thank you for broadening the discussion). It really does seem that a lot of the arguments against them fit much more with two near-teenagers nervous about being held and investigated, knowing that they had missed work and looked guilty, but that they are in fact innocence.

I was also pleased to see that most felt this way, because there’s often a rush to judgement and suspicion that on a very real level has convicted many an innocent, which is one of the worst injustices imaginable.


142 posted on 03/29/2015 12:22:15 AM PDT by Yomin Postelnik
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To: Tired of Taxes

This seems pretty compelling btw. Seems to point to innocence and that the other factors were because of fear our because they found what happened and thought that they’d become suspects. http://www.injusticeinperugia.org/FBI6.html


143 posted on 03/29/2015 1:32:58 AM PDT by Yomin Postelnik
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To: dfwgator
It was the right call.

Indeed.

The last time this case came up, I lost it and used the W-word against my grandma's old country. LOL!

144 posted on 03/29/2015 1:54:15 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: conservative98

Oh, man...wassup with that?


145 posted on 03/29/2015 7:47:03 AM PDT by gogeo (If you are Tea Party, the eGOP does not want you.)
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To: Tired of Taxes

As I was sayin

you do realize of course that you and the others that are insisting guilt still after the TOTAL EXONERATION, are just showing yourselves as total A holes

sorry just saying it as gently as I know how.

There was Grace of God involved in this aquittal, so I believe you are all up against it


146 posted on 03/29/2015 8:30:05 AM PDT by Chauncey Uppercrust (AMANDA KNOX IS INNOCENT)
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To: CaptainK
Knox and Sollecito said they were alone together on the night in question, watching a movie, smoking pot and having sex.

Just a couple of wholesome folks.

147 posted on 03/29/2015 9:08:34 AM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: Tired of Taxes

That is truly an opinion piece!

A very twisted one at that.

.


148 posted on 03/29/2015 9:49:11 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

When this case first broke, I didn’t pay much attention to it. After Knox was found guilty in the third court, I looked through that pro-Knox website (that you just linked).

But then I found this other website, and the more I looked into it and compared it with the stories of her innocence in the press, the more I realized that the evidence against Knox actually is very strong. Here’s where that website talks about why the luminol traces are reliable evidence:

http://themurderofmeredithkercher.com/Luminol_Traces#False_Positives_and_Luminol

BTW, I know we’re not going to change each other’s opinion, but I appreciate that you’ve been discussing the case in a polite manner.


149 posted on 03/29/2015 10:08:18 AM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: FredZarguna
my dtr has Asperger's...I do get tired of people throwing that term around like it's in vogue...

my dtr is NOT a sociopath...they know right from wrong...

AK might be a sociopath, and then again she might really be the spoiled little rich kid that most believe she is...maybe she is just shallow...lots of young people are these days...

150 posted on 03/29/2015 5:15:31 PM PDT by cherry
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To: wardaddy
the fact is, there is evidence that AK lied, and that her dna was found in suspicious places...

so the cops and prosecutor botched the case?...probably...

so the African is in jail for the crime?...okay...

for me, there are still a lot of questions....

again, AK should be thankful that she got out of this...don't be too sure that she wouldn't have been convicted here in the USA...because she just might have....

I expect there to be some civil suits forthcoming...

151 posted on 03/29/2015 5:30:48 PM PDT by cherry
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To: Chauncey Uppercrust

I keep being told Italian judges are rubbish.


152 posted on 03/29/2015 5:34:10 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Television: Teacher, Mother, Secret Lover)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

While I will agree Italy’s justice system is famous for being, shall we say, somewhat notorious, I still respect Italy as a whole. True treasure to Western Civilization.


153 posted on 03/29/2015 10:42:17 PM PDT by Vaden
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To: Tired of Taxes

Thanks. I thank you as well. It’s a shame that people can’t discuss things without realizing that good people can disagree. On cases like these, people get emotional because if they think that they are innocent, then the results before the vindication were beyond tragic.

Forgetting about this case for a minute, even well meaning people have convicted innocents. The Center for Prosecutor Integrity documents studies that show that this has happened in America to the tune of tens of thousands each year, each one an unimaginable tragedy (which can be prevented if juries really adhere to the absolutely presumption of innocence beyond reasonable doubt, which is supposed to be the basis of all criminal law decisions).

