Amanda Knox case: DNA evidence to be reviewed following appealItalian judge orders re-examination of forensic tests that led to conviction for murder of Meredith Kercher
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Share30 Tom Kington, Perugia guardian.co.uk, Saturday 18 December 2010 18.59 GMT Article history
Convicted US student Amanda Knox is escorted by guards as she arrives for her appeal hearing at Perugia's courthouse. Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP
Amanda Knox's appeal against her 26-year sentence for the murder of Meredith Kercher received a massive boost on Saturday when a judge granted her request for a comprehensive review of key DNA evidence that was used to convict her and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.
After two appeal hearings in Perugia, judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman said he was convinced that the complexity of the case merited a review of forensic tests in the name of "reasonable doubt". Knox, 23, and Sollecito, 25, were convicted of killing Kercher, a British exchange student, in Perugia, in November 2007.
Hearing the news, Knox began to take deep breaths, her mother and stepfather both began to cry and Sollecito beamed broadly at his family.
"Amanda is stunned," said her mother, Edda Mellas, after conferring with her daughter. "She is in shock but happy – this brings hope."
Knox's college friend Madison Paxton, who has moved to Perugia to be near to Knox, said that she was "full of adrenaline" after Hellman said he was appointing experts to re-analyse a knife and a bra clasp considered crucial to the convictions. "This is an indication that they will look at this with fresh eyes," said Paxton.
The two defence teams had asked for experts to complete an independent review of the analysis of the knife, found in Sollecito's kitchen drawer and considered a murder weapon. It contained tiny DNA traces of both Knox and Kercher, according to police, but insufficient quantities to be reliable, said the defence.
"If it is not possible to check the identity of the DNA, we will check on the reliability of the original tests," said Hellman in his ruling, which came after the judge and jury retired to deliberate for an hour and 20 minutes.
Also disputed is the discovery of Sollecito's DNA on Kercher's torn bra clasp, found in her room 49 days after her death, during which time it had been moved accidentally by investigators.
Hellman agreed to review the bra clasp evidence after defence lawyers claimed it had been contaminated during the crime scene investigation. "It would have been very strange for a guilty party to insist so much on these tests," said Francesco Sollecito, the accused's father.
Hellman said that he would appoint two independent experts from the University of Rome to oversee the tests and would set a timetable on 15 January. A specialist in civil law, Hellman is running the Knox appeal almost by accident since fellow judges who might have been appointed were either transferred or had retired.
Chris Mellas, Knox's stepfather, said that Hellman's lack of experience may be an advantage for her. "Because it is not his typical arena, he might be a little less desensitised. The court's summary of the case, which was read out last week, contained many of our points, and that was already something."
Hellman also accepted the defence request to hear from Antonio Curatolo, a homeless man from the area who they say gave mistaken testimony. Curatolo says he saw Knox and Sollecito loitering near the house Knox shared with Kercher on the night of the murder, but the defence lawyers now claim that he had confused the dates.
At the start of the appeal hearing, Knox entered the court looking pale, watery eyed and hunched, while Sollecito, wearing winter boots and his short hair unkempt, smiled in a dazed fashion. After the trial started late, as a result of snowbound roads around Perugia, prosecutor Giancarlo Costagliola said that a review would be "useless" and that "this court has all the elements to be able to come to a decision".
Manuela Comodi, the prosecutor who built the case against Knox with fellow magistrate Giuliano Mignini, returned to the court to try, in vain, to demolish the defence's case for a review.
Knox's prospects were clouded by the court's decision to incorporate into the appeal all documents, evidence and findings from the murder trial of Rudy Guede, who chose a fast-track trial and was definitively sentenced to 16 years on Thursday for his part in the murder following the two appeals he was allowed under Italian law.
By upholding Guede's sentence, the appeal court also gave credence to the arguments made for his guilt at his first appeal, which clearly placed Knox and Sollecito at the scene of the crime with Guede. Mignani, the magistrate who secured the conviction of Knox, warned that the Guede conviction could doom Knox's appeal.
"Guede's sentence states that Knox and Sollecito were involved and it is very rare that one sentence would contradict a definitive sentence."
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Italian Court OK's DNA appeal
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7345536.html
PERUGIA, Italy — Amanda Knox won an important victory in her appeals trial of her murder conviction in Italy on Saturday, when a court ruled that it will allow an independent review of crucial DNA evidence after defense claims that samples were inconclusive and possibly contaminated.
The lower court trial, which convicted the American student a year ago and sentenced her to 26 years in Italian prison, had rejected a similar defense request for an outside review of DNA found on the bra clasp of the victim, her British roommate Meredith Kercher, and on a knife the prosecution alleged was used in the fatal stabbing attack.
Kercher's body was found in a pool of blood on Nov. 2, 2007, her throat slit in the apartment she shared with Knox. Forensic experts said she was killed the night before.
Knox burst into tears, in a sign of a release of tension, said her stepfather Chris Mellas. "She's a happy mess," he said, smiling.
She was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher in the rented house they shared in the university town of Perugia, where both were studying. The co-defendant in the appeals trial is her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian who was convicted of the same charges and sentenced to 25 years. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors maintain that Sollecito's DNA was found on the bra clasp and that Knox's DNA was found on the knife's handle and Kercher's DNA on the blade. The defense maintains that DNA traces presented at the first trial were inconclusive and also contends they might have been contaminated when they were analyzed.
The court handed the defense another victory. It will allow several witnesses the defense hopes will refute testimony that placed Knox and Sollecito near the house on the night Kercher was killed.
Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, burst into tears of joy in the courtroom when the appeals court announced its decision. "Finally a little bit of good news," Mellas said, as Knox's family members hugged defense team lawyers.
Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman said after 90 minutes of deliberations that the DNA evidence review was needed "to remove any reasonable doubt."
He said two independent experts, from Rome's Sapienza university, would either make new analyses of the DNA traces found, or if that isn't possible, would review the analyses that had been carried out by previous forensic experts and assess whether they are reliable.
DNA evidence was crucial in the first trial, where a clear motive did not emerge for the brutal killing.
"Finally, the trial can begin," said Luca Maori, an attorney for Sollecito. "After three years, we have scored our first important victory."
A Knox defense attorney, Luciano Ghirga, called the ruling Saturday "a significant step" and "a victory not for one side, but for the truth."
The experts will be formally assigned the task of the review at the trial's next session, on Jan. 15.
The court said it might decide at a later stage to allow other witnesses sought by the defense.
The court rejected several of the defense requests, including for new tests on Sollecito's computer related to the young man's alibi for the night of the slaying.
Francesco Maresca, a lawyer for the Kercher family who had opposed the review, said that "if the court has any remaining doubts, it does well to try to remove them."
"And now we'll see what these experts will conclude," he told reporters at the end of the hearing.
The review will take at least 30 days, and with new witnesses being heard, the trial is expected to go until next spring.
In seeking the new witnesses, the defense is seeking to refute testimony in the first trial from Antonio Curatolo, a homeless man who said he had seen Knox and Sollecito chatting on a basketball court near the apartment house the night Kercher was killed.
The defense insists his testimony was unreliable and hopes the new witnesses, who operate buses and discos in the area, will prove him wrong.
Prosecutors also appealed the lower court's verdict in hopes of winning stiffer sentences.
Saturday's hearing was held two days after Italy's highest criminal court upheld the conviction and 16-year-prison sentence of the third person charged with the murder, Rudy Hermann Guede of the Ivory Coast.
Guede has admitted being at the house the night of the murder but denies killing Kercher.
He was tried separately. The high court's ruling, which cannot be appealed, is significant because it states that Guede took part in the slaying but did not act alone, prosecutors and lawyers said.
The lower court trial, which convicted the American student a year ago and sentenced her to 26 years in Italian prison, had rejected a similar defense request for an outside review of DNA found on the bra clasp of the victim, her British roommate Meredith Kercher, and on a knife the prosecution alleged was used in the fatal stabbing attack.
Kercher's body was found in a pool of blood on Nov. 2, 2007, her throat slit in the apartment she shared with Knox. Forensic experts said she was killed the night before.
Knox burst into tears, in a sign of a release of tension, said her stepfather Chris Mellas. "She's a happy mess," he said, smiling.
She was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher in the rented house they shared in the university town of Perugia, where both were studying. The co-defendant in the appeals trial is her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian who was convicted of the same charges and sentenced to 25 years. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors maintain that Sollecito's DNA was found on the bra clasp and that Knox's DNA was found on the knife's handle and Kercher's DNA on the blade. The defense maintains that DNA traces presented at the first trial were inconclusive and also contends they might have been contaminated when they were analyzed.
The court handed the defense another victory. It will allow several witnesses the defense hopes will refute testimony that placed Knox and Sollecito near the house on the night Kercher was killed.
Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, burst into tears of joy in the courtroom when the appeals court announced its decision. "Finally a little bit of good news," Mellas said, as Knox's family members hugged defense team lawyers.
Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman said after 90 minutes of deliberations that the DNA evidence review was needed "to remove any reasonable doubt."
He said two independent experts, from Rome's Sapienza university, would either make new analyses of the DNA traces found, or if that isn't possible, would review the analyses that had been carried out by previous forensic experts and assess whether they are reliable.
DNA evidence was crucial in the first trial, where a clear motive did not emerge for the brutal killing.
"Finally, the trial can begin," said Luca Maori, an attorney for Sollecito. "After three years, we have scored our first important victory."
A Knox defense attorney, Luciano Ghirga, called the ruling Saturday "a significant step" and "a victory not for one side, but for the truth."
The experts will be formally assigned the task of the review at the trial's next session, on Jan. 15.
The court said it might decide at a later stage to allow other witnesses sought by the defense.
The court rejected several of the defense requests, including for new tests on Sollecito's computer related to the young man's alibi for the night of the slaying.
Francesco Maresca, a lawyer for the Kercher family who had opposed the review, said that "if the court has any remaining doubts, it does well to try to remove them."
"And now we'll see what these experts will conclude," he told reporters at the end of the hearing.
The review will take at least 30 days, and with new witnesses being heard, the trial is expected to go until next spring.
In seeking the new witnesses, the defense is seeking to refute testimony in the first trial from Antonio Curatolo, a homeless man who said he had seen Knox and Sollecito chatting on a basketball court near the apartment house the night Kercher was killed.
The defense insists his testimony was unreliable and hopes the new witnesses, who operate buses and discos in the area, will prove him wrong.
Prosecutors also appealed the lower court's verdict in hopes of winning stiffer sentences.
Saturday's hearing was held two days after Italy's highest criminal court upheld the conviction and 16-year-prison sentence of the third person charged with the murder, Rudy Hermann Guede of the Ivory Coast.
Guede has admitted being at the house the night of the murder but denies killing Kercher.
He was tried separately. The high court's ruling, which cannot be appealed, is significant because it states that Guede took part in the slaying but did not act alone, prosecutors and lawyers said.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Unknown Cambridge graduate is picked to play Meredith Kercher in controversial film about her murder
By Nick PisaLast updated at 3:01 PM on 5th December 2010
An unknown Cambridge University graduate is playing the part of murdered student Meredith Kercher in a TV film because of her uncanny similarity to the victim.
Amanda Fernando Stevens, 26, was picked for the role by director Robert Dornhelm when he saw her at a casting and spotted the resemblance with tragic Meredith, 21, who was found semi naked and with her throat slashed.
Miss Stevens turned to acting after a brief stint teaching following her graduation from university with a natural sciences degree and the Amanda Knox Story will be her first major role.
Likeness: Amanda Fernando Stevens and murder victim Meredith Kercher
The film has angered both the Knox and Kercher families and defence lawyers have also hit out at the production which is being made by American firm Lifetime and which will be broadcast in the U.S. in March.
