By
Casey Smith
December 2, 2008
It has been more than a year since UW student Amanda Knox was arrested for her possible role in the murder of her British housemate Meredith Kercher. Knox has spent the entirety of that time in an Italian prison, awaiting a decision from the courts there.
After being indicted earlier this fall, Knox’s trial was set to begin this Thursday, but the trial has since been pushed back to Jan. 16, 2009 after a judge in Perugia ordered the delay last Tuesday. According to an online article in The Seattle Times, the delay was ordered so court officials could gather more documentation in the case.
“I would have been incredibly shocked if this delay did not happen,” said Madison Paxton, a close friend of Knox who has recently been involved in fundraising efforts for Knox’s family. “Honestly, I’ll be surprised if another delay doesn’t happen.”
Knox’s trial process was further complicated when Italian prosecutor Giuliani Mignini re-opened the case in mid-November to collect more evidence.
“The only advantage to having the trial delayed is that because Mignini has re-opened the case it will give her lawyers more time to prepare her defense,” Paxton said.
The trial process has been extremely costly for Amanda’s family, and every delay means more money they have to spend.
“It’s six more weeks that [Amanda’s parents] have to pay for two lawyers and a whole defensive team,” said David Johnsrud, a close friend of Knox’s here in Seattle. “So that makes it difficult of course.”
Both Johnsrud and Paxton were involved in a fundraiser that raised $11,000 for Knox’s family in late November and plan to continue to organize fundraisers to help with the financial burden the longevity of the case has presented.
There is nothing the family can do to speed up the trial process, as there are only two to three trials per month in Italy. Another suspect in the case, Rudy Guede, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he requested a fast-track trial, but Paxton said this has never been a consideration for the Knox family.
“Requesting a fast-track trial is pretty much the same as saying you’re guilty,” Paxton said. “It’s very similar to a plea bargain, so that’s not at all a consideration at this point and that’s not even an option for Amanda.”
Knox’s prosecutor, Mignini, is also currently undergoing trial himself for an unrelated case, furthering complicating the timeline.
“We have learned that this will be a painfully long process,” Paxton said.
Reach reporter Casey Smith at news@dailyuw.com.
28 Comments
#1 Sam K.
on December 1, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.(Seattle, WA)
free Amanda!!!
#2 Sam K.
on December 1, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.(Seattle, WA)
http://annebremner.com/Amanda_Knox.htm
and
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/de...
#3 bob
on December 2, 2008 at 8:49 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
i think she did it.
#4 GreenWyvern
on December 2, 2008 at 8:58 a.m.(Parow, South Africa | Unverified Name)
Many people seem to be unaware of the huge amount of incriminating evidence against Knox. The trial delay is due to having to process up to 10,000 pages of documentatry evidence.
Consider:
* Knox's blood found mixed with that of the victim at the crime scene
* Knox's DNA and the victim's found on a knife which had been cleaned with bleach and hidden in a shoebox at the back of a closet
* Her cellphones and that of Sollecito both switched off simultaneously on the evening before the crime and both switched on early the next morning when they claim they were still asleep
* The partially cleaned crime scene when the police arrived, with the washing machine running, and Knox and Sollecito standing around.
* The fake break-in in the house
* Knox's accurate statements to several witnesses about the way the victim died, at a time when even the police didn't have this information
* The many contradictions in her statements, as shown by evidence of at least half a dozen witnesses
* Her attempt to falsely accuse Packrick Lumumba
* Her frequent quarrels with the victim in the weeks before
* Knox's past history of hard drugs and alcohol, violent parties, and sex with numerous different men
* The witness who was threatened by her with a large knife the day before
* The witness who saw her and Sollecito standing a little distance awaty from the house watching it, shortly before the crime
* Etc, etc, etc.
See
http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/art...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...
#5 Janet H
on December 2, 2008 at 9:41 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
OK Green, lets take a look:
1.Knox's blood ...---Amanda had a cut on her ear and came home to shower and reopened this cut which dripped into the sink where Guede probably dripped Merideths blood. Amanda has been straight about this fact from the begining.
* Knox's DNA ...-----WHAT? This knofe was found at Raf's house in a drawer for one, not Amanda's blood but her skin cells on the handle of a knife she used to cook in his kitchen. The DNA is such a low % match to Meredeth and such a miniscule amount that it is being tossed out. Needless to say this knife does not match the cuts made.
