By
Andrew Doughman,
Will Mari
June 3, 2008
The case isn’t closed in the convoluted tale of former UW student Amanda Knox.
Knox, 21, is being held in a prison just outside Perugia, in central Italy, as a suspect in the murder of her housemate, 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher.
But Diya “Patrick” Lumumba, 37, the Congolese bar owner who employed Knox, is no longer a suspect in Kercher’s murder last November. An Italian judge officially cleared his name last week. He had earlier denied any involvement with the murder and had witnesses to support his alibi that he was at work.
Raffaele Sollecito, 24, Knox’s boyfriend at the time of the murder, and Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast native and resident of Perugia, are both also still in jail as suspects in the murder.
Lumumba was arrested and briefly detained during the early investigation into Kercher’s murder. He was released due to a lack of evidence, although he officially remained a suspect in the case until last week’s development.
While Lumumba’s name was cleared, judges denied last month’s request by Knox’s lawyer that she be transferred from jail to a controlled residence in Italy.
She was apprehended Nov. 6, 2007, and no charges have been filed against her. The prosecution may move the case to trial later this month, despite her mother’s frustrations that the case should have been moved to trial “yesterday.”
But Italian authorities may keep Knox in jail for up to five more months, and they don’t have to charge her with a crime as they conduct their investigation.
The case against Knox and even her role in Kercher’s murder remain unclear.
While the prosecution formulates its case and Italian police collect evidence, doubts have arisen regarding the case’s timeline and forensic data.
What is established is that Kercher died of stab wounds to her neck in her Perugia apartment Nov. 1, 2007. Her body was discovered the next day when police arrived at the house. The officers were attempting to return Kercher’s two mobile phones, which had been discovered in a neighbor’s garden, when they found the body.
Knox lived with Kercher, sharing the upper portion of a house with two Italian girls. Both were students at Perugia’s Università per Stranieri (University for Foreigners), founded in 1925 by fascist leader Benito Mussolini. The school plays host to about 40,000 Italian and international students every year.
Knox arrived in early September 2007 to spend a year studying Italian in the ancient Umbrian city.
“It’s a university town like you can imagine Chapel Hill in North Carolina or Duke nearby,” said Giuseppe Leporace, a UW Italian Studies professor a support of the Seattle Perugia Sister City Association. “The people live their lives like they always did since the town was here.”
Knox worked at Le Chic, a Perugian bar owned by Lumumba, while attending school. It was this link that would later implicate the owner as a suspect in the murder.
When police arrived on the scene, they found blood in the bathroom, a broken window in one of the bedrooms and Kercher’s door locked. Forcing the door open, they found her half-naked body on the floor underneath a blanket.
Police found evidence that she was raped, perhaps by more than one assailant, and that she died slowly of asphyxiation as blood filled her lungs from multiple stab wounds to the neck.
Knox told investigators she had been home earlier that morning but had gone to Sollecito’s apartment to tell him about the blood and broken window.
Sollecito claimed to have called the authorities twice shortly before police arrived at the scene, but police insist Sollecito’s calls were made after officers had arrived.
Neither was taken into custody Nov. 2. The next day, Knox and Sollecito were caught on security tape in an Italian store shopping for lingerie. The storeowner said that Knox insinuated that she and Sollecito should have “wild sex.”
The video first ended up in the hands of Perugia prosecutor Giuliano Mignini and later made its way to the international news media.
Mignini had begun secretly taping Knox’s and Sollecito’s cell phone conversations, according to a Vanity Fair article.
Italian authorities questioned Knox’s attitude; they said her behavior at the store was considered inappropriate for a girl whose roommate had just been murdered, according to Vanity Fair.
Paul Ciolino, a private investigator hired by CBS to examine the Knox case, said that this is one of several instances in which the prosecution has botched the case.
“They mishandled almost every piece of evidence they handled over there,” Ciolino said. “They are clueless as to how to collect evidence.”