Filming in Italy was actually hit with budget issues and also permission to film in Perugia - where the murder took place in November 2007 - was refused by the city council.
Portrayal: Killer Amanda Knox, left, will be played by Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere
Dornhelm said:'Meredith's story is tragic for all those involved, for the youngsters but also for their parents.
'What counts above all is that two mothers have lost their daughters, one in death and the other in jail.'
''What interests me more is the psychology and personality of the protagonists rather than the blood of the crime and the search for those responsible.
''The world is not black and white. anyone can find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
'It's not surprising that in this day and age someone's dark side can emerge and they are capable of doing something terrible.'
Meredith's killers: Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito
Last December this was reduced to 16 years on appeal and in ten days time he will have his third and final appeal at the Supreme Court in Rome.
Knox and Sollecito are basing their appeal on flawed DNA techniques presented in court during their original trial.
British actor Colin Firth is also making a film on the murder which is being directed by the acclaimed Michael Winterbottom.
Meanwhile, Knox has expressed her fears of remaining in jail for the rest of her life in letters to Italian MP Rocco Girlanda who has written a book on their correspondence
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335843/Amanda-Knox-film-Unknown-Cambridge-graduate-play-Meredith-Kercher.html#ixzz17Gq7SlXK
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Repulsion for America allowing a killer to become a celebrity 'Foxy Knoxy'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1334777/From-Meredith-Kerchers-father-passionate-attack-cult-Foxy-Knoxy.html
Last updated at 8:20 AM on 2nd December 2010
Amanda Knox was found guilty of killing my daughter Meredith at the house they shared in Italy three years ago. Yet since that act of horrific violence, Knox, it seems, has been accorded the status of a minor celebrity.
Sometimes it seems that there is no escape from her or her jaunty nickname, ‘Foxy Knoxy’ (doubly hurtful, for the way it trivialises the awfulness of her offence).
Last week, Knox’s parents were given star billing on the ITV breakfast show Daybreak, where they had free rein to profess their conviction that their daughter is not guilty.
Kurt Knox and his ex-wife Edda Mellas have never expressed their condolences to our family for our grievous loss. There has been no letter of sympathy; no word of regret. Instead, I have watched them repeatedly reiterate the mantra of their daughter’s innocence.
Alas, I fear there is more yet to come. Their TV appearance last week, trailed for two days as if it were some exclusive media coup, coincided with the resumption of Knox’s appeal against her conviction.
This appeal, like the initial court case, will drag on for months, while the dark tunnel between my family and our ability to grieve for Meredith in peace becomes ever longer.
If Knox doesn’t get the result she wants, our agony will be even more protracted: she may then take her case to Italy’s Supreme Court in Rome. Put simply, our ordeal could go on for years.
Knox is one of three people convicted of killing my beautiful and talented daughter. It was a brutal murder. Meredith’s throat was slit, and she was stabbed to death.
Knox and her former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, are serving jail sentences of 26 and 25 years respectively for their heinous crime. A third person, drifter Rudy Guede, convicted with them, is also in prison.
Yet it is Knox who still exerts such a hold over the media. As a journalist myself, I know the reason why. Knox is young, attractive and female. To many, she seems an unlikely killer.
Yet to my family she is, unequivocally, culpable. As far as we are concerned, she has been convicted of taking our precious Meredith’s life in the most hideous and bloody way.
And the sadness is, the nature of that death too often prevents us from celebrating her life. She has become ‘Meredith Kercher, murder victim’, not Meredith Kercher, our lovely, intellectually curious daughter.
So, today, I’d like to redress the balance and tell you about our irredeemable loss. About the Merdeith we knew and loved.
Our girl was 21 when she died; a bright, sweet-natured and engaging young woman. She had been studying for a degree in European Studies and Italian at Leeds University when she had opted to spend some time in the medieval Italian town of Perugia, at the university there, improving her knowledge of the Italian language and culture.
On November 1, the third anniversary of her death, I gathered with the rest of the family in the cold, grey cemetery where she is buried. One by one, we laid bright flowers on her grave and left messages. Mine said simply, ‘I miss you’.
Along with our own handwritten notes, there were dozens from Meredith’s friends.
They write as if she’s still with us, telling her about their new jobs, their boyfriends.
They remind her of all the wonderful times they had, of the shared laughter. And like us, they hope — really, they do — that Meredith might somehow know what they have written.
None of us, you see, wants to forget her for even one second. So she is here, among us, everywhere. She lives on in the public memorials, with trees planted in her honour at her old school and university, and in the private ones, too.
At her home in Surrey, where she lived with her mum during the university holidays, her room remains as it always was. It is not a shrine; but neither will it ever be disturbed.
Her clothes remain in the wardrobe, her posters on the wall. Study books are piled on the table, make-up arranged beside them. It is just as she left it — and sometimes I even convince myself that one day she will return to it.
I wait to hear the cheerful cadence of her laughter. Even now, the memory of it has the power to make me smile.
People also always remember Meredith’s kindness and caring nature. She never gave the impression of being studious, but she was. She worked quietly and assiduously for her degree. But she was generous too. Several friends commented that she would lend out her lecture notes to anyone who asked: to her, it was second nature.
But Meredith, of course, was not perfect. Punctuality was never one of her qualities.
The last time I saw her, during a weekend trip back to London, she breezed into the Italian restaurant where I was waiting for her a full hour late. Yet when I saw her, wreathed in that famous smile, my annoyance instantly evaporated.
The vision of her delightedly showing me the new boots she’d bought that day is one I continue to hold dear.
The next thing we knew, we were travelling to Italy to identify her body.
And then there was the ordeal of the court case, the details of which have been picked over too often to bear repeating here.
But still, the hurt wasn’t over. I’ll share one small example.
Two years after her death, we were told that we could finally take Meredith’s possessions home with us. I expected a large suitcase full of her belongings, which we could all cherish.
Instead, I was given a small, battered case. Her beloved clothes had all been taken for forensic tests. Not even her treasured possessions were sacrosanct.
So we concentrate on the happy memories instead. Meredith was a Christmas baby, and as the festive season approaches, we hold in our hearts the memory of her 21st birthday, celebrated in a local Italian restaurant. None of us could have dreamed it would be her last.
Meredith meant so much to us all. Our lives have, of course, moved on, but not a minute passes when she is not in our thoughts. And the question that nags insistently at us is: ‘Why?’ Why was she taken from us prematurely and with such horrific brutality?
Like all grieving parents, we sometimes wonder what she would be doing now if she were still with us. She would have graduated with her degree from Leeds University in 2009. But, of course, we were never able to share her pride in reaching that milestone.
She was, however, awarded a posthumous degree, and her sister, Stephanie, collected it for her. Every student in the vast hall rose to their feet to applaud her that day. The standing ovation lasted a full minute, and my eyes brimmed with tears.
Sometimes, even now, I find it hard to believe she is not still with us. Her passing is easier to bear if I pretend she has just gone away for a while; that some day soon she will ring me — her voice bubbling with laughter and enthusiasm — to tell me about her latest adventure.
Meredith was the baby of the family, the beloved youngest child. Her mum, her siblings and I cherish every memory of her short life. It is her untimely and horrific death we would all prefer to obliterate from our minds.
All we want now is the peace to be able to celebrate her life. Is that so much to ask?
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1334777/From-Meredith-Kerchers-father-passionate-attack-cult-Foxy-Knoxy.html#ixzz16zElnwR1
It's utterly despicable that the girl jailed for killing my daughter has become a celebrity
By John KercherLast updated at 8:20 AM on 2nd December 2010
From Meredith Kercher’s father, a passionate attack on the cult of 'Foxy Knoxy'
Last week, I switched on my television to see the parents of the young woman convicted of taking my daughter’s life proclaiming her innocence. And, once again, I felt the pain and the anger and the raw grief resurface.Amanda Knox was found guilty of killing my daughter Meredith at the house they shared in Italy three years ago. Yet since that act of horrific violence, Knox, it seems, has been accorded the status of a minor celebrity.
Sometimes it seems that there is no escape from her or her jaunty nickname, ‘Foxy Knoxy’ (doubly hurtful, for the way it trivialises the awfulness of her offence).
Cherished memories: John Kercher misses daughter Meredith every day
Kurt Knox and his ex-wife Edda Mellas have never expressed their condolences to our family for our grievous loss. There has been no letter of sympathy; no word of regret. Instead, I have watched them repeatedly reiterate the mantra of their daughter’s innocence.
Alas, I fear there is more yet to come. Their TV appearance last week, trailed for two days as if it were some exclusive media coup, coincided with the resumption of Knox’s appeal against her conviction.
This appeal, like the initial court case, will drag on for months, while the dark tunnel between my family and our ability to grieve for Meredith in peace becomes ever longer.
If Knox doesn’t get the result she wants, our agony will be even more protracted: she may then take her case to Italy’s Supreme Court in Rome. Put simply, our ordeal could go on for years.
'To many, Knox seems an unlikely killer. Yet to my family she is, unequivocally, culpable'
Knox and her former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, are serving jail sentences of 26 and 25 years respectively for their heinous crime. A third person, drifter Rudy Guede, convicted with them, is also in prison.
Yet it is Knox who still exerts such a hold over the media. As a journalist myself, I know the reason why. Knox is young, attractive and female. To many, she seems an unlikely killer.
Yet to my family she is, unequivocally, culpable. As far as we are concerned, she has been convicted of taking our precious Meredith’s life in the most hideous and bloody way.
And the sadness is, the nature of that death too often prevents us from celebrating her life. She has become ‘Meredith Kercher, murder victim’, not Meredith Kercher, our lovely, intellectually curious daughter.
So, today, I’d like to redress the balance and tell you about our irredeemable loss. About the Merdeith we knew and loved.
Minor celebrity status: Amanda Knox at her appeal hearing in Italy last week
On November 1, the third anniversary of her death, I gathered with the rest of the family in the cold, grey cemetery where she is buried. One by one, we laid bright flowers on her grave and left messages. Mine said simply, ‘I miss you’.
Along with our own handwritten notes, there were dozens from Meredith’s friends.
They write as if she’s still with us, telling her about their new jobs, their boyfriends.
They remind her of all the wonderful times they had, of the shared laughter. And like us, they hope — really, they do — that Meredith might somehow know what they have written.
None of us, you see, wants to forget her for even one second. So she is here, among us, everywhere. She lives on in the public memorials, with trees planted in her honour at her old school and university, and in the private ones, too.
At her home in Surrey, where she lived with her mum during the university holidays, her room remains as it always was. It is not a shrine; but neither will it ever be disturbed.
'All we want now is the peace to be able to celebrate her life. Is that so much to ask?'
I wait to hear the cheerful cadence of her laughter. Even now, the memory of it has the power to make me smile.
People also always remember Meredith’s kindness and caring nature. She never gave the impression of being studious, but she was. She worked quietly and assiduously for her degree. But she was generous too. Several friends commented that she would lend out her lecture notes to anyone who asked: to her, it was second nature.
But Meredith, of course, was not perfect. Punctuality was never one of her qualities.
The last time I saw her, during a weekend trip back to London, she breezed into the Italian restaurant where I was waiting for her a full hour late. Yet when I saw her, wreathed in that famous smile, my annoyance instantly evaporated.
The vision of her delightedly showing me the new boots she’d bought that day is one I continue to hold dear.
The next thing we knew, we were travelling to Italy to identify her body.
And then there was the ordeal of the court case, the details of which have been picked over too often to bear repeating here.
