Meredith Kercher Murder Update

October 09, 2008

Rudy Hermann Guede, 22, a suspect in the Meredith Kercher murder investigation, is the first person to stand trial in the headline grabbing Perugia, Italy case.  Guede, fearing that the other two suspects in the case, Amanda Knox, 21, and Knox's boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 24, have made a pact between themselves to set him up and pin the blame on him for Meredith's murder, has asked for a "fast-track" trial.  Guede's lawyers, Valter Biscotti and Nicodemo Gentile, apparently agreed with their client in asking for such a trial which, according to Italian law, is held behind closed doors with the evidence presented in the form of documents for a single judge to review and decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant-without hearing testimony from witnesses.

"We feel the urgent need to have our trial heard independently of the other two suspects," Biscotti said.  "In recent weeks a lot of poison has been spread by the defense teams and we feel the necessity to find some form of serenity in a separate hearing.  That's why we have asked for a fast-track hearing, just for our client, and we want that hearing as quickly as possible.  At this hearing we will prove that our client has absolutely nothing to do with the tragic death of Meredith Kercher."

"We have studied the evidence and there is no link between him (Guede) and the weapon found and which is said to be compatible with the wounds on Meredith Kercher," Gentile added.  "It is up to the prosecution to prove that our client is guilty of murder and in this case there is no evidence to back that up...there is the real risk of an innocent man being convicted."

To recap the case, Meredith Kercher was a student at Leeds University in England who was participating in an exchange program at the University for Foreigners in Perugia when she was murdered.  She was found partially nude with her throat slashed in the bedroom of the small Perugia bungalow that she shared with Knox.  Investigators contend that Meredith was killed by the three suspects after they allegedly attempted to force her to take part in kinky sex games.  The police claim that DNA evidence shows that Knox and Sollecito were inside the bungalow at the time Meredith was murdered.  All three suspects have pleaded innocent to charges of murder, sexual violence and robbery.

Guede has admitted to being inside the house and to having had sex with Meredith, but denied killing her.  He claims that he was in the bathroom listening to his iPod at the time of the killing.  When he came out of the bathroom, he said that he found Meredith on the floor, dying from her wounds.

Evidence from an Albanian man, Hekuran Kokomani, who has made claims that he saw all three of the suspects outside the bungalow on the night Meredith died, will be presented to the judge.  Attorneys representing Knox and Sollecito claim that Kokomani is an unreliable witness and has changed his account of what he claims to have observed that night.

Guede's trial is expected to take a month to conclude, at which time Judge Paolo Micheli will announce Guede's guilt or innocence.  If Guede is found guilty as a fast-track defendant, he can have his sentence reduced by thirty percent under Italian law.  Micheli will also decide at the time of Guede's verdict whether Knox and Sollecito will face a full trial.  If so, it could take up to a year to complete.

Investigation Discovery will keep you updated as this case continues to develop.

Photo credits:  Meredith Kercher - family photo; Rudy Guede - police photo

Comments

[pat holtz]

my opinion. Knox was present at the time of the murder but did not kill kercher. who killed kercher? i say Sollecito and Guede. Why? knox and Sollecito were stoned and possibly border line delusional at the time. Guede, after sex regardless of the consequences at the time. A threesome for sure. That's why no ones talking. One confession, implicates them all. Only going by whatever news i've read so far. To me it sounds like the only possible answer. I don't think Knox has it in her to actually kill, but the other two may have gathered the nerve from the excitment of the moment.

[PWN]

hello.I think this story is great.

[marcos rodriguez]

kercher come to flat early to rest from last night party. knox,rafaelle and rudy and pub owner are in flat making party. kercher get intimate petting with rudy but she stopped and go to sleep.pub owner leave and rudy go to toilet. rafaele or knox or both go to kercher room asking for sex .kercher dont want.argument grows and one of them cut throat. then rudy enter the room and also grabs kercher because panic and because they dont know how to solve situation so she died but rudy dont know who cut throat.then decided simulate a robbery.few hours later rudy panic and leave country, so knox and rafaelle are happy about that because think rudy will be the only suspect.thats reason for rudys decition to fast trial