Anyone following the Amanda Knox trial?

[iluvmy4blessings]

I was just curious if anyone was following the trial of Amanda Knox, the U.S. college student on foreign exchange program in Italy accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher. For some reason, this case has really caught my eye. I have been following it for more than a year. She has been imprisoned for about 2 years . The trial ended and the jury is deliberating . They are saying a verdict might be announced as early as this evening. Curious if anyone else is following?

[Pretty in Pink]

Yes, I've been following it off and on for about a year or so now, though I haven't kept up with it as of late.

[Tangerine]

I'm pretty sure BOTH Dateline and 20/20 are about the trial tonight. I just hope they're not repeats, but since the verdict is expected, I would imagine there would be some new material.

 

I'm with you though. For some reason this case was really interesting to me.

[sadiegirl]

I know about the case but I haven't kept up with what actually happened. Is the evidence leaning for or against her? I can't imagine how her family is dealing with this for this long! I would not want to be in another country fighting for my future...this situation has put their lives on hold, hasn't it?

[Laurie4b]

I have followed it insofar as it's been in the news. I'm inclined to think she's guilty because of the shifting stories and the cartwheels in the police station. I can't imagine that in the range of a normal response for someone whose roommate has just been murdered. OTOH, the forensic evidence seems weak.

[Tree House Academy]

Sounds crazy. They sure make her sound guilty as sin in the news coverage.

[4kiddies]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

To the pp...I belive they have proven that she was not doing cartwheels in the station. That was a lie put out by the Italian police.

[unsinkable]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

To the pp...I belive they have proven that she was not doing cartwheels in the station. That was a lie put out by the Italian police.

 

THe police stated she literally did cartwheels? In the station? :confused:

[Guest Katia]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

To the pp...I belive they have proven that she was not doing cartwheels in the station. That was a lie put out by the Italian police.

 

I totally agree with this. And, forensic evidence does not lie. It does not place her at the murder scene at all. Her poor mother yesterday was saying that just because Amanda may seem calm and serene on the outside, that is not what is going on on the inside. People react very differently; have different coping mechanisms and I think many Italians are looking at her reactions rather than at the evidence.

 

Actually, what it has done, has made me question sending my children overseas for any reason, but especially to Italy. One of my dds is exactly the age Amanda was when she went, and is wanting to see and experience other cultures....well if this is the result from those 'other cultures' I'll just keep my dds at home, tyvm.

 

My younger dd wanted to take a study-abroad trip this summer that spends quite a bit of time in Italy. Nope. After this fiasco, it ain't gonna happen.

 

I hope the jury does the right thing; says she is innocent and lets her come home. This poor family.

 

And, I wonder.....other than just letting her go home when/if proven innocent....will the Italian government apologize in any way? Recompense? How can they give back to this young girl what they have taken away?

[mommaduck]

Never heard of it till now.

[Colleen]

Actually, what it has done, has made me question sending my children overseas for any reason, but especially to Italy. One of my dds is exactly the age Amanda was when she went, and is wanting to see and experience other cultures....well if this is the result from those 'other cultures' I'll just keep my dds at home, tyvm.

 

My younger dd wanted to take a study-abroad trip this summer that spends quite a bit of time in Italy. Nope. After this fiasco, it ain't gonna happen.

What a shame. Would you honestly disallow/discourage your daughters from experiencing other cultures, based on this one incident? That mystifies me. I hope for their sake you change your mind.

[Osmosis Mom]

And who says she is innoncent? It sounded to me as if it was a sex-thing gone wrong since the British girl did not want to cooperate? Would you ban Switzerland because Polanski is being held on bail there.....?!

[Guest Katia]

What a shame. Would you honestly disallow/discourage your daughters from experiencing other cultures, based on this one incident? That mystifies me. I hope for their sake you change your mind.

 

Your decisions for your family; my decisions for mine. You are welcome to remain mystified. I am not mystified at all. They are not begging to go, and after this incident they no longer want to. It was just something they had wanted to do....previously. And I am not about to change my mind. You can send your dc with my blessing.

[Jean in Newcastle]

She's a local girl from a local school. Our local news has followed it faithfully and because I keep up with the local news, I guess you can say that I have too.

[Mama Bear]

The prosecutor is up on charges regarding misconduct in another case that parallels what he's done here -- including calling in a palmist (psychic?) who relies on information provided by dead priests.

 

The "evidence" presented in court would not have made it into a US courtroom. The guy who already confessed and was convicted of the assault and murder testified that Amanda was involved (though evidence places her elsewhere) because he's looking for a reduced sentence.