On Sunday, Nov. 4, Knox and Sollecito were brought before police for questioning.
Mignini and a panel of Italian judges jailed Knox and Sollecito Nov. 6.
Following Knox’s arrest, British tabloid writers quickly published portions of Knox’s MySpace and Facebook Web sites, such as a video of Knox at a party and a short story she had written for class that involved rape.
Knox accused Lumumba of the murder during a lengthy interrogation that continued into the early hours of the morning, according to The Times, a U.K. newspaper. She originally claimed she was at Sollecito’s apartment when Kercher was killed. No lawyers were present at the interrogation.
Lumumba spent 14 days in jail but was later released. Knox has since retracted her statement against Lumumba.
Later in November, Italian police apprehended Guede on a train in Germany. Italian investigators placed Guede at Knox and Kercher’s house the night of the crime, a point Guede has not yet contested. He said he was with Kercher, engaging in sexual foreplay.
Guede claims to have been on the toilet listening to his MP3 player when Kercher was killed. He later accused Sollecito and Knox of entering the apartment with a knife and murdering Kercher, according to The Times.
Police found Guede’s DNA on Kercher’s body and on the bra she wore the night she died. Sollecito’s DNA was later discovered on the fastener of a bra found in Kercher’s room. The piece of evidence was previously overlooked by police.
Investigators found Knox’s DNA on the handle of a knife owned by Sollecito. Kercher’s DNA was supposedly found on the tip, although this has been calle-d into question by blogs like Perugia Shock, a Web site devoted to the case. The puncture wounds to Kercher’s throat could be inconsistent with the blade, according to the Vanity Fair article.
The knife is one of several disputed facets of the case.
“This girl didn’t kill anyone,” Ciolino said. “She is a classic American college student who drinks a little, had sex, and lo and behold, she smokes dope a little.”
Tomorrow: Part 2 — UW experts and Knox’s friends go on the record about the investigation, misconceptions about the case and its portrayal in the news media.
25 Comments
#1 dredd
on June 3, 2008 at 3:12 a.m.(Dublin, Ireland | Unverified Name)
whoa! you're missing huge gaps in the evidence.
i think it's important to touch on the fact that amanda's and raffaeles alibis don't add up. she says she read harry potter - but that book was found at the murder scene. he claims to have been using his computer whereas police show no activity. she claims to have spent all night at his place with him - he says she left the house for some hours that evening. a polish eyewitness claims to have seen her leave rafas house.
also an italian man saw amanda and rafa spying on the murder scene that night. cctv see amanda heading towards murder scene.
the knfe was found as compatable with the wounds to the vicitm, according to forensic tests - who cares what Vanity Fair says?
oh and the bleach thing.. let's see; bleach found at murder scene, cleansing the place for nearly all prints, no prints found in amandas room at all! bleach is also found at rafas house. rafas shoes are bleached. rafas shoe print found at murder scene. rafa has a maid but the maid did not buy the bleach, however bleach receipts found at rafas dated morning after murder.
i could go on - there is a lot more damning evidence.
they are all guilty to some degree, it would just defy logic to think otherwise
#2 locks
on June 3, 2008 at 5:20 a.m.(None, Japan | Unverified Name)
"Police found evidence that she was raped, perhaps by more than one assailant..."
This is totally false. There was no evidence she was raped. Read the coroner's report. It specifically says there was no evidence of rape.
#3 truthsquad
on June 3, 2008 at 7:06 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Dredd - Any assumption that you actually know what the evidence is in this case lies at the heart of the injustice being done to Amanda Knox. So-called "witnesses" paid for their stories by British and Italian tabloids, rumor-mongering, fabricated evidence, unnamed sources, translation problems, pseudo-detective 24/7 anonymous bloggers, discredited police leaks, a complete absence of any real and credible print journalism being done about this case - not to mention an inexperienced provincial prosecutor already facing formal charges for "abuse of office" (yet still on the job!) - have all contributed to this travesty. I applaud the U-W for finally attempting to help bring the truth to light. The university, as well as our larger Seattle community, should awaken and rally to Amanda's cause. Our elected officials need to step forward on behalf of an uncharged American student who has essentially been held hostage in a foreign country for the past seven months.