* Her cellphones ..._----They went to bed at the same time and woke up at the same time so phones going off and on is irrelevent.
* The partially cleaned crime scene ...---So she cleaned up everything but the "damming" evidence against her? Wonderful idea!
* The fake break-in...---Hmmm, think the actuall killer might have done that, say maybe the guy who's bloody handprint was under meredeth's head and in her purse?
* Knox's statements ...---Who are these witnesses and why are they not actually testifying? Probably because they do not exist and are made up by the rags you are quoting your information from.
* The many contradictions ...----she gave one contradictory statement after being hit and threatened to do so by the police and immediatly recanted it to go back to her original statement and has remained there ever since.
* Packrick Lumumba...---was insisted upon by the police as they found african american hair at the scene and this was the only person to fit thast bill that knew amanda.
* Her frequent quarrels ...----never happened, a story made up by people who did not actually know them. They had just attended the chocolate festival together and meredith had called her just the day before to see if they wanted to get together and hang out.
* Knox's past history ...---please, she has had 7 boyfrineds in her life, yes she smoked pot that's all, this is not a hard drug, the one party that the police were called she was the sober person who talked to the police outside and broke the party up after a noise complaint.
* The witness ...---a made up story, already thrown out of court.
* The witness ...---again, made up and thrown out of court.
Condsider your sources, the daily mail and true justice are tabliod rags that print whatever trash they can get their hands on regardless of if it's true or not, they also never print corrections when something they have printed has been proven wrong/incorrect. Do some real research with reputable sources before you condem someone.
#6 corrine
on December 2, 2008 at 9:52 a.m.(Danielsville, PA | Unverified Name)
Green Wyvern (love the name, by the way)
You must have missed the latest PR release. See, Amanda, having forgotten her towel in her bedroom, did the "bathmat shuffle" into her room to fetch her towel, then returned to the bathroom with bathmat to put her earrings in. She noticed the blood on the mat but thought nothing of it.
Oooooh, did we mention that her ears were not only newly pierced MULTIPLE times but, get this, they were INFECTED.
While the Daily Mail is tab trash, relying on a food and travel writer as a reliable source is like relying on someone who tells you, oh, I don't know, that you can get access to 10,000 pages of a case file if you have the money to pay the prosecutor's office for it. Now a food and travel writer might tell you that this person wasn't lying to you, merely mistaken. Yet if this person is so close to the case, how could he possibly be so off-base? Oh yeah. Because he's LYING.
#7 Gina
on December 2, 2008 at 11:19 a.m.(Brisbane, Australia | Unverified Name)
Anyone who looks at the clues and puts them together like a puzzle, will be able to predict how long Amanda Knox will stay in an Italian prison.
#8 Gina
on December 2, 2008 at 11:32 a.m.(Brisbane, Australia | Unverified Name)
Janet H.
I have seen the scenarios you describe evolve on Candace Dempsey's blog. It is like get a crowd and let them find ways to present Amanda Knox as an innocent person.
Unfortunately, Candace Dempsey and you seem to think that the Italian judiciary would fall for crowd sourced think tank strategies.
Is your name Madison Paxton?
#9 Cookie Monster
on December 2, 2008 at 12:06 p.m.(Renton, WA | Unverified Name)
For anyone who is interested in the facts behind the media spin, and who cares to learn more about the victim of this terrible murder - Meredith Kercher - there is an excellent discussion board
http://perugiamurderfile.freeforums.org
as well as an interesting blog
truejustice.org
These online resources are not for profit. Anyone can read and/or participate and people from around the world do. They have followed this case since last November, and are in no way related to Amanda Knox. Nor are they her friends.
#10 Corrina
on December 2, 2008 at 12:12 p.m.(Sumneytown, PA | Unverified Name)
Janet H,
Alright. I'll bite. Amanda had a cut on her ear? Where did this come from? Why haven't we heard anything about it before now? How long did she have this? What rotten luck that a drop of blood from it just happened to fall exactly on the spot of Meredith's blood!
Can you tell us more about the travel by bathmat? It's crazy-making.
#11 Tommy Bolin
on December 2, 2008 at 1:41 p.m.(Kingston Upon Hull, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
Janet, Janet, Janet.
The accused Amanda knox not only blamed her employer of raping and killin Meredith Kercher but the next day volunteered a written confession confirming what she had said and stated that she stands by her story of Patrick Lumumba as the killer.