As to Knox/Sollecito - I looked at both sides and while the following scenario might seem outlandish when proposed on the face of it, it is the one of only scenarios that accounts for all evidence. The minor variations of this scenario that still fit in, wouldn’t change guilt or innocence.

The fact that they (or at least one of them) would have been drenched with Meredith’s blood, leading to real and tangible evidence almost no matter what they did, if they (or one) had stabbed her, seems solid. There also seems to be physical evidence that they were in the room (like the luminol scenario you pointed out) and a lot of made up stories (too many - a guilty pair, or guilty partner cooperating would have stuck with one, just almost always a bad one). The apprehension and backing away from the room may have just been worry and fearing the worst (many would react this way), but that’s accounted for too in this scenario.

They likely walked in on her body and Knox probably flipped and somewhat(minorly - but enough to find out what happened) contaminated herself with the blood. Sollecito would have tried to calm her down and was less contaminated. They then knew that they’d be prime suspects and everything else is indicative of reacting to intense fear without the guilt. The general sense that they were innocent is also usually right (but not always - which is why one can never convict on a hunch and doing so is an atrocity).

Like I said, this scenario seems totally outlandish on the face of it. If they reported it, they likely would not have been believed (until the evidence checked out - and their ordeal may have lasted only weeks). But no other dissimilar scenario answers both sides of the evidence.

Anyway, just my take, but seems most in line with all evidence.


154 posted on 03/30/2015 12:55:16 AM PDT by Yomin Postelnik
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To: cherry

Tks for the info

I recall at beginning it looked like she was guilty to some degree

Just at a glance

But that’s all I knew about it


155 posted on 03/30/2015 8:27:26 AM PDT by wardaddy (Dems hate western civilization and GOP are cowards...We are headed to a dark place)
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To: CaptainK

I honestly believe she was also scapegoated by the parents of Meredith, who have kept pestering for Amanda to ‘come clean,’ as if hounding Amanda is a form of therapy for them.


156 posted on 03/30/2015 9:23:15 AM PDT by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

Sorry that this post is so long...

I’ve been thinking that the same could be said for Rudy Guede. First I want to be clear that I don’t believe he’s innocent, either. But, his story that, after using the bathroom, he discovered the victim, attempted to stop the bleeding, and then panicked and bolted does seem to match up with his footprints.

But, of course, the evidence suggests that she probably was raped by him, and his behavior following the crime also suggests that he’s guilty.

I’ve also tried to think of scenarios where Knox/Sollecito contaminated the place with their own DNA but weren’t guilty...

The thing is, Sollecito’s DNA was found in one place in the victim’s room - it was found on the victim’s bra hook. Of course, the defense argued that investigators must’ve contaminated the bra hook with his DNA. Although that doesn’t really make sense, let’s ignore Sollecito’s DNA evidence for a moment.

Let’s also ignore the evidence that the break-in was staged; let’s say that Guede broke the glass in the other room, crawled through that window, and somehow left none of his DNA evidence anywhere near the window or in that room. Then let’s say that he needed to use the bathroom, and Kercher came home unexpectedly. Let’s presume that Guede then came out of the bathroom and acted in this crime alone.

That means that Guede was somehow able to overpower the victim and do all of those things without her sustaining any defensive wounds. It also means that, for some reason, Guede was the one who stripped the victim after her death, moved her body, and repositioned her body. And then he walked right out the front door without closing it all the way.

Then maybe we can say that, when Knox first went home, she found the door ajar (according to what she says), and she alone walked into the crime scene, discovered the crime, then accidentally tracked the victim’s blood in the other room where she discovered the break-in (which would explain why her DNA mixed with the victim’s was found in there). Then for some reason, she panicked, but instead of running out of the house, came to believe that she might be wrongly accused of the crime, so she showered in the small bathroom. I find that difficult to believe, but let’s say that this is why her DNA (and no one else’s) was found mixed with the victim’s in the small bathroom. Then she went back to Sollecito and told him what happened, and he returned with her.