Glamorised: Actress Hayden Panettiere is playing Knox in a new film about the events of Meredith's death
Two years after her death, we were told that we could finally take Meredith’s possessions home with us. I expected a large suitcase full of her belongings, which we could all cherish.
Instead, I was given a small, battered case. Her beloved clothes had all been taken for forensic tests. Not even her treasured possessions were sacrosanct.
So we concentrate on the happy memories instead. Meredith was a Christmas baby, and as the festive season approaches, we hold in our hearts the memory of her 21st birthday, celebrated in a local Italian restaurant. None of us could have dreamed it would be her last.
Meredith meant so much to us all. Our lives have, of course, moved on, but not a minute passes when she is not in our thoughts. And the question that nags insistently at us is: ‘Why?’ Why was she taken from us prematurely and with such horrific brutality?
Like all grieving parents, we sometimes wonder what she would be doing now if she were still with us. She would have graduated with her degree from Leeds University in 2009. But, of course, we were never able to share her pride in reaching that milestone.
She was, however, awarded a posthumous degree, and her sister, Stephanie, collected it for her. Every student in the vast hall rose to their feet to applaud her that day. The standing ovation lasted a full minute, and my eyes brimmed with tears.
Sometimes, even now, I find it hard to believe she is not still with us. Her passing is easier to bear if I pretend she has just gone away for a while; that some day soon she will ring me — her voice bubbling with laughter and enthusiasm — to tell me about her latest adventure.
Meredith was the baby of the family, the beloved youngest child. Her mum, her siblings and I cherish every memory of her short life. It is her untimely and horrific death we would all prefer to obliterate from our minds.
All we want now is the peace to be able to celebrate her life. Is that so much to ask?
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1334777/From-Meredith-Kerchers-father-passionate-attack-cult-Foxy-Knoxy.html#ixzz16zElnwR1
Friday, November 26, 2010
Meredith is the victim here...not Amanda
Former lovers Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been found guilty of murdering British student Meredith Kercher after she refused to take part in a drug-fuelled sex session at her flat in Italy in November 2007.
The 21-year-old, from Coulsdon, Surrey, had just started a one-year course under the Erasmus programme of international exchanges to study modern history, political theories and the history of cinema.
Before leaving for Italy at the end of August 2007, she had been reading European studies at the University of Leeds.
Described as sociable and loving by friends and family, pictures show her smiling broadly.
Slow death
But within three months she was dead in the flat she rented with Knox, in the Via Della Pergola in the central Italian city of Perugia.
Police found her semi-naked body covered by a duvet. Her bedroom door was locked, but the window had been broken.
Officers had entered the flat to return Miss Kercher's mobile phone, which had been found abandoned in a garden by a neighbour.
Miss Kercher's body showed signs of bruising, and tests revealed evidence of sexual activity shortly before her death - but a post-mortem examination could not confirm she had been raped.
Among the police's early theories was that Miss Kercher had been attacked by a heroin addict, because the flat was near a car park used by dealers - or that her death had been the result of a botched burglary.
But police soon arrested Knox, 22, and Sollecito, 25, and prosecutors accused them of killing Miss Kercher because she had refused to take part in an extreme sex session.
A pathologist's report said her death was slow and painful because despite the fact that her throat was cut, the blow did not sever her carotid artery.
Miss Kercher's family said she was a hard worker, but also enjoyed socialising with her friends and family.
In a statement after her death, they said: "As anyone who had been lucky enough to have known her would testify, she was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet."
Silent vigil
Speaking of her trip to Italy, Miss Kercher's parents Arline and John said she was "excited at the prospect of spending the year studying there to improve her language skills, make new friends and immerse herself in the culture".
Her parents have three other children, Meredith's sister Stephanie and brothers John and Lyle.
Before going to university, Miss Kercher - known among friends and family as Mez - attended the £10,000-a-year private Old Palace School in Croydon, near London.
After her death, more than 100 students bowed their heads in silence at a vigil at Leeds University.
Miss Kercher's brutal and mysterious death has fed intense media speculation in both Europe and America.
One man, Rudy Hermann Guede, 22, who has joint Italian and Ivory Coast nationality, had already been convicted of her murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing against his conviction.
Knox and Sollecito are also thought likely to appeal against their convictions. They have been sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7693702.stm
The 21-year-old, from Coulsdon, Surrey, had just started a one-year course under the Erasmus programme of international exchanges to study modern history, political theories and the history of cinema.
Before leaving for Italy at the end of August 2007, she had been reading European studies at the University of Leeds.
Described as sociable and loving by friends and family, pictures show her smiling broadly.
Slow death
But within three months she was dead in the flat she rented with Knox, in the Via Della Pergola in the central Italian city of Perugia.
Police found her semi-naked body covered by a duvet. Her bedroom door was locked, but the window had been broken.
Officers had entered the flat to return Miss Kercher's mobile phone, which had been found abandoned in a garden by a neighbour.
Miss Kercher's body showed signs of bruising, and tests revealed evidence of sexual activity shortly before her death - but a post-mortem examination could not confirm she had been raped.
 |  She was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet  Miss Kercher's family statement |
Among the police's early theories was that Miss Kercher had been attacked by a heroin addict, because the flat was near a car park used by dealers - or that her death had been the result of a botched burglary.
But police soon arrested Knox, 22, and Sollecito, 25, and prosecutors accused them of killing Miss Kercher because she had refused to take part in an extreme sex session.
A pathologist's report said her death was slow and painful because despite the fact that her throat was cut, the blow did not sever her carotid artery.
Miss Kercher's family said she was a hard worker, but also enjoyed socialising with her friends and family.
In a statement after her death, they said: "As anyone who had been lucky enough to have known her would testify, she was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet."
Silent vigil
Speaking of her trip to Italy, Miss Kercher's parents Arline and John said she was "excited at the prospect of spending the year studying there to improve her language skills, make new friends and immerse herself in the culture".
Her parents have three other children, Meredith's sister Stephanie and brothers John and Lyle.
Before going to university, Miss Kercher - known among friends and family as Mez - attended the £10,000-a-year private Old Palace School in Croydon, near London.
After her death, more than 100 students bowed their heads in silence at a vigil at Leeds University.
Miss Kercher's brutal and mysterious death has fed intense media speculation in both Europe and America.
One man, Rudy Hermann Guede, 22, who has joint Italian and Ivory Coast nationality, had already been convicted of her murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing against his conviction.
Knox and Sollecito are also thought likely to appeal against their convictions. They have been sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7693702.stm
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
JAILED KILLER AMANDA KNOX LAUNCHES BID FOR FREEDOM
Amanda Knox was jailed for 26 years last year for killing British student Meredith Kercher
Thursday November 25,2010
By Daily Express reporter
AMANDA KNOX said she was “waiting for her freedom” as her murder appeal began in Italy yesterday.
American Knox, 23, was jailed for 26 years last year for killing British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia in 2007.
Knox looked tense and thinner but smiled at her stepfather Chris Mellas and friends sat at the back of the court.
One of her legal team put a comforting arm around her, as the student, known as Foxy Knoxy, listened to legal arguments.
Before the hearing, Knox told Italian MP Rocco Girlanda, that jail had “broken my dreams” but she was hopeful of freedom .
Knox’s lawyers are seeking a full review of the case, including disputed DNA evidence found on a knife.
Miss Kercher’s family, from Coulsdon, Surrey, were not at the hearing, which was adjourned until December 11.
Larry King Transcript...Supporting Knox family...
They're calling it Italy's trial of the century. Amanda Knox's parents are going to be here in a couple of minutes to talk about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back. It's being called the "trial of the century" in Italy; 22-year-old American exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend are accused of the murder and sexual assault of Amanda's British housemate, Meredith Kercher. Kercher was found semi-naked, her throat slit, in the house she and Amanda shared with two others in November of 2007.
A third person -- a man from the Ivory Coast -- was convicted of the brutal killing in a separate proceeding last year. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His appeal is slated for next month. Amanda's trial got underway in January. Testimony and evidence presentation has now been complete. Closing arguments begin November 20. The jury will deliberate on December 4th.
We welcome to LARRY KING LIVE Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, the parents of Amanda Knox. She's been in a prison now for two years. You talked to her. How's she doing?
EDDA MELLAS, MOTHER OF AMANDA KNOX: You know, she's hanging in there. It's been a long time, she's -- you know -- innocent and has sitting in -- sitting it in jail, so it's scary, but she's doing the best she can.
KING: How are you doing?
CURT KNOX, FATHER OF AMANDA KNOX: We're hanging in there, we're -- we're being strong for her. I mean --
KING: Do you go over and see her?
KNOX: Oh, absolutely. I think both Edda and I have made at least 12 trips over there, back and forth over the last couple of years.
KING: Few days ago, the court rejected her request for an independent review of contested evidence. What are your lawyers tell you about how serious that is?
EDDA MELLAS: Well, I mean it could be good or it could be bad. I mean we asked for the independent review because we were sure that anybody independently looked at it, would support our position. Maybe the court decided that they don't even need that support, that our arguments have already been good enough.
KING: What do you make of the whole thing Curt? What's -- what's your view of this? I mean you were not there.
KNOX: I believe that there was a huge mistake made very, very, early on by you know having a -- literally a case closed, you know, presentation by the police over there. And then when they really found out that -- that Rudy Gooday (ph) was the one that actually did it --
KING: The man convicted.
KNOX: The man convicted -- that they were just too far into it and they've been trying to press it ever since.
KING: Now was your daughter and her boyfriend present at --
KNOX: Not at all, they -- they stayed at her boyfriend's house the night that the murder took place.
KING: Why were they arrested?
KNOX: You know, in the time between when Meredith was found and the time of their arrest, there was total of ninety hours in that window. During that time, they were questioned and interrogated for over 41 hours. The last of that was a 14 hour all night interrogation, where there was psychological abuse, physical abuse, where she was hit. And at that stage of the game, I think, you know, they made conclusions.
KING: Were they tried together? Her and --
MELLAS: Yes, they are being tried together.
KING: Amanda testified in June sometimes in English, sometimes in Italian. Here's a little of what she said about her interrogation by police several days after Meredith Kercher's murder, watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER: They called me a stupid liar. And they said that I was trying to protect someone. So I was there and they told me I was trying to protect someone. But I wasn't trying to protect anyone. And so I didn't know how to respond to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: And at the immediate aftermath of the murder, your family in Germany -- you have family in Germany?
MELLAS: Yes --
KING: -- suggested that Amanda come and stay with them. You said she made a big mistake in not leaving Italy.
MELLAS: Yes. Actually many people asked her. We all asked her.
KING: She should have split.
MELLAS: Absolutely, she had many opportunities the police have that on record but didn't release that until almost a year after the crime. And but they did have on record that many people asked her to leave but she said no. "I'm going to stay. I'm going to try and help. I'm going to try and finish school" And one of the reasons that they said they were holding her and not releasing her because she was a flight risk. But she never planned to flee.
KING: What was her motive, Curt? What does the state say was her motive in killing this person?
KNOX: Well, the state said that it was a drug infused sex orgy --
KING: Between her, her boyfriend, and this woman?
KNOX: Yes.
KING: And the other guy. Four people were there --
(CROSS TALK)
KNOX: Yes, and that -- they didn't even know this other guy.
MELLAS: Yes.
KING: The state's contentions were four people were present and one died. One has been convicted? Does your daughter know this person that's been convicted?
MELLAS: You know she had vaguely met him. You know when she was arrested and he was arrested, she couldn't even remember his name. And he's the only one that left DNA, finger prints, everything all over the crime scene. Nothing of Amanda, but still she's in the same kind of boat that he is in.