 

If you haven't had a chance to hear from US reporters sitting through the trial, Google it. It makes compelling reading.

 

We're praying for her and her family.

[Happy]

I totally agree with this. And, forensic evidence does not lie. It does not place her at the murder scene at all. Her poor mother yesterday was saying that just because Amanda may seem calm and serene on the outside, that is not what is going on on the inside. People react very differently; have different coping mechanisms and I think many Italians are looking at her reactions rather than at the evidence.

 

Actually, what it has done, has made me question sending my children overseas for any reason, but especially to Italy. One of my dds is exactly the age Amanda was when she went, and is wanting to see and experience other cultures....well if this is the result from those 'other cultures' I'll just keep my dds at home, tyvm.

 

My younger dd wanted to take a study-abroad trip this summer that spends quite a bit of time in Italy. Nope. After this fiasco, it ain't gonna happen.

 

I hope the jury does the right thing; says she is innocent and lets her come home. This poor family.

 

And, I wonder.....other than just letting her go home when/if proven innocent....will the Italian government apologize in any way? Recompense? How can they give back to this young girl what they have taken away?

 

Your decision, of course, I respect that. This reminds me of all the people who won't fly somewhere because the plane might crash. I tell lots of scaredy-cat non-flyers to go sit and watch airplanes take off and land at the big airport near us...all those flights and not one crash per day, much less per week or month. Plane crashes and exotic murder cases are news because they don't happen often.

 

I wonder how many students have successfully studied and traveled in Italy in the last two years. I know of a couple myself. My son spent the summer in Belgium. Personally, I feel the good ole US is as potentially dangerous as any country and yes, I'm thinking of our law enforcement and court system, too.

 

As for the case...I had not heard of this case until a few weeks ago. Very interesting to see the different sides presented.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

It just came across the news that the jury has reached a verdict and will announce it at 6pm EST. We'll see what happens.

 

 

ETA: I've been reading the thread. I live in a country where ALOT of students come to study abroad. I can tell you that if they use good judgement and common sense USUALLY they will be fine (ie: bar hopping, going home with guys/girls they barely know, getting involved in a group that does these things aren't good ideas anywhere, but, especially in a foreign country). I wouldn't keep my dc from traveling and studying abroad,but, I will absolutely talk with them openly about their choices in those places and using caution.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Dayle in Guatemala

[iluvmy4blessings]

The prosecutor is up on charges regarding misconduct in another case that parallels what he's done here -- including calling in a palmist (psychic?) who relies on information provided by dead priests.

 

The "evidence" presented in court would not have made it into a US courtroom. The guy who already confessed and was convicted of the assault and murder testified that Amanda was involved (though evidence places her elsewhere) because he's looking for a reduced sentence.

 

If you haven't had a chance to hear from US reporters sitting through the trial, Google it. It makes compelling reading.

 

We're praying for her and her family.

 

In addition to this, I also read that this same prosecutor attempted to railroad two authors who were doing research for a book in Italy. They were researching into the background of a serial killer and the prosecutor ended up arresting them and trying to accuse them of being the serial killer! They were held in prison and interrogated. The author said it was such a terrible interrogation that he is not surprised if any person would break and confess to just about anything in order to get it to stop. He said he and the other author really just barely made it out of that situation. He said the prosecutor likes to invent fantasies that sound like crime thrillers and his theories of crimes are often created out of his mind. It also has been reported that much of the "evidence" was invented and that much of the reports were lies. For example a bathroom photo was published in the paper where blood is covering the entire bathroom. They say that Amanda Knox took a shower in that blood covered bathroom before notifying police of Meredith's death. The picture is shocking to think anyone could take a shower in a blood spattered bathroom. What they don't tell you is that you could only see that after they sprayed it with luminol. The bathroom looked clean but only after it was sprayed with the luminol could you see the blood. Yet they released the photo to the paper making it look as if Amanda had been showering in a blood splattered bathroom. To me this is very sketchy and sounds like they are against her from the start. Then there is the issue of being interrogated in another language! Amanda speaks very good Italian now after being in prison 2 years but the night she was interrogated I doubt she could understand half of what they were telling her. I do not know if she is guilty or innocent. I do feel, however, that it's scary to imagine having a daughter in a foreign exchange program and then being accused of something and subject to the laws in a foreign land. It reminds me of a movie I saw once called "Brokedown Palace" where two girls are accused of smuggling drugs into Thailand and end up being locked in a prison there.

