Update on Amanda Knox Trial
July 16, 2009
Foreign exchange student Amanda Knox, on trial along with her boyfriend at that time, Raffaele Sollecito, for the alleged murder and sexual assault of her flat mate Meredith Kercher, 21 when she was killed, spent another birthday last Thursday, July 16, 2009 behind bars in an Italian prison in what has become one of the most sensational trials to come out of Europe in years. According to Knox's attorney, Luciano Ghirga, Amanda's mother, aunt, sisters and several friends traveled to Perugia, Italy to the maximum security prison, Casa Circondariale Capanne, to visit her on her birthday, located just outside the Umbrian capital city where she has been held in custody since her arrest on November 6, 2007. Now 22-years-old, Amanda's and Raffaele's trial is winding down for summer recess, and will resume in the fall at which time a verdict is expected—perhaps by sometime in November.
According to CBS News reports, Amanda provided the birthday cake for her family because they were not allowed to bring one inside the prison. Her family members sang Happy Birthday to her, and spent the entire hour allotted to visitations with her. One of her sisters described the murder suspect as "tranquil" during the visit.
About a week ago Professor Carlo Torre, a medical examiner and expert witness hired by the defense, testified that the knife that prosecutors contend is the murder weapon could not be the knife that someone used to slit Meredith Kercher's throat. Torre, who is based in Turin, Italy, is considered a renowned forensic consultant in that country who has performed at least 5,000 autopsies and has worked on a number of high-profile cases.
While the prosecution has contended that a kitchen knife with a six-and-a-half-inch blade recovered from Sollecito's apartment with Knox's DNA on its handle and Kercher's DNA on its blade is the murder weapon, Torre told the court that the knife used to kill Kercher had only a three-inch blade. He also testified that it was his opinion that only one knife was used in the slaying and that only person took part in the killing.
"There are no elements or traces to suggest anyone else was involved…nothing to make me think that more than one person was involved," Torre said.
Although testimony had been elicited from Torre indicating that he could not rule out the possibility that two knives had been used, he retorted that if that had been the case, "it would be the first time in history that a murder was done with two knives." Torre also testified that the knife that killed Kercher appeared to be similar to a "survival" type knife that might be used by a commando—despite the fact that most such knives have larger blades.
It was noted that Rudy Guede, originally from the Ivory Coast, has already been convicted of Kercher's murder in a fast-track trial before a judge and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. The defense contention is that he was the lone killer.
Torre also testified that the prosecution's knife was not compatible with some of the wounds on Kercher's throat. Apparently there were three cuts made to Kercher's throat, one of them larger than the others, according to testimony.
"The smaller wound is absolutely incompatible with the knife in question," Torre testified. "For the larger wound, I cannot rule it out, but it could have been made by a myriad of knives….The knife went in and out of the wounds, once, twice, three times, in a sawing motion….Everything leads me to believe that that is not the murder weapon," he added, in reference to the knife recovered at Sollecito's apartment.
However some, including this writer, are puzzled by Torre's testimony that the larger wound on Kercher's throat could have been made by a "myriad of knives" while he also testified that he believed that only a single knife had been used.
Knox's attorney, obviously pleased with Torre's testimony, had argued all along that Kercher had been killed by a single assailant and that her blood could have gotten onto the knife discovered in Sollecito's apartment by a means other than her slaying. Ghirga, the attorney, had also said that the amount of blood on the tip of the knife in question was "microscopic" and was not reliable as evidence against his client.
"Double testing is one of the most accurate ways to prove DNA," said Sarah Gino, a forensic specialist and colleague of Torre's. "But the sample on (the knife in question) was not double tested because there wasn't enough material to do so."
According to trial testimony, Knox's DNA was not identified in Kercher's bedroom, the room where she was killed—but Kercher's blood was somehow combined with Knox's DNA in a number of areas in the blood-spattered bathroom, in such places as the sink, on a Q-tip box, and on the bidet. It was also found in one of the other resident's bedrooms where a break-in had purportedly occurred. Knox's attorney argued that since Knox was a resident in the same house, there were other possible explanations as to how traces of her DNA could have become mixed with the victim's. Gino had also testified that laboratory errors could have been made during the DNA testing.
Another argument put forth by Torre concerned the contention by a medical examiner hired by Sollecito's defense team who believed that Kercher had been killed while face-down, which would place her killer behind her. Torre's testimony indicated that he believed she was killed while lying on her back, or face-up. Torre also testified that there was evidence of strangulation because Kercher's hyoid bone had been broken, an indication that the small neck bone gave way to some kind of pressure having been applied to her neck. The prosecution has been contending that Kercher was killed from behind, allegedly held by Sollecito and Guede with Knox utilizing the knife.
Due to the fact that prosecutors Giuliano Mignini (who has legal issues of his own—but that's another story that we will talk about in a future update on the case) and Manuela Comodi, as well as Judge Giancarlo Massei, are involved in other trials, Knox's case has been heard only two days a week, on Fridays and Saturdays, since the trial began several months ago. Knox and Sollecito had both said that they were not inside the house when Kercher was killed.
The mystery remains: Who killed Meredith Kercher?
Related Links:
Meredith Kercher Murder House Looted by Devil Worshippers
Meredith Kercher Murder Update
Meredith Kercher Murder Case Update
Update on Amanda Knox Case in Italy
The Continuing Story of Foxy Knoxy: Honor Student to Violent Sex Killer?
Photo Credit: iStock
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Like a scene straight out of "Dumb and Dumber"...
Posted by: July 20 Plot | July 18, 2009 at 08:54 PM
This is a video of the forensics team recovering the bra clasp that allegedly has traces of Raffaele Sollecito's DNA on it. The evidence has been described as 'unassailable' and it's quite telling. There is no trace of Amanda in the room where the crime took place and she did live in the house so one would expect to find traces of her there. It is not unusual there was only one identifiable fingerprint of her as often they smudge; both prosecution and defense forensic experts agree to this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMaTI0SiuLw
Posted by: TF03 | August 09, 2009 at 08:57 PM
There is trace of amanda in the room: Pillow. Guilty 100%
Posted by: Wesh | August 16, 2009 at 08:13 PM