#4 Gary Remm
on June 3, 2008 at 9:47 a.m.(Florissant, MO | Unverified Name)
Where is the U.S. Consolate on this?
#5 unknown
on June 3, 2008 at 11:04 a.m.(Tacoma, WA | Unverified Name)
The U.S. Consulate has no business on this. Americans on foreign soil are subject to foreign laws. Tough for some maybe, but that's just the way it's always been (and probably should be, just as we would prosecute a foreigner on our soil according to our own laws and procedures. It's unfortunate for Amanda that the laws and procedures in Italy are totally F###ed up) .
#6 unknown
on June 3, 2008 at 11:05 a.m.(Tacoma, WA | Unverified Name)
And I'm sure my above comments will elicit retarded comments about Guantanamo
#7 JEF
on June 3, 2008 at 11:38 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
I find it really, really odd that this article, along with all of the previous articles the daily has published on the subject, doesn't explain how different Italian law is from American law.
In the US, the police can't hold you for more than 48 hours without an arraignment hearing where charges are filed the accused can argue for reasonable bail in front of a judge.
Knox has been held in Italian prison for 6 months without any charges being filed against her. This is perfectly legal under Italian law. Of course, it's beyond the scope of non-editorial journalism to state that this is outrageous, although it is. But it's well within the scope of journalism to point out how the Italian system differs from US law and those facts are certainly more pertinent to the case than many of the vapid tabloid rumors that are described in detail in the article.
#8 sunnyside
on June 3, 2008 at 12:11 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
Found this the other day. It's a Free Amanda and Rafael facebook group. Here's the link if anyone else wants to join.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...
#9 Hang in there, Amanda's family!
on June 3, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
I am looking forward to the next two articles about this. I hope they don't prove to be as anti-Amanda as so many other biased articles have been.
I hope Amanda's family is doing okay. If any of them are reading this, know that you're in my prayers. (And yes, of course Meredith's family is too, as well as Raffaele's).
#10 Doubter
on June 3, 2008 at 1:32 p.m.(Sumner, WA | Unverified Name)
(And yes, of course Meredith's family is too, as well as Raffaele's).
Yes, how very kind of you to mention the acutal victim's name -- Meredith.
#11 Doubter
on June 3, 2008 at 1:34 p.m.(Sumner, WA | Unverified Name)
"#7 JEF
commented, on
June 3, 2008 at 11:38 a.m.: I find it really, really odd that this article, along with all of the previous articles the daily has published on the subject, doesn't explain how different Italian law is from American law."
Guess you didn't get the memo that American law rules the world?
#12 Doubter
on June 3, 2008 at 1:36 p.m.(Sumner, WA | Unverified Name)
Paul Ciolino -- is this the same guy who said of the shoe print:
"id's kinda like if da glove don'd fid, the shoe don'd fid."
Probably not the best analogy -- comparing Amanda Knox to OJ Simpson. But there we have it. And by an Amanda Knox supporter, as well!
#13 Nice Alibis?
on June 3, 2008 at 8:22 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
Shopping for lingerie the day after your roommate is murdered? Conflicting stories from all parties involved?
Yea, hang in there Amanda's family... until next month that is, when your daughter is hanged for being a murderous, loose, sicko.
#14 Ellen
on June 4, 2008 at 1 a.m.(Kirkland, WA | Unverified Name)
Dredd, If I went to a friend's house to stay the night and brought a book along, I would bring that book back with me when I returned home again. Perhaps you aren't a reader? Maybe you just toss your books around like kleenex? But I bring my books home with me. That's why the book was in the house.