Are all black people African American to you btw?
#12 Lisa Hays
on December 2, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.(Brisbane, Australia | Unverified Name)
"Needless to say this knife does not match the cuts made."
Dr Mingini (sp) the prosecutor believes it is the murder weapon and the cuts are compatible.
Now who do I believe, the relatives and friends of the accused prime murder suspect or 90 witnesses?
Why does Amanda Knox have a cut, coincidentally after Meredith Kercher was knifed to death?
Why did she buy bleach the next morning, two bottles and went from the shop towards the direction of the flat where Meredith was murdered, which is in the opposite direction of Raffaele Solecitto's place?
Why does she claim she was sleeping at Raffaele's place at the time she bought the bleach?
Is the shop keeper lying or perhaps something does not ring true with Amanda Knox's story?
Another witness saw all four Meredith, Amanda, Raffaele and Rudy before the murder together, yet Amanda claims she does not know Guede. At least two witnesses have seen Amanda in the company of Rudy.
If you are innocent, you don't lie to police, it is simple.
Why are there so many lies?
If I were innocent and accused of a murder I would tell the truth.
Have you considered the effect Amanda Knox's lies had on the innocent person which Amanda Knox falsely accused?
There are so many lies Amanda Knox told that it is absurd to conclude, "Okay she lies alot about her where abouts at the time of the murder but we should believe that she is telling the truth"?
Who do you think would actually believe that?
Amanda Knox's stories raised suspicion from the get go.
Every time the judges, different judges, looked at the case against Amanda Knox they decided against Amanda Knox. Every indicator so far shows no change could possibly be expected.
How naive do the Amanda Knox supporter think the general public is.
I want justice and that means that if someone murders someone then the murderess should be jailed, if convicted for a very long time.
There is just no way that I would believe that Amanda Knox is innocent.
I did not believe Rudy Guede was innocent nor do I believe Raffaele Solicitto is innocent.
#13 Candy is bad for you
on December 2, 2008 at 7:34 p.m.(Bothell, WA | Unverified Name)
Janet H and Sam K,
I'm very sorry you have to watch your friend/family member undergo the trial and accusation of this brutal, horrific, senseless and disgusting murder.
I was wondering if you and the Amanda Knox support group have prepared for a guilty verdict? If so, will the evidence be accepted as well as the fact that "Amanda, who couldn't kill a spider" committed this murder? Or, will you, as her staunch supporters believe that she's eternally innocent - possible to ease her re-entry into the United States in a few decades?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Cibfy
#14 Norman
on December 2, 2008 at 9:09 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
I don't really know Amanda Knox personally, but I met/talked to her a few times when she worked at the Espresso place up at Roosevelt Way and 55th-ish. She took my orders and few times and made my sandwiches and got my soup when I went there for lunch during my lunch-break at work. She seemed like a really nice, bubbly. Sometimes I would walk in there and she would be at the table studying Italian.
I don't know all the details of the case. All I can say is, I hope she didn't do it.
#15 Sandra
on December 2, 2008 at 11:15 p.m.(Brisbane, Australia | Unverified Name)
If she was studying Italian at her work place, the Espresso place, that could indicate that she might have been stealing working time from her employer, or not?
If so, that would be theft.
Someone should verify this with the manager of the business.
Norman, do you have the name of the manager?
If you are familiar with the Espresso place do you happen to have the telephone number so I can ring the manager?
Has anyone considered the possibility, that the three,(two murder suspects and one person convicted of murder already), worked as a team with Amanda providing the inspiration and possibly acting as initiator?
After all, she published a story on the Internet which has many similarities, pretty scary, did I mention that Amanda Knox herself published this prior to the murder?
What Amanda has written in her diary is further corroborating the thought that the inspiration for the murder might origin from Amanda Knox.
Amanda Knox imagined how Meredith felt and what she might have thought as the blood was draining out of her body. So wrote words to that effect in her diary!
She was considering writing a song about the murder.
I would not be surprised if the three know more than anyone else about the murder.
If you look at various pieces of evidence against Amanda Knox it is hard to conclude that she is innocent.
I would rather venture to say that the logical conclusion might be that she had an active part in the murder.