Or let’s say that they both found the victim and worried that they would be wrongly accused. They used Knox’s lamp to look around the room for anything they might’ve dropped, which could explain why Knox’s lamp was in that room. Then they both showered, which would explain Sollecito’s footprint on the bathmat.

Whatever happened, let’s presume that Sollecito closed and locked Kercher’s bedroom door (which would explain why her door was locked and only Sollecito’s fingerprints were found on the knob), and then one of them got rid of the key to that door so that it’s never been found.

The thing is, we’d have to ignore the other evidence, plus witness testimonies, and even Knox and Sollecito’s own stories, in order to make that story add up, and even then, they’re both still guilty of interfering with a crime scene.

Her story is that she showered without noticing the crime. If that’s true, then maybe she walked over Guede’s bloody footprints, and that could be how her DNA became mixed with the victim’s and ended up tracked around. She claims she used the bathmat to slide on after her shower because she didn’t have a towel. To believe all that, we’d still have to ignore the bra clasp and other evidence, make excuses for her and Sollecito’s changing alibis and stories, believe that investigators contaminated everything and that all witness testimonies were false, and make leaps in logic about what Guede did - such as, how did he lock the bedroom door without his footprints showing that he turned to lock it? (And, if we’re willing to make all these excuses for these two suspects, then why not for Guede, who also claims that he was railroaded?)

To me, it’s more plausible that all three were involved somehow in the crime... even if that means that she herself didn’t commit the crime but was covering for her boyfriend.

Or, maybe, just maybe, Knox/Sollecito weren’t involved with the murder but found the crime scene and then went looking for soemthing in her room (drugs? money?), and Sollecito accidentally picked up the bra clasp.

I know Knox comes across as harmless. But so did Jodi Arias. Much is said here about Guede’s involvement with drugs and burglary; but Knox and Sollecito were drug users themselves, and they each had their own interesting behaviors at the time.

But now the Italian courts have ruled that they’re “not guilty,” and we’ll have to wait 3 months for a full report. We’ll find out the court’s reasoning then, I suppose.

In all this, Meredith Kercher’s family has suffered tremendously. And now it looks like they’ll never have all the answers.


157 posted on 03/30/2015 10:11:03 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: CorporateStepsister
I honestly believe she was also scapegoated by the parents of Meredith, who have kept pestering for Amanda to ‘come clean,’ as if hounding Amanda is a form of therapy for them.

Thank you! I've been trying to find a way to express this impression, especially when people ask, "How would you feel if Meredith had been your daughter?" Their anger comes across as if they wish it had been Amanda instead of Meredith, and since facing up to that feeling would force them to acknowledge something understandable but really ugly in themselves, they've instead chosen to convince themselves she's directly responsible.

158 posted on 03/30/2015 11:12:55 PM PDT by Kanakabaraka
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To: Kanakabaraka

Exactly!

Even when it was obvious that Amanda was innocent, the parents STILL go after her all the time, screeching that Amanda should ‘fess up. Meredith was murdered, tragedy, but the real killer is behind bars and I do think the parents really, really should check themselves into a psych ward. Meredith’s father is a member of the British press, hence the ‘Foxy Knoxy’ moniker Amanda was saddled with.

It wasn’t her doing and it is the fault of the killer, not Amanda that things went the way that they did. Meredith’s family NEED to stop denying some ugliness inside of themselves (I do think they wish it had been someone else killed) and stop this crucifixion of someone who by any standard by Amnesty International, was subjected to a GROSS miscarriage of justice.


159 posted on 03/31/2015 11:04:54 AM PDT by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: nickcarraway

I can’t understand why normally conservative Freepers are going all radical lefty on this case.
Just because she is from the U.S. and she killed a British person is not a conservative reason to support someone.

This woman is young and she’s a manipulative sociopath. She will kill AGAIN. Next time it will likely be a U.S> citizen. I hope it’s not any of our loved ones.

She learned she can tell law enforcement nothing but lies, kill, manipulative and get away without punishment.
**************************************************************************************************
Wow! You absolutely have set a new standard for pompous self-righteousness and ignorance of facts.


160 posted on 03/31/2015 4:21:13 PM PDT by House Atreides (CRUZ or lose!)
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