#15 Ellen
on June 4, 2008 at 1:03 a.m.(Kirkland, WA | Unverified Name)
And Nice Alibis, Amanda wasn't allowed to go into the home and get her clothes after the murder. She had no underwear and had to buy new stuff. Buying underwear when you need it isn't a crime. Even buying sexy underwear.
#16 ex-pat
on June 4, 2008 at 4:47 a.m.(Scandicci, Italy | Unverified Name)
I agree with Dredd. There are too many inconsistencies in both Amanda and Raffaele’s alibis.
As for criticisms regarding the Italian police’s conduct or sensationalism within the Italian press regarding the investigation- Jeff is right! One need only live in Italy for a brief time to understand that this conduct, unfortunately for Amanda, is the normality here. I am from the Seattle area and I sympathise for her. However, the crime was committed in Italy and when a foreign student engages in misconduct, whether murder or merely duplicity, they must be prepared to adhere to the judicial policies within that country.
A girl died. Let us not forget Meredith.
#17 Chris
on June 4, 2008 at 7:09 a.m.(London, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
Everyone hope you are aware of why Patrick was arrested.. an innocent man....
Because of amanda's lies.....
There appears to be a very common theme in Amanada..... being unable to actually communicate anything resembling the truth....
If she is ever released and I hope to damn she is not I advise people in Washington to not let your children play with her as she is dangerous!
#18 Natalie
on June 4, 2008 at 10:24 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Chris - Yes Patrick was arrested because of what Amanda said. But get off your high horse and try to understand that a 14-hour interrogation can make you say things you know aren't true. You cannot understand that type of emotion and mental abuse. Besides, after the interrogation, Amanda immediately wrote to police, saying that Patrick should not be imprisoned, that she had no reason to suspect him of anything, and that anything she said in her interrogation should not be listened to because of the abuse she was put through.
And yes, Amanda bought underwear. To this day, the roommates aren't allowed to return to the house. Amanda needed underwear. Reading the stories about what the shopkeeper said in regards to Amanda buying lengerie, it is so clearly a lie. She needed underware, she bought underwear. It wasn't even a lengerie store. Furthermore, he claims she said she wanted to take Raffaele home and have 'wild sex' with him...how often do you hear an American college student say 'I want to have wild sex with you'? What is this, a bad porno? That's absurd. No one says that. And besides, if it was true they were making out in the store and buying underwear, we certainly would have seen the full video online from the Daily Mail. Instead the show a still-frame of Amanda and Raffaele giving eachother a kiss, trying to make it look like they were making out. Again, if it were true, they would have shown the video. But obviously, it's a lie.
#19 Come On Natalie
on June 4, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.(Danielsville, PA | Unverified Name)
Yeah? And how often do you hear a college woman write her sister and sign off with "be gentle and good to people" unless she is sitting in jail as a suspect in a violent murder? So all she needed was underwear? No clothes? No toothbrush? I mean, as you said, she couldn't get back into the house for any of her stuff. But I guess she had all her clothes over at Raffaele's except for underwear. Sure. Why don't you start on the PR line about Amanda's blood being from her recently pierced ears? Oh wait. Because the family (or those claiming to be family) tried that one out and realized quickly that even most of the folks that watch American Idol don't buy that one. As for the 14 hours of intense abuse she allegedly suffered, well, hmmm, let's see. Filomena was interrogated for hours and yet she isn't in jail. I have yet to see where Amanda has filed a complaint regarding the beating she allegedly took at the hands of the police in Italy. I have yet to find a source (one that is not friend or family of Amanda) to confirm this 14 hour time frame. Sort of like where the PR script reads that it's only a 20% match on the knife. For someone not working for the Knox family, they sure hold onto that line from Joe Tacopina like it is a life raft. Funny that the Supreme Court of Italy ruled that the knife does indeed have DNA from both Meredith Kercher and Amanda Knox on it. So, gee, is it in or out?