Sandra
#16 Annie
on December 2, 2008 at 11:32 p.m.(Kennewick, WA | Unverified Name)
Do Seattlites and U students know that the anti-Amanda posters here have trashed her on a daily basin on blogs everywhere? I counted outright lies in most of their posts. Amanda is innocent. No credible evidence against her exists, nor against Raffaele Sollecito. Amanda and Meredith were friends. Amanda says so, and none of these vile commenters knew either girl. Neither do they care about the victim, Meredith Kercher, nor her family, who they are dragging through the mud along with Amanda.
#17 Sam K.
on December 3, 2008 at 12:57 a.m.(Seattle, WA)
to add to the above post:
all of the anti-Amanda statements above are likely made by the same poster with a bunch of different names. these are all trolls. people like them are examples of how falsehoods that the media puts in to print can initiate a "media lynching". the free flow of information has its downsides. please keep this in mind in the future.
peace,
Sam/Archr
#18 Tina
on December 3, 2008 at 2:18 a.m.(Brisbane, Australia | Unverified Name)
Beware of people who solicit funds for the defense of Amanda Knox.
Before contributing consider if you really want to support someone who might have murdered her flat mate?
There is a lot of unsubstantiated falsehood being distributed especially over the Internet. A PR firm had been engaged to spin doctor heavily.
There are people in Seattle who are hell bend on preventing justice.
Don't become a victim of their misinformation campaign and think carefully before you contribute any money to the accused perpetrator's defense.
I certainly will not contribute to Amanda Knox's defense fund as I fear it might mitigate the sentence which I believe she might receive.
#19 Nan
on December 3, 2008 at 1:33 p.m.(Florence, KY | Unverified Name)
I am an American; and I believe that Amanda, her boyfriend and the already convicted Rudy Guede are all guilty. I also think that Amanda was the ringleader. I believe that she was jealous of Meredith. I hope justice is served; and Amanda and Raffaele are convicted of this senseless crime. Maybe, Raffaele will wise up and cop a plea deal.
#20 Anon
on December 3, 2008 at 9:25 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
I've got a request: please, everyone, try to be civil and sane. Amanda Knox's guilt or innocence is up to the court to determine. Whether she's guilty or innocent in this murder, she's a human being--a very young human being--whose situation compels compassion. She and her family are going through a horrible time. So are Meredith Kercher's family. There's no reason to withhold basic human decency and compassion from either family. I think it's very weird the way people split into teams--I've seen "pro-Amanda" commenters (on Candace Dempsey's P-I blog) write unkind things about Meredith and the Kercher family, and I've seen "pro-Meredith" posters sometimes go off the deep end into Inquisitorial judgment and hostility toward Amanda and her family.
I know nothing about Meredith Kercher except what her family has had to say about her, but I can't imagine that she would feel honored by a public stoning. Also, justice means we all have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, so in this case justice means no public character assassination before the trial's even taken place.
#21 Chelsea
on December 4, 2008 at 2:02 a.m.(Gravesend, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
There are no "pro-Meredith" posters on blogs as such, or rather, everybody should be "pro-Meredith" if it means wanting justice to prevail.
When it comes to Knox who is accused of murder, I do agree that this situation could not have been easy for her family. However, Knox's family have contributed significantly to the negative attitudes that some people have, mainly through their interviews, statements, participation on blogs etc, as they consistently come across as arrogant, insensitive or falsely compassionate.
Then there are the "friends", always offering a new explanation that even Knox had not thought of.
One example are Knox's bleeding ears. From what was written in the press, the evidence against Knox does not consist of traces of her blood found on top of Meredith's congealed blood, which would be consistent with Knox's story that she showered in that bathroom 10-12 hours after the murder had taken place. The evidence puts Knox at the scene at the time of the murder or immediately after as her own fresh blood was mixed with Meredith's fresh blood. Any volunteers to explain how?
From all we have seen so far, Knox appears to be an unhinged young woman. It has absolutely nothing to do with who she was when she was five, ten or fifteen.
I certainly do not want an innocent person to languish in prison, but Knox would need to do a lot of explaining to convince the judges that she is one. So far she has missed every opportunity to do so and even worse, she has lied and lied.
#22 Nan
on December 4, 2008 at 8:39 a.m.(Florence, KY | Unverified Name)
The thing that makes me roll my eyes is when friends say things like, "She is so sweet. She could never hurt a fly." Murderers often seem nice and sweet, etc. Many are successful. I could name many murderers that friends and family never suspected. That means nothing.
It sounds like they have a lot of evidence against this trio. I just hope that Amanda and her family do not think that she will be given a pass because she is an "American."
