Episode 36: An Italian Murder
Episode description
In November of 2007, the Italian city of Perugia would draw people’s attention from around the world with the gruesome murder and sexual assault of 21-year-old foreign exchange student Meredith Kercher from Surrey, England. She had been found dead in her Italian apartment on the floor of her locked bedroom. Meredith’s 20-year-old American roommate Amanda Knox who was also studying abroad and Amanda’s Italian citizen boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, would emerge as the primary suspects. World media outlets reported sinister tales of sex games gone wrong and viciously portrayed Amanda and Raffaele as heinous murderers, dubbing their trial as the trial of the decade. The prosecution's case against Amanda and Raffaele was based on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of a questionable eyewitness. Even though all conclusive physical and DNA evidence pointed elsewhere along with indications that the crime scene had been contaminated, Italian prosecutors focused on the alleged wrongdoings of Amanda Knox and generated countless stories of her being a promiscuous man-eater, whose Myspace nickname was "Foxy Knoxy". Another suspect would be arrested and tried as well, a drifter named Rudy Guede, a young man from the Ivory Coast who had a criminal record and who’s DNA was found at the crime scene and on Meredith’s body. Amanda and Raffaele consistently maintained their innocence throughout their trial. Nevertheless, amidst the swarm of media attention, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, who were tried separately from Rudy Guede, were convicted of Meredith Kercher’s murder twice, first in 2009 and again by an appeals court in 2014. Amanda and Raffaele would spend four years in prison before finally being acquitted of the murder for a second time. The Italian court would later blame the wrongful convictions of Amanda and Raffaele on the media’s high-profile attention on the case causing pressure to be placed on the local authorities in Perugia, effectively causing what the Italian judges called a “sudden acceleration” during the initial stages of the investigation. So, did the media’s sensational coverage of the case help in convicting these two young adults of murder?
References:
Amanda Knox | US news | The Guardian
How weak DNA evidence railroaded—and then rescued—Amanda Knox | Ars Technica
Amanda Knox decision explained by Italian court | CNN
Crimesider: A timeline of the Amanda Knox case - CBS News
Timeline: Meredith Kercher murder case | CNN
Amanda Knox: Revisiting Italy’s Trial of the Decade | Time
Amanda Knox Case Explained (people.com)
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