KING: What a puzzle! We'll be right back with more, don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TEA LEONI, ACTRESS: Hi, I'm Tea Leoni. As one of CNN Hero's Blue Ribbon panelists in 2007, I helped recognize the extraordinary work of every day people who are changing the world. As both a board member and goodwill ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF, I advocate for the world's children, and work to increase awareness and funding for their needs.
I see clearly just how much the world needs heroes. Now, I am thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top ten honorees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD BLAUSER, CNN HERO: Disabled children, they're really the forgotten ones in this war. I came to Iraq as a civilian contractor. There were a lot of children that either dragged themselves on the ground or they had to be carried.
There were so many people willing to reach out and touch the lives of these kids.
My name is Brad Blauser. I bring pediatric wheelchairs to Iraqi children in need. People donate on my website. The wheelchairs are brought over. I distribute them to the different military units, and help get these children into the wheelchair.
There is no paycheck. It's not really safe here, but I made a difference in the lives of these families.
Definitely, the sacrifice has been worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: I interviewed him. What a great story! Have the Knox's ever considered the possibility -- possibility that their daughter could be guilty? Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Edda Mellas and Curt Knox remain, the parents of a Amanda Knox. Joining us in New York, John Q Kelly, former prosecutor and famed civil litigator, frequent guest on LARRY KING LIVE. It's good to see him. It has been a while. What are your thoughts on this case John?
JOHN Q. KELLY, FMR. PROSECUTOR: My thoughts, Larry, it's probably the most egregious, international railroading of two innocent young people that I have ever seen. This is actually a public lynching based on rank speculation, and vindictiveness. It's just a nightmare what these parents are going through and what these young adults are going through also.
KING: You don't know John, do you?
MELLAS: No, no.
KING: What do you make of it John? Why would they do this? If they already convicted someone, why go after Amanda and this other guy?
KELLY: Well, as I said, it's almost because Amanda showed too much stoicism after the death of her roommate, who she barely knew. These were two girls living together less than eight weeks.
And, you know, Larry, you've always seen this in these murder cases and things like the husband didn't cry enough, or they weren't upset enough when the children went missing. This is one of these things where, I guess, under the Italian culture, she did not respond the way they wanted her to respond. And they sort of put together a case with, you know, gum and toothpicks to try to make a case against her. And it is outrageous.
KING: Edda, do you ever think she might have done it?
MELLAS: Never.
KING: Do you, Curt?
KNOX: Never.
KING: John, the court's recent decision to reject her request for an independent review, does that help or hurt on appeal, if she's found guilty?
KELLY: Well, first of all, I certainly hope she's not found guilty. It would help her appeal, because it would show she was deprived of something that could have been very significantly helpful to her. She lost her own forensic expert, who, I think, left the team in May or so.
So -- but I mean, there's no forensic evidence. There's no physical evidence. There's no motive. There's no opportunity. There's no confession. There's no substantive evidence whatsoever against Amanda.
KING: Well, who has the state presented as witnesses?
KELLY: I think the only forensic evidence they had was a small portion of Amanda's DNA on the handle of a knife in Raffaele's apartment, where she was all the time. And it's not even consistent with the murder weapon that was used. The murder weapon was a three and a half inch knife. This is a six and a half inch knife that had a minute portion of Amanda's DNA on it, and inconclusive tests that on the tip of it there was some of Meredith's blood.
And it's just -- it wouldn't even hold up before a grand jury, and now we're trying to send these young people away for life.
KING: Now, John, you're a former prosecutor. Normally, prosecutors stick together, so we appreciate your standing up here. What is your knowledge of Italian courts? Are the juries generally open and fair?
KELLY: The problem with this is the jury's made up of six lay people and two judges. The jurors are not sequestered, and there are these huge lapses in the trial. Like right now, we have a month and a half now between this and closing statements where the jurors are home, watching the news, being inundated with whatever spin the local media wants to put on it. Obviously, they're not favorable, certainly, towards Amanda. They love showing the shot you're showing there that shows some sort of indifference. What I think it shows is some sort of compassion and care between them, and that they're upset about what happened to Meredith.
But, you know, the case is being tried in the public. There is nothing that's substantive that links into the crime, but it's just sort of -- it's almost like gotcha time. The Italians and this prosecutor want to get Amanda regardless of her guilt or innocence.
KING: Do you think that is because she is stoic? Is that the kind of person she is?
MELLAS: You know, she's very much a person who internalizes. She was extremely upset, and her roommate testified that when she found out it was Meredith that was killed, she was very upset. She cried. She did all of that. But by the time those photos were taken, it was hours later, and she was being comforted by Raffaele.
And those that know her, you could see the shock in her face. She was just devastated.
KING: Do you know the boy?
KNOX: Yeah, I have met him over there a few times.
KING: They're no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, right?
KNOX: No.
KING: But they're still together, and they're still --
(CROSSTALK)
KNOX: They're still friends, but they're being tried together.
KING: We'll be back with more. Judy Bachrach, the contributing editor of "Vanity Fair," has written about this case, who's lived in Italy, she'll join us. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: News cameras are not allowed in the courtroom during some of the testimony. So what you're seeing was shot off a TV screen. It explains the less than perfect quality that we're used to showing you.
Joining us is Judy Bachrach, contributing editor at "Vanity Fair." She's in Washington, written about this case for the magazine. She's lived in Italy, was back there less than three months ago. What's your read, Judy?
JUDY BACHRACH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "VANITY FAIR": Well, there are two Italys, which nobody seems to really understand who lives in this country. And one is the Italy of the privileged and government officials, and for instance, of Silvio Berlusconi, who runs the country. And he tries to have laws passed that allow him immunity in the event he's charge with corruption.
And then there's the Italy that tries the ordinary person. And the ordinary person is considered guilty until proven innocent. Italy's laws are direct descendants of the Inquisition. And therefore, Amanda, who is, after all, an American and a foreigner, and somebody to be suspicious of, is going to have the book thrown at her.
Nobody's going to believe her. She's going to be kept, as she indeed was, in isolation, grilled for 14 hours at a time, slapped around by the cops. And whatever comes out of those so-called interviews is going to be taken as gospel.
KING: You think, therefore, she's going to be found guilty?
BACHRACH: I think that in Italy, there's something called "brutta figura," which literally means you show a bad faith to the world. If they don't convict her, if she's found innocent after two years of being in jail for a crime she didn't commit, then Italy looks like it has a very corrupt judicial system.
It has a "brutta figura," which it really does. It has a very corrupt judicial system, and they will show an ugly face to the universe. And that's the last thing they want. And that is something that Edda and Curt have to be aware of, that this is a country that looks at an ugly face as the worst thing that can possibly happen to Italy. Not convicting a girl of something she didn't do, but of looking bad in the eyes of the universe.
KING: But don't they love Americans in Italy, Judy?
BACHRACH: They love some Americans. I have to say, in this instance, they don't love Amanda. Perugia's a very small town. It is very -- in -- in a sense, it's very close-minded. It is not Rome. It is not Paris. And it looks at Amanda in a different way than, say, she'd be looked at if she was living in Sydney or New York City.
They're very provincial. The prosecutor is famously incompetent and very right wing. He does not like her; he did not like her style of life. And she is being judged on that rather than anything she may or may not have done to that poor British girl.
KING: John, what would a -- what would -- what --
BACHRACH: -- of evidence.
KING: I -- I gather you're as strong as John on this. John, what would an appeal be like?
JOHN: Well, ironically, both sides could appeal. I mean, Amanda can be acquitted --
KING: Really?
JOHN: She could leave the country, and then, on appeal, they could convict her and seek to extradite her back to Italy, after an appeals court -- KING: Whoa.
JOHN: -- would convict her. And there's -- there's such a level of vindictiveness here, I could see that almost happening.
KING: Edda and Curt, you guys feel --
BACHRACH: I can -- I can see it happening --
KING: Hold -- hold on a second, Judy. Hold it Judy.
KING: Edda and Curt, you must feel very apprehensive.
MELLAS: It's scary.
KNOX: It is. It's one where we have to believe that what they're hearing in court -- and it's so clear that she had nothing to do with it -- then they'll come out with the right answer. I mean, that's -- that's what we have to believe.
KING: When are you going over there?
MELLAS: We're leaving just as the -- as the closing arguments go and the verdict. So the end of November.
KNOX: Yes.
MELLAS: Yes, there's always somebody over there. My brother's there right now. My husband's going next week.
KING: Thank you very, very much. Thanks for coming. We wish you the best. Thank you Judy Bachrach and John Q Kelly, as always, thank you.
BACHRACH: My pleasure.
KING: By the way, you'll find the link to Judy's very detailed article about the Amanda Knox case on our blog. Just go to CNN.com/LarryKing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back. It's being called the "trial of the century" in Italy; 22-year-old American exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend are accused of the murder and sexual assault of Amanda's British housemate, Meredith Kercher. Kercher was found semi-naked, her throat slit, in the house she and Amanda shared with two others in November of 2007.
A third person -- a man from the Ivory Coast -- was convicted of the brutal killing in a separate proceeding last year. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His appeal is slated for next month. Amanda's trial got underway in January. Testimony and evidence presentation has now been complete. Closing arguments begin November 20. The jury will deliberate on December 4th.
We welcome to LARRY KING LIVE Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, the parents of Amanda Knox. She's been in a prison now for two years. You talked to her. How's she doing?
EDDA MELLAS, MOTHER OF AMANDA KNOX: You know, she's hanging in there. It's been a long time, she's -- you know -- innocent and has sitting in -- sitting it in jail, so it's scary, but she's doing the best she can.
KING: How are you doing?
CURT KNOX, FATHER OF AMANDA KNOX: We're hanging in there, we're -- we're being strong for her. I mean --
KING: Do you go over and see her?
KNOX: Oh, absolutely. I think both Edda and I have made at least 12 trips over there, back and forth over the last couple of years.
KING: Few days ago, the court rejected her request for an independent review of contested evidence. What are your lawyers tell you about how serious that is?
EDDA MELLAS: Well, I mean it could be good or it could be bad. I mean we asked for the independent review because we were sure that anybody independently looked at it, would support our position. Maybe the court decided that they don't even need that support, that our arguments have already been good enough.
KING: What do you make of the whole thing Curt? What's -- what's your view of this? I mean you were not there.
KNOX: I believe that there was a huge mistake made very, very, early on by you know having a -- literally a case closed, you know, presentation by the police over there. And then when they really found out that -- that Rudy Gooday (ph) was the one that actually did it --
KING: The man convicted.
KNOX: The man convicted -- that they were just too far into it and they've been trying to press it ever since.
KING: Now was your daughter and her boyfriend present at --
KNOX: Not at all, they -- they stayed at her boyfriend's house the night that the murder took place.
KING: Why were they arrested?
KNOX: You know, in the time between when Meredith was found and the time of their arrest, there was total of ninety hours in that window. During that time, they were questioned and interrogated for over 41 hours. The last of that was a 14 hour all night interrogation, where there was psychological abuse, physical abuse, where she was hit. And at that stage of the game, I think, you know, they made conclusions.
KING: Were they tried together? Her and --
MELLAS: Yes, they are being tried together.
KING: Amanda testified in June sometimes in English, sometimes in Italian. Here's a little of what she said about her interrogation by police several days after Meredith Kercher's murder, watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER: They called me a stupid liar. And they said that I was trying to protect someone. So I was there and they told me I was trying to protect someone. But I wasn't trying to protect anyone. And so I didn't know how to respond to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: And at the immediate aftermath of the murder, your family in Germany -- you have family in Germany?
MELLAS: Yes --
KING: -- suggested that Amanda come and stay with them. You said she made a big mistake in not leaving Italy.
