Amanda Knox Verdict: Guilty of Murder UPDATE: Knox Was Railroaded

Amanda Knox in Court

Amanda Knox, age 22 (see top pic), was an American student from Seattle, Washington who was studying at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy in 2007. She shared a cottage with other students, including 21 year old Meredith Kercher from Great Britain (see second photo from top).

Kercher was found murdered in her room on November 2, 2007, with a crushed windpipe and a partially slashed throat.  Police arrested three suspects, Rudy Guede of Germany, Raffaele Sollicito, an Italian student, and Amanda Knox.

Amanda Knox's role in the murder is unclear.  The theory is that she participated with Sollicito in a "sex game," holding Kercher down while Guede raped her, for no other reason than getting a thrill from "experiencing extreme sensations, intense sexual relations."  Knox testified that she had been smoking hashish during the evening of the murder.

Meredith Kercher, Murder Victim

Guede was tied to the crime through DNA evidence.  Prosecutors concluded that Guede raped Kercher and that may have been the main motive for killing her.  However, the killing may have been accidental and a result of rough handling by the high-on-dope threesome.

Knox's DNA was found on the handle of the knife used to slash Kercher's throat.  [Update:  The knife in question was later proved to be Knox's kitchen knife and not the same knife used to kill Kercher.]

In October 2008, Guede was tried, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.  The current trial of Sollicito and Knox began January 16, 2009 and ended today with the jury reaching a verdict:  guilty of murder.

Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollicito sentenced to 25 years in prison.

One life lost and three lives ruined is a high price to pay for getting high.

Update:  Since I posted this, I have come to believe that Amanda Knox and Raffael Sollecito are innocent of the crime.  See Injustice in Perugia, a site detailing the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox and Raffael Sollecito.

Via:  Wikipedia
Via:  Fox News
Via:  UK Guardian