Oh and since you are all so very worried about poor Raffaele being in jail too for a crime he didn't commit, the least you can do is spell his name right on those T-shirts. It will seem then that you actually care about him instead of just using him, or worse only doing it to try and get him to give her back an alibi.
#20 Brainiac
on June 4, 2008 at 11:35 a.m.(Rockford, IL | Unverified Name)
Well, if they can't spell Raff's name correctly, it must be the ganja. That makes them forget how to spell, proof read, and scrutinize details.
How does an aspiring writer, an honor's student spell "menstrual"? A few other simple misspells surprised me also.
It must be the ganja...
#21 ex-pat
on June 4, 2008 at 12:18 p.m.(Scandicci, Italy | Unverified Name)
Natalie wrote: "if it was true they were making out in the store and buying underwear, we certainly would have seen the full video online from the Daily Mail. Instead the show a still-frame of Amanda and Raffaele giving eachother a kiss, trying to make it look like they were making out. Again, if it were true, they would have shown the video. But obviously, it's a lie."
Actually here in Italy the video was all over the news... and they were all over each other.
#22 another comment
on June 4, 2008 at 1:10 p.m.(London, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
the bleach says it all
#23 Manhattan Arner
on June 5, 2008 at 9:03 a.m.(Sumner, WA | Unverified Name)
Andrew Doughman & Will Mari,
Why are you using that Goombah - Paul Ciolino -as a reliable, respectable source?
Did you not watch his commentary on the programme?
Simply because the Knox Family told you he was an expert whose word should be taken to be true, does not make it so.
Please acquire some journalistic integrity before you seek out that internship with your local newspaper Nickle Nick.
#24 Harry Rag
on December 23, 2008 at 3:58 p.m.(Manchester, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
There are two excellent websites about the Meredith Kercher case:
True Justice For Meredith Kercher:
http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php
Perugia Murder File:
http://perugiamurderfile.freeforums.o...
ALL the judges who have been involved in the case: Judge Claudia Matteini, the judges at the Italian Supreme Court, judge Massimo Riccarelli, and judge Paolo Micheli all thought there were serious indications of Amanda Knox's and Raffaele Sollecito’s guilt and refused to grant them bail on the grounds that they are mentally unstable, dangerous and could reoffend.
The case against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito is formidable.
There are 13 pieces of forensic evidence that link Amanda and Raffaele to the crime, including Amanda's DNA on the handle of the knife found at Raffaele's apartment and Meredith's DNA on the blade, and Amanda's bare footprints set in Meredith's blood and Raffaele's DNA on Meredith's bloodied and cut bra.
Amanda and Raffaele knew precise details about Meredith's body which they could only have known if they had been present when Meredith was murdered. Amanda herself admitted she was present when Meredith was murdered in her handwritten note to the police on 6 November.
Amanda and Raffaele not only gave conflicting witness statements, but also gave completely different accounts of where they were, who they were with and what they were doing on the night of the murder.
Respected NBC crime analyst Clint Van Zandt made the following comments:
"...there is a difficult road ahead for the two remaining suspects. I too believe that the forensic evidence and, in my case, especially the indicated behavior of the two suspects was highly telling."
In the light of the judges’ decisions so far and the forensic evidence which was independently confirmed as accurate and reliable, it looks extremely unlikely that Amanda and Raffaele will be found not guilty.
#25 Ex UW graduate student
on October 24, 2009 at 12:01 p.m.(New York, NY | Unverified Name)
Given the evidence I think she is guilty, she also seems very unemotional regardig the death of the roomate. It is important to remember and celebrate this young person who was killed and not focus so much on a murder supect. What is sad is that the American media seems to support or believe in her simply because she is "American", casting doubts on everything else that surrounds the case. I am sorry for her family, they are victims of the daughter's behavior as well. These are my thoughts.
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