MELLAS: Yes. Actually many people asked her. We all asked her.
KING: She should have split.
MELLAS: Absolutely, she had many opportunities the police have that on record but didn't release that until almost a year after the crime. And but they did have on record that many people asked her to leave but she said no. "I'm going to stay. I'm going to try and help. I'm going to try and finish school" And one of the reasons that they said they were holding her and not releasing her because she was a flight risk. But she never planned to flee.
KING: What was her motive, Curt? What does the state say was her motive in killing this person?
KNOX: Well, the state said that it was a drug infused sex orgy --
KING: Between her, her boyfriend, and this woman?
KNOX: Yes.
KING: And the other guy. Four people were there --
(CROSS TALK)
KNOX: Yes, and that -- they didn't even know this other guy.
MELLAS: Yes.
KING: The state's contentions were four people were present and one died. One has been convicted? Does your daughter know this person that's been convicted?
MELLAS: You know she had vaguely met him. You know when she was arrested and he was arrested, she couldn't even remember his name. And he's the only one that left DNA, finger prints, everything all over the crime scene. Nothing of Amanda, but still she's in the same kind of boat that he is in.
KING: What a puzzle! We'll be right back with more, don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TEA LEONI, ACTRESS: Hi, I'm Tea Leoni. As one of CNN Hero's Blue Ribbon panelists in 2007, I helped recognize the extraordinary work of every day people who are changing the world. As both a board member and goodwill ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF, I advocate for the world's children, and work to increase awareness and funding for their needs.
I see clearly just how much the world needs heroes. Now, I am thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top ten honorees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD BLAUSER, CNN HERO: Disabled children, they're really the forgotten ones in this war. I came to Iraq as a civilian contractor. There were a lot of children that either dragged themselves on the ground or they had to be carried.
There were so many people willing to reach out and touch the lives of these kids.
My name is Brad Blauser. I bring pediatric wheelchairs to Iraqi children in need. People donate on my website. The wheelchairs are brought over. I distribute them to the different military units, and help get these children into the wheelchair.
There is no paycheck. It's not really safe here, but I made a difference in the lives of these families.
Definitely, the sacrifice has been worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: I interviewed him. What a great story! Have the Knox's ever considered the possibility -- possibility that their daughter could be guilty? Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Edda Mellas and Curt Knox remain, the parents of a Amanda Knox. Joining us in New York, John Q Kelly, former prosecutor and famed civil litigator, frequent guest on LARRY KING LIVE. It's good to see him. It has been a while. What are your thoughts on this case John?
JOHN Q. KELLY, FMR. PROSECUTOR: My thoughts, Larry, it's probably the most egregious, international railroading of two innocent young people that I have ever seen. This is actually a public lynching based on rank speculation, and vindictiveness. It's just a nightmare what these parents are going through and what these young adults are going through also.
KING: You don't know John, do you?
MELLAS: No, no.
KING: What do you make of it John? Why would they do this? If they already convicted someone, why go after Amanda and this other guy?
KELLY: Well, as I said, it's almost because Amanda showed too much stoicism after the death of her roommate, who she barely knew. These were two girls living together less than eight weeks.
And, you know, Larry, you've always seen this in these murder cases and things like the husband didn't cry enough, or they weren't upset enough when the children went missing. This is one of these things where, I guess, under the Italian culture, she did not respond the way they wanted her to respond. And they sort of put together a case with, you know, gum and toothpicks to try to make a case against her. And it is outrageous.
KING: Edda, do you ever think she might have done it?
MELLAS: Never.
KING: Do you, Curt?
KNOX: Never.
KING: John, the court's recent decision to reject her request for an independent review, does that help or hurt on appeal, if she's found guilty?
KELLY: Well, first of all, I certainly hope she's not found guilty. It would help her appeal, because it would show she was deprived of something that could have been very significantly helpful to her. She lost her own forensic expert, who, I think, left the team in May or so.
So -- but I mean, there's no forensic evidence. There's no physical evidence. There's no motive. There's no opportunity. There's no confession. There's no substantive evidence whatsoever against Amanda.
KING: Well, who has the state presented as witnesses?
KELLY: I think the only forensic evidence they had was a small portion of Amanda's DNA on the handle of a knife in Raffaele's apartment, where she was all the time. And it's not even consistent with the murder weapon that was used. The murder weapon was a three and a half inch knife. This is a six and a half inch knife that had a minute portion of Amanda's DNA on it, and inconclusive tests that on the tip of it there was some of Meredith's blood.
And it's just -- it wouldn't even hold up before a grand jury, and now we're trying to send these young people away for life.
KING: Now, John, you're a former prosecutor. Normally, prosecutors stick together, so we appreciate your standing up here. What is your knowledge of Italian courts? Are the juries generally open and fair?
KELLY: The problem with this is the jury's made up of six lay people and two judges. The jurors are not sequestered, and there are these huge lapses in the trial. Like right now, we have a month and a half now between this and closing statements where the jurors are home, watching the news, being inundated with whatever spin the local media wants to put on it. Obviously, they're not favorable, certainly, towards Amanda. They love showing the shot you're showing there that shows some sort of indifference. What I think it shows is some sort of compassion and care between them, and that they're upset about what happened to Meredith.
But, you know, the case is being tried in the public. There is nothing that's substantive that links into the crime, but it's just sort of -- it's almost like gotcha time. The Italians and this prosecutor want to get Amanda regardless of her guilt or innocence.
KING: Do you think that is because she is stoic? Is that the kind of person she is?
MELLAS: You know, she's very much a person who internalizes. She was extremely upset, and her roommate testified that when she found out it was Meredith that was killed, she was very upset. She cried. She did all of that. But by the time those photos were taken, it was hours later, and she was being comforted by Raffaele.
And those that know her, you could see the shock in her face. She was just devastated.
KING: Do you know the boy?
KNOX: Yeah, I have met him over there a few times.
KING: They're no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, right?
KNOX: No.
KING: But they're still together, and they're still --
(CROSSTALK)
KNOX: They're still friends, but they're being tried together.
KING: We'll be back with more. Judy Bachrach, the contributing editor of "Vanity Fair," has written about this case, who's lived in Italy, she'll join us. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: News cameras are not allowed in the courtroom during some of the testimony. So what you're seeing was shot off a TV screen. It explains the less than perfect quality that we're used to showing you.
Joining us is Judy Bachrach, contributing editor at "Vanity Fair." She's in Washington, written about this case for the magazine. She's lived in Italy, was back there less than three months ago. What's your read, Judy?
JUDY BACHRACH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "VANITY FAIR": Well, there are two Italys, which nobody seems to really understand who lives in this country. And one is the Italy of the privileged and government officials, and for instance, of Silvio Berlusconi, who runs the country. And he tries to have laws passed that allow him immunity in the event he's charge with corruption.
And then there's the Italy that tries the ordinary person. And the ordinary person is considered guilty until proven innocent. Italy's laws are direct descendants of the Inquisition. And therefore, Amanda, who is, after all, an American and a foreigner, and somebody to be suspicious of, is going to have the book thrown at her.
Nobody's going to believe her. She's going to be kept, as she indeed was, in isolation, grilled for 14 hours at a time, slapped around by the cops. And whatever comes out of those so-called interviews is going to be taken as gospel.
KING: You think, therefore, she's going to be found guilty?
BACHRACH: I think that in Italy, there's something called "brutta figura," which literally means you show a bad faith to the world. If they don't convict her, if she's found innocent after two years of being in jail for a crime she didn't commit, then Italy looks like it has a very corrupt judicial system.
It has a "brutta figura," which it really does. It has a very corrupt judicial system, and they will show an ugly face to the universe. And that's the last thing they want. And that is something that Edda and Curt have to be aware of, that this is a country that looks at an ugly face as the worst thing that can possibly happen to Italy. Not convicting a girl of something she didn't do, but of looking bad in the eyes of the universe.
KING: But don't they love Americans in Italy, Judy?
BACHRACH: They love some Americans. I have to say, in this instance, they don't love Amanda. Perugia's a very small town. It is very -- in -- in a sense, it's very close-minded. It is not Rome. It is not Paris. And it looks at Amanda in a different way than, say, she'd be looked at if she was living in Sydney or New York City.
They're very provincial. The prosecutor is famously incompetent and very right wing. He does not like her; he did not like her style of life. And she is being judged on that rather than anything she may or may not have done to that poor British girl.
KING: John, what would a -- what would -- what --
BACHRACH: -- of evidence.
KING: I -- I gather you're as strong as John on this. John, what would an appeal be like?
JOHN: Well, ironically, both sides could appeal. I mean, Amanda can be acquitted --
KING: Really?
JOHN: She could leave the country, and then, on appeal, they could convict her and seek to extradite her back to Italy, after an appeals court -- KING: Whoa.
JOHN: -- would convict her. And there's -- there's such a level of vindictiveness here, I could see that almost happening.
KING: Edda and Curt, you guys feel --
BACHRACH: I can -- I can see it happening --
KING: Hold -- hold on a second, Judy. Hold it Judy.
KING: Edda and Curt, you must feel very apprehensive.
MELLAS: It's scary.
KNOX: It is. It's one where we have to believe that what they're hearing in court -- and it's so clear that she had nothing to do with it -- then they'll come out with the right answer. I mean, that's -- that's what we have to believe.
KING: When are you going over there?
MELLAS: We're leaving just as the -- as the closing arguments go and the verdict. So the end of November.
KNOX: Yes.
MELLAS: Yes, there's always somebody over there. My brother's there right now. My husband's going next week.
KING: Thank you very, very much. Thanks for coming. We wish you the best. Thank you Judy Bachrach and John Q Kelly, as always, thank you.
BACHRACH: My pleasure.
KING: By the way, you'll find the link to Judy's very detailed article about the Amanda Knox case on our blog. Just go to CNN.com/LarryKing.
QUESTIONS LARRY KING will not ask the parents of Knox
CNN’s Larry King interviews Curt Knox and Edda Mellas tonight [now Friday] at 9:00 pm in the United States.
To prevent this thing turning into yet ANOTHER cloying spinathon + bawlathon, Larry, how about posing these questions?
And if you the readers of TJMK would like to add questions in Comments, we’ll be opening a new permanent page for them on TJMK.
So that instead of getting snowed as so often in the past, reporters can use the questions to cut to the heart of the matter.
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Don’t you think that Amanda’s latest of several defence positions is weakened by the fact that her new alibi - that she was with her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito all night - does not coincide with the alibi of Raffaele - who has used his right to not declare in their trial but stated just after the crime that he was at his apartment all night, and that Amanda left between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the night of the murder?
(Raffaele’s defence lawyers and his father have confirmed to journalists covering the trial that while they have some defence issues in common with Amanda - for example, questioning the DNA analysis - Raffaele’s defence is not necessarily supportive of or in line with Amanda’s.)
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why did Amanda cut short a questioning session (where she was accompanied by her lawyer) in December 2007, near the beginning of the investigation, and maintain silence - as is her right under Italian law - until the trial was well underway in 2009?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why do you need a costly, professional PR campaign aimed at an American audience, when your daughter is in an Italian trial? Some observers feel that since the legal case against Amanda is strong, your only hope is to influence the State Department and obtain its political intervention in this case. However, American diplomats - beyond providing basic, standard consular support - don’t want to touch this case with a ten-foot pole.
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why do you question the honor and professionalism of the Prosecutor of Amanda’s murder trial through your Amercian focused PR campaign, when Amanda’s Italian defence lawyer had to apologise to Prosecutor Mignini for this campaign?