[Laurie4b]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

To the pp...I belive they have proven that she was not doing cartwheels in the station. That was a lie put out by the Italian police.

 

Where was that proven? (Genuine question: I'm interested in knowing.) If the stories of Amanda and her boyfriend changed as much as they are said to have changed (has that been proven to be a lie, too?) that in itself is enough to make me very suspicious that she's guilty. The cartwheels and the statement about people in prison finding her "pretty" also seemed to speak of narcissism to me, which would fit with the murder as described.

[Laurie4b]

She's a local girl from a local school. Our local news has followed it faithfully and because I keep up with the local news, I guess you can say that I have too.

 

What is the local "take" on her character? Have there been things in the local news that have tended to support a not-guilty verdict? Everything I've read makes it sound like she's guilty.

[Laurie4b]

In addition to this, I also read that this same prosecutor attempted to railroad two authors who were doing research for a book in Italy. They were researching into the background of a serial killer and the prosecutor ended up arresting them and trying to accuse them of being the serial killer! They were held in prison and interrogated. The author said it was such a terrible interrogation that he is not surprised if any person would break and confess to just about anything in order to get it to stop. He said he and the other author really just barely made it out of that situation. He said the prosecutor likes to invent fantasies that sound like crime thrillers and his theories of crimes are often created out of his mind. It also has been reported that much of the "evidence" was invented and that much of the reports were lies. For example a bathroom photo was published in the paper where blood is covering the entire bathroom. They say that Amanda Knox took a shower in that blood covered bathroom before notifying police of Meredith's death. The picture is shocking to think anyone could take a shower in a blood spattered bathroom. What they don't tell you is that you could only see that after they sprayed it with luminol. The bathroom looked clean but only after it was sprayed with the luminol could you see the blood. Yet they released the photo to the paper making it look as if Amanda had been showering in a blood splattered bathroom. To me this is very sketchy and sounds like they are against her from the start. Then there is the issue of being interrogated in another language! Amanda speaks very good Italian now after being in prison 2 years but the night she was interrogated I doubt she could understand half of what they were telling her. I do not know if she is guilty or innocent. I do feel, however, that it's scary to imagine having a daughter in a foreign exchange program and then being accused of something and subject to the laws in a foreign land. It reminds me of a movie I saw once called "Brokedown Palace" where two girls are accused of smuggling drugs into Thailand and end up being locked in a prison there.

 

Where did you read this? I haven't seen any other angle but what has been in the mainstream press.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

To the pp...I belive they have proven that she was not doing cartwheels in the station. That was a lie put out by the Italian police.

 

Oh my, that is scary, since I believed that:( Since I read that, I was not sure what to think about her case or whether she was guilty or not;)

 

I pray that justice is served and that no innocents are unjustly convicted.

[lulubelle]

I have been interested in it a bit. I think that she is innocent, but I certainly can be wrong. I would like to have seen the trial and see what was said. I read they were only roommates for like 2 or 3 months max. I just can't imagine creating so much hate in such a short time. I will be interested in the verdict.

[pooh bear]

They have just announced a guilty verdict.

[Pongo]

It just came through on the news. She was charged with murder and received a 26 year sentence.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

Just came in that she was found guilty. Wow.

 

Amanda Knox found guilty.

[Guest Katia]

Poor girl. I hope the appeals her family is making are fruitful. This is just so sad.

[LizzyBee]

Where did you read this? I haven't seen any other angle but what has been in the mainstream press.

 

Same here. Based on everything I read, I assumed she was guilty. If she's not, I hope her family is able to obtain justice for her.

[mom2abcd]

Same here. Based on everything I read, I assumed she was guilty. If she's not, I hope her family is able to obtain justice for her.

 

Where are the links with info showing how this is a set-up? And why would US media consistently write as if she is guilty if there's indication that she's not? I also assumed that she was.

 

From what I saw from photos, video, etc., she seemed very uncaring that her roommate was dead and very arrogant.

 

A very good friend's dd just went over to Italy. I pray she is safe and has a good experience.

 

Anyone here from Italy?

[Colleen]

I wonder how many students have successfully studied and traveled in Italy in the last two years. I know of a couple myself. My son spent the summer in Belgium. Personally, I feel the good ole US is as potentially dangerous as any country and yes, I'm thinking of our law enforcement and court system, too.

:iagree:

[Imprimis]

I have been following it. I feel very sorry for her. I think the Italians saw a young, nieve american girl and railroaded her. Two years of her life have been wasted in jail.....

 

 

 

But, keep in mind, her ex-boyfriend has also been convicted, and he is Italian.