If they have the evidence, she should be convicted just like everyone else.
What is especially pathetic is her blaming her former boss for the crime. That just shows how low she will stoop to get herself off the hook.
BTW, I have the most compassion for the murdered girl's family. This poor victim did nothing wrong to suffer such a horrible demise. At least, Amanda is alive and well; and her parents can visit her.
I do feel sorry for Amanda's parents that their daughter put them in this predicament.
#23 aNnie
on December 4, 2008 at 3:42 p.m.(Kennewick, WA | Unverified Name)
There they go again. Nan, only you could imagine that people who wish to righ an injustice are those who fail in compassion.
#24 Axel R.
on December 6, 2008 at 11:32 a.m.(Krefeld, Germany)
Some things to consider for both sides of this discussion:
- Generally, witnesses of crimes, accidents etc. are to be considered as "difficult" - at best. Interrogating witnesses immediately after an incident usually leads to a large variety of statements and possible ways that the event took place. After 24 hours, witnesses are very likely to (unvoluntarily) invent a good portion of what they believe that they save. Witnesses that come forth months after the actual events should be considered completely unreliable - especially for such a high-profiled media case.
- The forensic evidence leaked to the media is circumstantial at best. Both the victim and Ms. Knox shared the place for some time - therefore, trace DNA (even on the murder weapon) is no positive proof of Ms. Knox's guilt.
- That said, Ms. Knox's statements are indeed pretty inconsistent and will have to be thoroughly checked. Granted, these statements might at least partially have been initiated by false or negligent counselling by lawyers, interrogators et alt.
Unfortunately, over here in Europe, Italy does not have a strong reputation for its judiciary system. Best proof for this is the alleged risk of reoffending which the jugde in this case named as the prime reason for keeping Ms. Knox behind bars. That is definitely not in line with "in dubio pro reo" or "considered innocent until proven guilty" - as should be the premiss in this case.
Conclusion: We may never find out whether or not Ms. Knox really was an accomplice to the murder - and the mystery surrounding it will most certainly not be solved based on media reports and leaked parts of the trial proceedings alone.
Just my two cents here...
#25 Anne B.
on December 6, 2008 at 6:23 p.m.(Berlin, Germany | Unverified Name)
I dont understand this Pro / Anti thing goin on...Most importantly i will always be PRO victim as long as the victim didnt try to kill the murderer before...and thats definitly not the case here...so whats that all about?? Meredith got KILLED and one must have done it. As for Amanda...i didnt get the feeling yet, that shes sad or feels a great loss..the way she acts and the stuff she writes down about the murder makes it all seem very cold and distant....
if i was in jail in a foreign country and they would say i killed my flatmate, well, i would be afraid and sensitive and i would do all i can to find out who has really done it...but nas far as i know she doesnt even think about this...
i dont know...i have a bad feeling about it...the way she smiled in the camera when they led her to court or whatever...she doesnt act like a person thats put in jail inocently.
But Axel is right. We will see...
#26 Michael
on December 7, 2008 at 9:52 a.m.(Naas, Ireland | Unverified Name)
Amanda is a strange girl. Kissing Raffaele after the crime the next morning gives out an awful impression. Luckily now she is advised by her lawyers and not so dumb to make such a poignant mistake.
I believe she did it. She was out of control and now has to face the repercussions of her actions. That said, if she was freed now I don't think she would be a danger to the public. However she has to be punished for her actions.
I trust the Italian judiciary system will come out with the right decision. After all they are the ones with all the evidence, not us.
#27 Curious
on December 16, 2008 at 10:22 p.m.(Portland, OR | Unverified Name)
I'm have no opinion on Amanda Knox's guilt or innocence, I think its ridiculous that people can have an opinion without having any idea of what is real and what is not as far as facts and other information read in the media. I do have a question though that I can't seem to find the answer or to even brush the service. What is the deal with the convicted person in this case Rudy? I mean I know he took a plea bargin, but did he offer up information about Amanda and her boyfriends involvement? If not, why? If they were guilty what would he have to lose if he gave up information? I
#28 FoolsGold
on December 17, 2008 at 6:20 a.m.(Fort Myers, FL | Unverified Name)
Aside from police and prosecutorial bungling, this case would still have been fodder for the Italian and UK tabloids.
Amanda Knox seems to have not withstood the interrogation process very well and that is what may have made things bad for her.
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