This campaign extrapolates the slight that an American fiction author (Douglas Preston) felt when he was momentarily arrested after stumbling into a police sting operation and when he was using a false name. This arrest was recently rejected for separate legal action against Mignini. On the basis of Preston’s bad feelings, the PR campaign tells us that Mignini has a “history” of inappropriate behaviour.
Do you agree that this smells of “spin”? Why can’t you fight Amanda’s legal battle on the basis of a solid, coherent alibi?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why would Amanda call you in the middle of the night in Seattle to tell you about what was still supposedly only a break-in in her house (before Meredith Kercher’s door was broken down by the police who soon arrived), when Amanda was accompanied by her Italian boyfriend who would know better than her how to react? Why to your great surprise at Capanne Prison could Amanda not even remember making that call? And why on the witness stand did it take you many minutes to summarize that 88-second call?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Before the trial started, Amanda’s Italian defence lawyer publicly stated that Amanda had not been hit by police during her questioning on 5 November 2007 (during which she stated she was in the cottage when Meredith was murdered, and when she falsely accused Patrick Lumumba of being the murderer - an accusation which has given rise to an additional charge against her).
Once the trial had started, and coinciding with the arrival of Amanda’s stepfather Chris Mellas in Perugia, Amanda made a spontaneous statement in court that she had been slapped on the back of her head during this questioning, and her Italian lawyer had to incorporate these statements into her testimony.
Are you satisfied with the Italian defence team? Are they aligned with the talking points of the PR campaign?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
The justification that Amanda has been held in preventive custody since she became a suspect is due to the possibility that she may flee Italy (in addition earlier on in the investigation to the possibility that evidence may be tampered with).
On various occasions you have publicly regretted not getting Amanda out of Italy before she was arrested. Also, Seattle King County Judge Heavey (associated with the “Friends of Amanda” campaign) sent a letter to the Italian judiciary on State of Washington letterhead where he decried alleged irregularities and illegalities in the investigation (nobody knows what he based these allegations on). Such an official letter would suggest to Italian authorities that were Amanda ever to find herself in the United States before her legal processes have finished, that it could be difficult or impossible to extradite her back to Italy.
Are some of the public statements made on behalf of Amanda counterproductive to obtaining her early freedom?
http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/larry_king_on_cnn_friday_please_ask_mellas_and_knox_these_tough_questions/
To prevent this thing turning into yet ANOTHER cloying spinathon + bawlathon, Larry, how about posing these questions?
And if you the readers of TJMK would like to add questions in Comments, we’ll be opening a new permanent page for them on TJMK.
So that instead of getting snowed as so often in the past, reporters can use the questions to cut to the heart of the matter.
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Don’t you think that Amanda’s latest of several defence positions is weakened by the fact that her new alibi - that she was with her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito all night - does not coincide with the alibi of Raffaele - who has used his right to not declare in their trial but stated just after the crime that he was at his apartment all night, and that Amanda left between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the night of the murder?
(Raffaele’s defence lawyers and his father have confirmed to journalists covering the trial that while they have some defence issues in common with Amanda - for example, questioning the DNA analysis - Raffaele’s defence is not necessarily supportive of or in line with Amanda’s.)
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why did Amanda cut short a questioning session (where she was accompanied by her lawyer) in December 2007, near the beginning of the investigation, and maintain silence - as is her right under Italian law - until the trial was well underway in 2009?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why do you need a costly, professional PR campaign aimed at an American audience, when your daughter is in an Italian trial? Some observers feel that since the legal case against Amanda is strong, your only hope is to influence the State Department and obtain its political intervention in this case. However, American diplomats - beyond providing basic, standard consular support - don’t want to touch this case with a ten-foot pole.
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why do you question the honor and professionalism of the Prosecutor of Amanda’s murder trial through your Amercian focused PR campaign, when Amanda’s Italian defence lawyer had to apologise to Prosecutor Mignini for this campaign?
This campaign extrapolates the slight that an American fiction author (Douglas Preston) felt when he was momentarily arrested after stumbling into a police sting operation and when he was using a false name. This arrest was recently rejected for separate legal action against Mignini. On the basis of Preston’s bad feelings, the PR campaign tells us that Mignini has a “history” of inappropriate behaviour.
Do you agree that this smells of “spin”? Why can’t you fight Amanda’s legal battle on the basis of a solid, coherent alibi?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Why would Amanda call you in the middle of the night in Seattle to tell you about what was still supposedly only a break-in in her house (before Meredith Kercher’s door was broken down by the police who soon arrived), when Amanda was accompanied by her Italian boyfriend who would know better than her how to react? Why to your great surprise at Capanne Prison could Amanda not even remember making that call? And why on the witness stand did it take you many minutes to summarize that 88-second call?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
Before the trial started, Amanda’s Italian defence lawyer publicly stated that Amanda had not been hit by police during her questioning on 5 November 2007 (during which she stated she was in the cottage when Meredith was murdered, and when she falsely accused Patrick Lumumba of being the murderer - an accusation which has given rise to an additional charge against her).
Once the trial had started, and coinciding with the arrival of Amanda’s stepfather Chris Mellas in Perugia, Amanda made a spontaneous statement in court that she had been slapped on the back of her head during this questioning, and her Italian lawyer had to incorporate these statements into her testimony.
Are you satisfied with the Italian defence team? Are they aligned with the talking points of the PR campaign?
Question for Curt Knox and Edda Mellas:
The justification that Amanda has been held in preventive custody since she became a suspect is due to the possibility that she may flee Italy (in addition earlier on in the investigation to the possibility that evidence may be tampered with).
On various occasions you have publicly regretted not getting Amanda out of Italy before she was arrested. Also, Seattle King County Judge Heavey (associated with the “Friends of Amanda” campaign) sent a letter to the Italian judiciary on State of Washington letterhead where he decried alleged irregularities and illegalities in the investigation (nobody knows what he based these allegations on). Such an official letter would suggest to Italian authorities that were Amanda ever to find herself in the United States before her legal processes have finished, that it could be difficult or impossible to extradite her back to Italy.
Are some of the public statements made on behalf of Amanda counterproductive to obtaining her early freedom?
http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/larry_king_on_cnn_friday_please_ask_mellas_and_knox_these_tough_questions/
CNN Larry King Live...Interview With Parents of Amanda Knox
Aired December 7, 2009 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Amanda Knox' parents from Italy. Their exchange student daughter was called a drug-crazed killer, a she-devil who played sex games before slitting her roommate's throat. Did the jury convict that image of Amanda? Mom and dad say that the girl they raised could never have murdered anyone, and they'll tell us how they plan to get her out of prison, and why they'll never give up clearing her name and winning freedom, next on "Larry King Live."
Edda Mellas and Curt Knox are with us tonight. They're the parents of Amanda Knox. She's the 22-year-old American exchange student convicted of murdering roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. The guilty verdict against Amanda and her Italian ex-boyfriend was returned on Friday.
We thank you both for visiting us tonight from Italy. And even though this couple, they are divorced, they are totally united in their support of their daughter.
You've had an opportunity to see her, Edda, how is she?
EDDA MELLAS, AMANDA'S MOTHER: You know, the first time we saw her, she was completely crushed. Devastated, you know, in shock, as we all are. A second visit today and she's, you know, she's got her -- she's ready to go, ready to fight on.
KING: Chuck, what was your reaction after seeing her today? I'm sorry, Curt, what was your reaction?
CURT KNOX, AMANDA'S FATHER: You know, she -- that's fine. You know, she was actually kind of put me in a good frame of mind, because she was in a good place, as I'm going to be leaving here in the next day or so. But it made me feel good to see that she was ready to charge on, and she wanted to get back to studying at school and stuff like that. So we're going to work on getting that prepared for her.
KING: Is the prison there enough? Do you have open visitation, Edda?
MELLAS: No, you know, it's certainly limited. We get -- well, normally twice a week. But it's Christmas over here, so there's lots of holidays. Twice a week, an hour a day -- an hour each time. But we do get to sit and hold her hand and touch her and hug her. So that's nice.
KING: As we'll be discussing a lot of differences between the United States and the Italian legal system. For one thing, Amanda was allowed to speak out during closing arguments. She addressed the court in Italian. You'll hear a translation. Here's an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX (through translator): I have reflected in the past few days over what I wanted to say. It came to my mind and I wrote down a question that has left many people perplexed. And I wrote down a question that perhaps is still very perplexing to many people. And also, many people have asked me this question, and that is how do you manage to remain so calm?
Well, first of all, I am not calm. During these days, I wrote on paper in front of me that I'm afraid. I am not calm. I wrote down that I was afraid to lose myself. I fear being defined as someone I am not, and by actions that I did not commit. I am afraid of having an assassin's mask forced on my skin.
Regarding the decision to keep me in prison these past two years, I confess that I feel let down, sad, and frustrated, especially because these decisions to me seem to be saying, well, let's see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Curt, your said your reaction to that was shock over the verdict, and then anger. Want to elaborate?
KNOX: Well, what we were expecting, and especially since this trial has been gone on so long, which is almost 11 months -- during the last five or so days where we had closing arguments and there was really precise handling and review of the evidence and really a complete breakdown of what the prosecution was putting forth during these last few days, with the Italian judicial system having beyond a reasonable doubt, I was expecting a complete innocent verdict, you know, far beyond reasonable doubt. And with them to come up with guilty I think was a huge mistake, and it just angered me beyond all belief.
KING: And you, how did you react, Edda?
MELLAS: Well, I was also in shock. We had been told, you know, by everyone how there -- you know, because there was no physical evidence of her at the crime scene, because there was no motive -- in fact, the prosecution had changed the motive four times during the trial. And at the end, they finally had to say, well, we don't have a motive, but it doesn't matter. And you know, there's no physical evidence, there's no eyewitness, there's no murder weapon. You know, everybody was -- everybody in the press, the people in Perugia were all telling us, you know, it's going to be OK. She'll be let out. So we were shocked.
KING: Did you get to see her right after the verdict? Curt?
MELLAS: No.
KNOX: No. We were not allowed to. Usually they would allow us after each hearing, to go back behind the wall and hold her for 30 seconds. And in this case, they just took her away. KING: I understand, Edda, she's been moved to a different cell. Is that right?
MELLAS: That's true. She was in a cell, a five-person cell, and she's now been moved to a two-person cell with the only other American in the jail there as her roommate.
KING: Curt, how would you describe generally the conditions where she is?
KNOX: Well, we only get to see the visitation room, and we don't get to actually see where she stays within her cell. But I can tell you it is very cold. It is concrete. There is, you know, nothing nice about it at all. It's a maximum-security prison. And it's -- it's not where you want to have your child for two years for something that she didn't do. And hopefully, it will be shorter than a year before we can get to the appeals level.
KING: And, Edda, is that where she's scheduled to be if she were to do 26 years? She'd be in that place where you visit her?
MELLAS: Well, we have no idea. Where you're kept is really dependent on the prison system, and it can change on a whim. I know that there are -- you know, Raffaele, when he was here at this jail, he was here one day, and the next day he was just gone. And so it really depends on the prison system.
KING: We'll take a break. When we come back, we'll ask about the appeals system.
Our, audience, what do you think about the verdict? Go to CNN.com/larryking. Click on blog, let us know, and we'll be back with Amanda Knox's parents after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, the parents of Amanda Knox. Here's another excerpt from her comments during the closing arguments of her murder trial. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX (through translator): Many people tell me that if they were in my shoes, they would have pulled their hair out by now, tearing their cell apart. And I say that I do not do these things. I don't let myself be beaten down. In these situations, I take a deep breath. I try and I try to look for the positives. I try to find the positives in important moments. And I know that this moment is one of those moments. Because in this moment, unlike the previous moment, a true decision must be taken on an action.