 

The whole story is just so bizarre and disturbing to me.

[CactusPair]

I have never heard of any credible *physical* evidence against her or her Italian boyfriend.

 

As in the fiction books Daisy Miller and The Stranger, she seems to have been convicted solely on her personality and the fact she's a foreigner.

 

 

I have not heard any evidence to ever support the prosecutor's theory of a "sex game" gone wrong. He has never offered anything to back up that idea. I can't believe that he's allowed to present the theory without physical evidence to support it.

 

I'm not sure this would have made it to trial in the United States.

 

It's a tragedy for everyone involved.

[Liz CA]

I just heard she was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years in prison. No word about any appeals yet.

 

[CactusPair]

It's impossilbe to believe she got a fair trial w/ an impartial jury of peers when several of the the jury members wore red, green, and white sashes to the verdict reading.

 

These are the colors of the Italian flag and the sashes seem to make the statement of national unity against a foreigner.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I just heard she was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years in prison. No word about any appeals yet.

 

 

There is an automatic appeal, apparently. But the appeal may take up to two years.

[Laurie]

There's a statement from Senator Maria Cantwell about the verdict at the website www (dot) friendsofamanda (dot) org

[iluvmy4blessings]

It's impossilbe to believe she got a fair trial w/ an impartial jury of peers when several of the the jury members wore red, green, and white sashes to the verdict reading.

 

These are the colors of the Italian flag and the sashes seem to make the statement of national unity against a foreigner.

 

I would have to agree. I cannot imagine any other reason for them wearing the sashes on the day the verdict is read except to symbolically say that they are unified against this American. There is already so much talk about it just being an anti-American thing so if they wanted to dispel that idea, why would they wear the sashes during the reading of the verdict?

 

As far as reports making her sound guilty, it is important to remember that bias invades all writing . It's one of the first things we learned in our study of history as homeschoolers. Even history books are written from someoen's perspective. It is hard to find any writing that is not unbiased. Plus so much of what the prosecutor gave as fact was really just speculation. He even presented an animated version of what he believes happened during the murder. He presented this to the jury as evidence! An animated version of Amanda killing this girl with the two boys holding her. Why would he be allowed to create an animated version of something that he believes "may have" happened and present it as evidence. This would never be allowed in a courtroom here. There is more out there on this case if anyone is interested.

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/an-innocent-abroad/

 

Of course at the end of the day, the only people who know the truth ultimately are those involved in the case and God. I do feel that she was railroaded though out of an anti-American sentiment which was only confirmed to me when the majority of jury members wore the Italian sash during the reading of the verdict. I hope this is not the case but if it is I pray for Amanda's family. They have been brought to financial ruin and now are trying to move to Italy I hear to be near her.

[Laurie4b]

Where are the links with info showing how this is a set-up? And why would US media consistently write as if she is guilty if there's indication that she's not? I also assumed that she was.

 

From what I saw from photos, video, etc., she seemed very uncaring that her roommate was dead and very arrogant.

 

A very good friend's dd just went over to Italy. I pray she is safe and has a good experience.

 

Anyone here from Italy?

 

Some stuff that I found yesterday does shed things in a different light:

 

There are accusations that the police pressured them under questioning, which could account for different stories. (I still don't like the wildly varying stories. If your roommate was killed, you would surely know where you'd been the night before. ) Changing your story tends to make you look guilty.

 

"Foxy Knoxy" was Amanda's facebook moniker. It fed into the narcissistic sexual vixen image. Apparently, it was a nickname from when she was 8, given to her in soccer because she was a wily (foxy) defender and she thought it was cute.

 

There were reports that she took a shower in the "blood spattered" bathroom. There was apparently a bloody smudge on the bathmat, which could be overlooked if getting into the shower quickly and Amanda didn't notice two drops of blood on the sink until she had gotten out of the shower. That's a little different image than "blood spattered" calls to mind.

 

She apparently heard before some of the other exchange students and showed shock, sorrow, etc. at that time. Others heard later, when she was at the "pull together" stage.

 

There was forensic evidence of the guy who was already convicted being in the room: fingerprints, etc. None of Amanda or her bf being in the room.

 

The prosecuter has a reputation for creating soap-opera-like crime fantasies as his theories of crimes. That worries me the most. He's been accused of prosecutorial misconduct in the past.

 

As for the American press, I have low expectations. I should have been more suspicious because "Foxy Knoxy" makes really good headlines. Italian jurists are not sequestered and can read everything on the internet, etc. The news stories were ****ing, so they may not have needed much evidence at the trial.