I feel more in contact with you, more vulnerable in front of you. But I am trusting and confident of my knowledge. And for this, I thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Curt, one of our legal eagles, Lisa Bloom, says the appeal system in Italy is actually fairer for the defendant than in the United States. You don't just have to rule on constitutional grounds. They consider the whole matter, and if they deem someone didn't do it, even if the jury said they did and there was no malfeasance of justice, they could throw the case out. Have you heard the same thing?
KNOX: Yes. That's absolutely true. We've also heard that there is a slightly different phase where they could actually open it up for further evaluation of evidence that can even provide new information to the hearing as a whole. So there is very different scenarios than what happens in the United States.
KING: Edda, does that encourage you?
MELLAS: Oh, absolutely. You know, there's many Italians who have told us that, you know, worst-case scenario, the first level rarely works correctly. But they'll get it right in appeals. She will get out of there. They will not, you know, put away this innocent young girl for a crime that she didn't commit.
KING: It could take up to a year before it's even heard, right, Curt, how -- is that going to be hard to deal with?
KNOX: Well, absolutely. I mean, that would now make three years that Amanda has spent in a maximum-security prison for something that she had no part of.
And, you know, it's frustrating all around. And what really bothers me is that it's such a big mistake that took place inside this particular court. And I actually hope they push it up, recognizing that it was such a failure in this case.
KING: Her attorney said she seemed depressed, Edda. Did you find her that way?
MELLAS: Yes, you know, the last -- she was very, very strong at the beginning, but the last few months have just been devastating for her. She, you know, she couldn't stay strong forever. And you could really tell that she was suffering. I mean, it was just horrible for her.
Today was better. She's ready to fight on. Her lawyers have told her to have courage. She knows that she's getting support from all over the world, which is just amazing, and that helps.
KING: Curt, you said you're going home, what, in the next day or so? Are you going to be able to be in touch by phone?
KNOX: You know, we actually are able to have a 10-minute phone call each week. And that's one of the extremely nice things, to at least be able to hear her voice. And then, you know, Edda will be staying during the rest of the month of December and then I'll come back in January. So we'll just kind of keep having a person over here at all times like we have for the last two years. KING: So there'll always, Edda, be someone there. What about letters? Can you mail every day something?
MELLAS: Yes. Oh, absolutely. And she does get a lot of mail. And she loves the mail that she gets. You know, I think she told me she got one letter that was addressed to her that all it said on the envelope was "Amanda Knox, Italy," and it got to her, which is just amazing. Yes, she gets lots of letters of support.
KING: Frankly, Curt, are you surprised by all of the attention by people and the media?
KNOX: Well, there's two different perspectives on that, Larry. The first one is the impact that it had on the actual case itself, which really started with a case closed by the prosecution, you know, literally just days after Meredith's death, without looking at physical evidence, and the whole snowballing effect that that had of continuous mistakes being made. And the impact that I personally believe it had on the verdict in this scenario.
The other side of the coin is, as Edda said, the amount of support that has come out on her behalf and on our family's behalf has been extraordinary, and we're very thankful for it.
KING: And we'll be back with Edda Mellas and Curt Knox right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back. We've got the final excerpt from Amanda's courtroom remarks during closing arguments. You'll hear the translator. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX (through translator): Because you've stood with me not only directly but indirectly through my lawyers, my defense, my family, and my friends are the reason. They are the ones who are saving my life every day, day after day, that I manage to stand this.
And I also have to thank the prosecution, because for sure they are sincerely trying to do their job, even though they don't understand. They don't understand. Even though they haven't been able to understand, because they are trying to bring justice to an act that has taken a person from this world. And therefore, I thank them for this, for what I am doing, for what they are doing.
The important thing now is that I thank you because now it is your turn, and therefore I thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Edda, how has all of this changed your daughter?
MELLAS: Oh, you know, none of us will be the same. And Amanda most of all. She went to Italy this care-free, trusting, naive, just wanting to see the world, happy young woman. And she's really become -- she had to grow up. She's much more serious, she's much more cautious. Yes, it's been hard.
KING: Curt, naturally you weren't there. Is there ever a moment when you have doubt about her innocence?
KNOX: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. It's never even crossed my mind. The way that she was raised, the way that she goes about her life, the way that she makes her friends, and truly the friends that she has are close friends, they are not kind of just superficial friends. And nothing in her background would ever lead you to believe that she would be associated to something like this.
KING: Edda, in the immediate aftermath of the murder, your family in Germany suggested that Amanda come and stay with them. She didn't. Do you think that would've changed things?
MELLAS: Oh, you know, I kick myself every day that I didn't make her leave the country. And so does my cousin in Germany. Because had she left and -- none of this would've happened. She wouldn't be where she's at. But, you know, we can't go back and fix that. We just need to go forward.
KING: You don't think they would have extradited?
MELLAS: No, there was no -- there's no evidence against her. You know, none of that interrogation that they bullied her into that the supreme court found illegal, none of that would've happened. There's no physical evidence of her at the crime scene. They would have had no reason to, you know, extradite her or even attempt to arrest her. And they even admit to the fact that they really have no physical evidence, that it's just sort of some bizarre circumstantial stuff that they have.
KING: We'll take a break and come right back and ask the parents why they think she was found guilty. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Edda Mellas and Curt Knox. You mentioned no evidence. Didn't the prosecution assert that Amanda's DNA was on the handle of the kitchen knife used to kill Meredith? And Meredith's DNA was on the blade? Isn't that true, Edda?
MELLAS: You know, well, no, they found a knife in Raffaele's house. It's kind of yes and no. And there was Amanda's DNA on the handle, and that's because she -- she actually, you know, cooked meals there.
The speck of DNA that was about a human cell that they found on the blade is highly controversial. It's what they call low copy number DNA. And in, you know, the FBI won't even use it in the United States because it is so unreliable, that you can't -- you can't prove anything with it. And that's all they think they have.
KING: Curt, why did she -- why was she found not guilty? Found guilty, rather. Why did she lose this case?
KNOX: Well, frankly, what I believe happened in this particular courtroom was a huge character assassination that literally took place for two years. And the extreme exposure that this case got, and the misreporting, leaks of false information, and all of that just snowballed. And during the closing arguments, the defense teams for both Amanda and Raffaele did an extraordinary job of breaking down all of the physical evidence and literally having the prosecution change to a fourth motive of, you know, we don't need a motive.
I believe this court didn't have the courage to say not guilty and just push it off to the appeals level, which is completely unacceptable to me.
KING: Edda, what do you know about that night? What do you know about the stories of drugs and sex games and the like? What do you really know?
MELLAS: Well, you know, we know -- we don't know what happened at Amanda's house, because she wasn't there. You know, what we do know for sure and what has been proven by evidence, for instance, is that Amanda and Raffaele were seen at Raffaele's house. It shows computer activity at his house. They were there. They cooked dinner. They watched a movie. They hung out. All of that is proven through computer records, all the way up until at least, I think, 9:15.
Now, they believe that Meredith was killed about 9:30. And somehow the prosecution claims that in 15 minutes, Amanda and Raffaele got totally wasted, ran off, found a guy that they didn't know, committed this murder, in about 15 minutes. It's ludicrous. Amanda was at Raffaele's house. They stayed there all evening. That's what we know for sure.
KING: Do you buy any of the anti-Americanism idea, Curt?
KNOX: You know, I would like to believe that there isn't any of that. But after listening to what took place in the court of law, and, you know, the huge mistake that was made in the result of this, you know, I frankly don't know what to believe. And I -- I'll leave it there at this point.
KING: We have a third person, the Ivory Coast immigrant named Rudy Guede, who was convicted of Meredith's murder earlier in the year in a separate trial. Although police say he implicated Amanda, he declined to testify. After he declined to testify, the prosecution tried to have transcripts of his interrogation introduced. The motion was denied. What do you make of his involvement in all of this?
MELLAS: You know, it's interesting. Because we do know what was admitted of his. We know that his DNA is all over the room, in the victim's blood, on the victim's body. His footprints are in her blood all over the room. His DNA is in her purse. After the crime, he all of a sudden had money that he didn't have earlier in the day. He went out partying, and then he fled the country. And we know also -- and what was admitted in Amanda's trial -- the only thing that really was admitted -- was that when he was on the run and the police were secretly wiretapping him and he was talking to a friend of his, the friend said, you know, they think Amanda was there. And he goes, oh, I know who Amanda is and she was absolutely not there.
KING: Curiouser and curiouser. Back with more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: One curious aspect about your daughter. She falsely implicated a man named Patrick Lumumba. He was cleared. Why would she do that? In fact, she was sentenced to pay 40,000 euros to Patrick Lumumba for defamation. Do you know, Curt, why -- where he came in?
KNOX: Well, there -- during the time frame in which Meredith lost her life and when Amanda was actually arrested, it was about a 90-hour time frame. During that 90 hours, Amanda was actually questioned and interrogated for over 41 hours, and it culminated in a 14-hour overnight, very aggressive interrogation.
She told us it's -- she has never been more scared in her entire life. She was asked to visualize a number of things. They prompted her towards Patrick Lumumba, and literally she described even in her testimony six to eight people circling her, shouting at her, questioning at her, hitting her in the back of the head.
And at that stage of the game, you're virtually willing to sign anything in order to get out of that situation. And that's a circumstance that if you take a look at it, across the world, you're going to find that a number of people do a number of things. And I believe that's exactly what happened in this case.
And one thing to point out here is that both of the statements that she made during that interrogation were actually thrown out by the Italian supreme court. So in this particular circumstance, yes, he was part of the trial, and yes, he was awarded something. But I believe in the appeal process, we're going to be able to show that she was essentially coerced into it, and therefore the civil settlement will go away.
KING: The Kercher family, the victim in this, is suing for $36 million in civil damages from your daughter, her former boyfriend, and the man previously convicted. What do you say to them? Edda, what do you say to that family?
MELLAS: You know, I understand -- you know, we've always said that we can only imagine the pain that they're going through. They lost their child. There's nothing that compares to that.
You know, I don't know about the civil penalties. I know that Amanda has nothing. And so, I think it's mostly a symbolic type of a thing. But again, I can't imagine the pain that they're going through for the loss of their child.
KING: Curt, Senator Maria Cantwell, who represents your daughter's home state of Washington, says she's complained to the Italian embassy about this case and plans to raise the issue with Secretary of State Clinton. Secretary Clinton said she's willing to meet with the senator or anyone who has a concern, but the State Department said today it has not received any indications that Italian law was not followed in this case. So the State Department seems to be backing away. What do you make of that, Curt?
KNOX: Well, first of all, I'd like to say thank you to Maria Cantwell. Because she's really standing out, you know, front and forward on Amanda's behalf. And we appreciate any support that will allow us to bring our daughter home, because she is in a prison now that she does not belong in. And she's been there too long for something that she hasn't done.
You know, I think as people -- and literally, this happens over here in Italy, as well. As people look closer and closer at this case and in this individual court, they're seeing that, wait a minute, this is the wrong verdict for the evidence that was presented in the court of law. And I think it needs to be looked at more and more. And I truly appreciate the efforts that she's putting forth in trying to bring that to a conclusion.
KING: No comment on what the State Department said?
KNOX: You know, I don't -- I don't know specifically. I -- we're kind of running a little bit in the dark since we're so far away.
KING: Yes.
KNOX: You know, I think if they look into it further, they're going to find that they're going to want to pursue it a little bit more.
MELLAS: And we already know. I mean, even the Italian supreme court has ruled that her rights were repeatedly violated. So, you know, this has not all gone, you know, hunky-dory. Even on Italian standards, they've made huge mistakes, and her rights were repeatedly violated.
KING: We have some Twitter questions for Edda and Curt right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: The family of Meredith Kercher was present when the verdict against Amanda Knox was announced afterward. Meredith's brother Lyle had this reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYLE KERCHER, MEREDITH KERCHER'S BROTHER: We're pleased with the decision, pleased that we've got a decision. But it's not a time, you know, it's not a time for celebration at the end of the day. You know, it's not a moment of triumph. And as we've said before, at the end of the day, we're all gathered here, because, you know, our sister was brutally murdered and taken away from us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We have some Twitter questions for our guests. One person asks, Edda, has your child ever shown any signs of drug or sexual addiction?
MELLAS: Never. You know, Amanda was an honor student all the way through high school and college. She was a normal girl, just like all college students who maybe try things that their parents really don't want them to. But she was a great kid, who was getting great grades and working jobs, and, no, she was not doing anything extreme.
KING: Curt, are you surprised -- another Twitter -- are you surprised at all the sex references with regard to your daughter? Are you shocked at that?
KNOX: Actually, yes. I mean, Amanda was what I might refer to as a late bloomer when it came to boys. But one of the things that she was very focused on was her school work. And it's one that she never let go. And with that, you know, I think any time that you have young individuals, they're going to experiment, you know, in sexual encounters with other males and so forth. But, you know, to try to portray her as being sexually deviant or something like that is absolutely incorrect, and she's just a normal college kid. And it's unfortunate that people would even consider something like that.
KING: Edda, anther Twitter question. Why did she go to Perugia?
MELLAS: You know, Amanda wanted to see the world. And she really is gifted in languages. And she wanted to see a really ancient culture. She wanted to come here and immerse herself in the language and the history and the people. And Perugia is not what people consider a tourist town. She wanted to go someplace that was more just normal Italy. And that is why she came here.
KING: Curt, what has the defense team come up with? What's their theory of the crime?
KNOX: Well, I think it's actually a fairly simple one when you really look at it and look at the evidence that has taken place. Number one, you've got Rudy Guede, who has a prior history of breaking and entering through second-story windows with a knife.
MELLAS: And a rock.
KNOX: Yes, and definitely throwing rocks. But the other thing about that is -- I think in this circumstance, he broke in intending to steal rent money, because it was at the very beginning of the month. He got surprised by Meredith coming home, and I think he took some steps to potentially have an encounter with her. And it got out of hand, and he basically killed her, and then essentially took off for Germany. And it's literally that simple.
KING: We'll be back with some remaining moments with Edda Mellas and Curt Knox. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: Edda Mellas and Curt Knox. Edda, what would you say to the family of the deceased?
MELLAS: You know, again, we said it so many times. We can't even imagine their loss, and the pain that they must feel. But we would also tell them that we know that absolutely, that Amanda had nothing to do with this. And Meredith was her friend. And this is -- you know, there's a couple new victims in this whole mess, and that's Amanda and Raffaele.
KING: Curt, did the prosecution ever present a theory of a motive?
KNOX: You know, they actually went through four of them. The first one was a Satanic rite. The second one was a sex-drug orgy. The third one was a hatred for Meredith. And they could not prove any of those. So they just moved on to we don't have a motive during the closing argument phase.
And at least in the United States, you need to have a motive in order to, you know, convict somebody. And it just shows the entire weakness of the case. And having the defense literally break down all of the physical evidence during closing arguments, it was so crystal clear to me that she was innocent and should have been found that way. But there's been a huge mistake in this particular courtroom, and it needs to get fixed and fixed soon.
KING: Edda, one of the twitterers wants to know, in what way the embassy or consulate in Italy will help them or maybe has helped them?
MELLAS: You know, unfortunately, they -- everybody is, quote, keeping an eye on this case. We're in a foreign country. We have to abide by the laws in this country. You know, they're watching closely. We're not sure yet. I'm actually meeting -- I'm going to the embassy on Friday to have another meeting. And so, really, we don't know how they can help or if they can help.
KING: We're going to ask Edda Mellas and Curt Knox to sit by. Two -- we have two segments left. Two prominent American attorneys, John Q. Kelly, who supports them completely. He has been on with us before. And defense attorney Mark Geragos. They will comment on this case and then we'll get to hear what Edda and Curt think about what they say right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Edda Mellas and Curt Knox are with us in Perugia, Italy. We're now joined by the prominent defense attorney here in Los Angeles, Mark Geragos. And in New York, John Q. Kelly, former prosecutor, now a civil litigator. Among his clients, the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson and the parents of Natalee Holloway.
Mark Geragos, what's your read on this?
MARK GERAGOS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think Amanda's parents have got a real beef here. It's I think every parent's worst nightmare, to send your child overseas and then have them get ensnared in something like this. And by all accounts, the evidence was anything but overwhelming, and certainly not convincing. And this -- I don't know who said it, whether it was them or one of the other relatives, somebody had a great statement that I heard, which was they weren't trying Amanda, they were trying some fictional character. And it sure sounds like that's exactly what happened.
KING: Edda, is that what you feel?
MELLAS: Oh, absolutely. You know, it's amazing. Everything that was said in court about Amanda, we're all looking at each other going, who are they talking about? And it didn't even follow the evidence of the people that knew her and testified about her. It was just weird fantasy, bizarre.
KING: John, you've really been involved in this. You've been on with us before about it. Would this have been different if this were the United States?
JOHN Q. KELLY, ATTORNEY: Well, I think so. I mean, there's been injustice here, there's been justice in other countries. But this is just beyond the pale, Larry. The manipulation of evidence, the unfavorable inferences drawn from most common of circumstances and conduct was just a gross injustice here. I mean, what the prosecution did was take normal negatives and create evidence out of them. If there were no fingerprints in the room, it's because Amanda cleaned them up. If there were no footprints there, she must have cleaned them. When her hard drive was destroyed by the police, she must have done it. When the murder weapon did not fit the wounds on the victim and the outline on the bed, the bloody outline, they said there must have been at least two knives involved then.
So what they did was just explain their lack of evidence by creating this elaborate cover-up and conspiracy that Amanda and Raffaele were involved in.
KING: Curt, were you happy with the defense?
KNOX: I thought our defense team, and for that matter, Raffaele's defense team, did a great job in breaking down and breaking up any physical evidence in the court of law. But I think as both of the attorneys that are on here with us have stated, there was something much bigger going into this thing, and literally the character assassination that Amanda experienced upfront just continued to snowball. And they made a person that they needed in order to fit their fantasy story that they put together.
KING: Mark, we have already heard that the appeal system in Italy is more favorable to the defendant than it is in the United States. For example, they don't just have to rule on whether the Constitution was violated or not. They look at the whole case.
GERAGOS: It's almost a de novo procedure, which you don't here.
KING: Meaning?
GERAGOS: De novo meaning you get to start fresh. You get to start new.
KING: They look at the whole thing?
GERAGOS: They look at the whole thing from start to finish. It's not limited to just legal questions. It's not limited to evidentiary questions or anything of that...
KING: That seems incongruous to the way a trial is held.
GERAGOS: Well, it basically gets you two bites at the apple. The problem is, as they've indicated, is she sits there in a prison for something that by all accounts, she didn't do.
And, you know, as John says, the injustice here is something that is shared in America. I mean, there are many cases in America where you have this similar prosecutorial technique of character assassination. It's the -- he doesn't act right or she doesn't act right evidence. Or you get any rumor or anybody with an ax to grind to get up there and say anything they want. That inflames juries and tends to get jurors to focus on things that are not evidence, and instead to get passionate or prejudicial.
KING: Why do you think, John, that the prosecution was so heavy- handed? Why were they apparently out after her?
KELLY: Well, first of all, there's a lot of pressure on them to solve this case quickly. I mean, Perugia is a small college town. It's very sedate there. And all of a sudden, they had this salacious, you know, sexually deviant, senseless killing here of a beautiful young woman, by all accounts a wonderful woman. And you know, they needed suspects. They needed to make an arrest. And they arrested these two individuals based on groundless speculation before they even examined the forensic and physical evidence. They didn't want to back down from it.
Larry, one other thing I wanted to point out that's never really brought up is they talk about Amanda's inconsistent statements. That last four and a half hours, she was considered a suspect then. And under Italian law, they were required to videotape that last four and a half hours, and that's where all the controversy comes in about what she was abused and was she harangued, was she asked, you know, hypothetical questions. Italians say no. Amanda is absolutely adamant about how she was questioned...
KING: They don't have the tape?
KELLY: ... and coerced, and there's no tape there. So the hard drive on her computer that would have shown her friendship with Meredith and the videotape that would have been required, and I'm sure was taken, of her interrogation, both miraculously disappeared.
KING: And we'll have more moments right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Mark, what would be the key aspect of your appeal and how -- would you be encouraging for Edda and Curt?
GERAGOS: Well, yes, if the reports I read are correct, they've mortgaged and bankrupted themselves basically to fund the defense. But obviously, they're not going to give up hope. They'll do whatever they have to do. It's their daughter.
KING: Would this be a good appeal?
GERAGOS: Well, I think so. I mean, it would be a great appeal if you were someplace where you could trust the justice system. I don't know how much trust at this point they have in the Italian justice system that basically, as they've said and I parroted, erected and built a fictional character, convicted that fictional character, invoked almost class warfare in order to do it. And, as John said, went to great lengths to take what are normal negative exonerating inferences and create bad evidence, if you will, out of them.
KING: John, do you think they'll get a fair appeal?
KELLY: I certainly hope so. I think with the pressure brought on for scrutiny right now, I think they will. The goal is to get the case out of Perugia, get two new judges, get six new lay jurors, a little more open minded and not infected by the media of the first month after this case broke. And you know, the parents, Curt and Edda, have incredible resolve right now, more resolve than ever to bring Amanda home, and I know they're going to.
KING: Edda, are you optimistic?
MELLAS: You know, I have to be. I mean, if I wasn't, I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. And I have to keep fighting for Amanda. There's no way that we'll stop fighting for Amanda.
KING: Curt, what about you?
KNOX: Same thing. I mean, she is not going to be left in a foreign prison 6,000 miles away from us for something that she didn't do. And it's so crystal clear to me that there is such a huge mistake in this courtroom that that has to be fixed, and it has to be fixed soon.
KING: And I know both of you give many thanks to the thousands of people writing to you, right, from all over the world? Edda?
MELLAS: Oh, huge. The support, Larry, has been unbelievable, and thank you for allowing us to take a second here to truly thank the letters and the outpouring from -- starting in Italy, all through Europe, all over the world. You know, lots of people in Seattle obviously, but everywhere. And we want to thank them for their support.
KNOX: And it's been extraordinary. I mean, just, you know, literally everywhere you can think of, there's been support for not only Amanda but for us as a family, and it's great to see. And we truly appreciate it.
KING: Mark, are you surprised at this support from everywhere that this case has generated?
GERAGOS: No, it's interesting. If these same things had gone on in America, people have kind of a naive faith in the American justice system. I think that when you place it and say, well, this happens in Italy and people don't have that prism of faith in the American justice system, and they then say, well, look, but for the grace of God walk I or my kids, I think people are more rational about it and understand what a horrific situation this is.
KING: John, are you surprised?
KELLY: No, not at all. I mean, it's an extraordinarily unjust situation. It's from a very good family. And it's every parent's worst nightmare. You know, that their son or daughter could be overseas studying, which so many strive for, and get swept up by circumstances, and you known, their lives are destroyed.
KING: Edda Mellas, Curt Knox, we'll continue to keep in touch. Thank you for being with us. Mark Geragos, John Kelly, as always.
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