 

Still, the changing stories are problematic.

[teamturner]

I've been following it also. It is very interesting. Their judicial system works a little differently.

 

Edited to add: I just saw the posts reporting that she was found guilty. I can't believe there was enough evidence to support a guilty verdict. I also saw Senator Maria Cantwell's comments and have to say that if a senator who has been following this case is this concerned to contact the Secretary of State about it, there probably are some serious problems! Wow! So sad! And I'm sad for Amanda's ex boyfriend as well.

Edited December 5, 2009 by Michelle in TX

[Laura Corin]

It's impossilbe to believe she got a fair trial w/ an impartial jury of peers when several of the the jury members wore red, green, and white sashes to the verdict reading.

 

These are the colors of the Italian flag and the sashes seem to make the statement of national unity against a foreigner.

 

I don't understand how there can be 'national unity against a foreigner' in this case.

 

Laura

[Laurie4b]

I don't understand how there can be 'national unity against a foreigner' in this case.

 

Laura

 

I agree--that complicates the math. There was a non-Italian victim and an Italian was convicted along with two foreigners.

 

What was the purpose of the sashes, though?

[Laurie4b]

Trying to sort this out--why would the British victim's family sound pleased if the evidence was as flimsy as is being said? They apparently also thought that she and her boyfriend were guilty.

[LizzyBee]

There were reports that she took a shower in the "blood spattered" bathroom. There was apparently a bloody smudge on the bathmat, which could be overlooked if getting into the shower quickly and Amanda didn't notice two drops of blood on the sink until she had gotten out of the shower. That's a little different image than "blood spattered" calls to mind.

 

 

 

I did some more reading about the case yesterday too, because this thread made me curious about the other side of the story. I read that a drop of the blood on the sink was Amanda's, placing her in the house during the time she said she wasn't there. There was a knife in the bf's apt with Meredith's DNA on the blade and Amanda's on the handle. The knife had been cleaned with bleach, but there were still small amounts of the DNA on it. A former FBI profiler went to Italy and examined the evidence, and in the interview I read, of course he never came out and said she was guilty, but he sure wasn't sticking up for her innocence either.

 

Of course, it's not like we're going to uncover the truth in the media or on the internet. If she is innocent, I hope the truth comes to light. If she's guilty, I hope she serves her sentence.

[Sputterduck]

I did some more reading about the case yesterday too, because this thread made me curious about the other side of the story. I read that a drop of the blood on the sink was Amanda's, placing her in the house during the time she said she wasn't there. There was a knife in the bf's apt with Meredith's DNA on the blade and Amanda's on the handle. The knife had been cleaned with bleach, but there were still small amounts of the DNA on it. A former FBI profiler went to Italy and examined the evidence, and in the interview I read, of course he never came out and said she was guilty, but he sure wasn't sticking up for her innocence either.

 

Of course, it's not like we're going to uncover the truth in the media or on the internet. If she is innocent, I hope the truth comes to light. If she's guilty, I hope she serves her sentence.

 

 

Cleaning the knife with bleach is sure suspicious. Who cleans a knife with bleach? It would certainly be an odd thing to do, in my mind. It's hard to explain that one.

[Pajama Mama]

I watched 48 Hours last night which covered this. It was a very interesting story. What struck me was that her conviction might be overturned on appeal. It should be overturned because of the clear mistakes and misconduct of those involved. However, the girl might still have committed the crime.

 

It is possible that she was involved but not for the far fetched reasons that they said. Perhaps Amanda was jealous of her roommate or that money was the issue(that was mentioned). Those reasons are much more plausible than a sat@ntic s@x game gone wrong. It shocks me that the Italian system is allowed to bring up those wild theories with no proof.

 

The man(not the bf)who was convicted previously had admitted that he did it. His DNA was present but he claimed that it was consensual. If Amanda knew this guy then maybe she was involved. But it doesn't appear that she knew him at all. There is no link between them--I think.

 

It does seem as though her character was her downfall. She did seem aloof and cuddly with her bf after her roommate was discovered. The victim's friends commented on how unaffected she was. There are people who don't show their emotions as readily as others. Also, she was her roommate not her best friend or sister. Perhaps she was not close to this girl. She does sound to be an insensitive person. But being a jerk doesn't make you a murderer.

 

If a link was found between the man(not her bf) and Amanda then I would think it was possible that she was involved. If not, then she was likely railroaded. The Italian system has mucked this up so badly. If she was truly guilty she will still be released when the appeal goes through. I doubt that the true story will ever be known.