StoppingTime
October 3rd, 2011, 05:29 PM
An Italian court has overturned the murder convictions of 24-year-old Amanda Knox of Seattle and her former Italian boyfriend in the 2007 slaying of Knox's roommate, Meredith Kercher. Both were released immediately.
Update at 6:07 p.m. ET: Keep in mind that another man, from western Africa, was also convicted of the killing and had his sentenced reduced on appeal.
Rudy Hermann Guede, whom the Associated Press describes as "a small-time drug dealer and drifter who spent most of his life in Italy after arriving here from his native Ivory Coast, " was found guilty of murder and sexual assault in a separate, fast-track proceeding and had his 30-year prison term cut to 16 years on appeal.
The Telegraph has a profile of Guede.
Update at 5:34 p.m. ET: The family of Meredith Kercher, Knox's former roommate who was slain, issued the following statement from their hotel in Perugia:
"We respect the decision of the judges but we do not understand how the decision of the first trial could be so radically overturned. We still trust the Italian judicial system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge."
CAPTIONBy Oli Scarff, Getty Images
Update at 5:26 p.m. ET: Amanda Knox has left the prison where she was held for nearly four years, CNN reports. She reportedly will leave Tuesday for her home in Seattle.
Update at 5:07 p.m. ET: USA TODAY correspondent Eric J. Lyman was outside the courtroom. He spoke with Anthony Holt, a Perugia University student and Los Angeles native:
"The students were definitely split about evenly on innocence or guilt. Nobody here knew any of them because we all arrived since then. Nobody was without an opinion.
"We gathered in a group of students who thought she was innocent. That was my group. But I know there was another group who beleived she was guilty and they waited in a different place. Segregated.
"I heard there was cheering in the court and I heard some people beeping their horns on the street. But in our group people were just relieved. I thought we'd cheer and hug but we didn't. We were waiting for a few hours so maybe people were tired. But there were about 15 of us, four or 5 Americans, and we were just like, 'Ok it's finally over, what's next?' "
Update at 4:34 p.m. ET: Prosecutors had said before today's ruling that they would appeal to Italy's highest court if the murder convictions were overturned. At the heart of the appeal was DNA evidence that prosecutors claimed belonged to Knox but that forensics experts testified was uncertain because proper procedure had not been followed and that it may have been contaminated.
Update at 4:17 p.m. ET: The appellate jury -- the chief judge, another jurist and six members of the public -- did uphold Knox's conviction for slander for accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of carrying out the killing. The chief judge, Claudio Pratillo, set the sentence at three years, meaning for time served. Knox has been in prison since Nov. 6, 2007.
Update at 4:13 p.m. ET: Knox's sister, Deanna, read a brief statement on behalf of the family.
"We are thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over….," she said. She also thanked her lawyers: "Not only did they defend her brilliantly, they also loved her."
She asked that Amanda and the Knox family be left alone to recover from the "ordeal."
Update at 4:07 p.m. ET: Knox collapsed in tears when the verdict was read.
Update at 3:54 p.m. ET: The court also threw out the murder conviction against Knox's former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
Update at 3:49 p.m. ET: The court has overturned the murder conviction of Amanda Knox and released her from prison.
Original post: With a verdict due at 3:45 p.m. ET, Amanda Knox of Seattle and her former boyfriend have arrived in court in Perugia, Italy, to learn whether their murder convictions will be upheld or overturned for the killing of a U.K. student during a violent sexual encounter in 2007.
CAPTIONBy Antonio Calanni, AP
Knox, 24, and 27-year-old Raffaele Sollecito made last-ditch appeals of their convictions in the throat-slashing of Meredith Kercher in November 2007.
Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Italian authorities allowed her a final appeal to state her case. Speaking in fluent Italian, Knox told the court, "I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal, I was not there."
Thoughts? Was she really innocent?
Update at 6:07 p.m. ET: Keep in mind that another man, from western Africa, was also convicted of the killing and had his sentenced reduced on appeal.
Rudy Hermann Guede, whom the Associated Press describes as "a small-time drug dealer and drifter who spent most of his life in Italy after arriving here from his native Ivory Coast, " was found guilty of murder and sexual assault in a separate, fast-track proceeding and had his 30-year prison term cut to 16 years on appeal.
The Telegraph has a profile of Guede.
Update at 5:34 p.m. ET: The family of Meredith Kercher, Knox's former roommate who was slain, issued the following statement from their hotel in Perugia:
"We respect the decision of the judges but we do not understand how the decision of the first trial could be so radically overturned. We still trust the Italian judicial system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge."
CAPTIONBy Oli Scarff, Getty Images
Update at 5:26 p.m. ET: Amanda Knox has left the prison where she was held for nearly four years, CNN reports. She reportedly will leave Tuesday for her home in Seattle.
Update at 5:07 p.m. ET: USA TODAY correspondent Eric J. Lyman was outside the courtroom. He spoke with Anthony Holt, a Perugia University student and Los Angeles native:
"The students were definitely split about evenly on innocence or guilt. Nobody here knew any of them because we all arrived since then. Nobody was without an opinion.
"We gathered in a group of students who thought she was innocent. That was my group. But I know there was another group who beleived she was guilty and they waited in a different place. Segregated.
"I heard there was cheering in the court and I heard some people beeping their horns on the street. But in our group people were just relieved. I thought we'd cheer and hug but we didn't. We were waiting for a few hours so maybe people were tired. But there were about 15 of us, four or 5 Americans, and we were just like, 'Ok it's finally over, what's next?' "
Update at 4:34 p.m. ET: Prosecutors had said before today's ruling that they would appeal to Italy's highest court if the murder convictions were overturned. At the heart of the appeal was DNA evidence that prosecutors claimed belonged to Knox but that forensics experts testified was uncertain because proper procedure had not been followed and that it may have been contaminated.
Update at 4:17 p.m. ET: The appellate jury -- the chief judge, another jurist and six members of the public -- did uphold Knox's conviction for slander for accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of carrying out the killing. The chief judge, Claudio Pratillo, set the sentence at three years, meaning for time served. Knox has been in prison since Nov. 6, 2007.
Update at 4:13 p.m. ET: Knox's sister, Deanna, read a brief statement on behalf of the family.
"We are thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over….," she said. She also thanked her lawyers: "Not only did they defend her brilliantly, they also loved her."
She asked that Amanda and the Knox family be left alone to recover from the "ordeal."
Update at 4:07 p.m. ET: Knox collapsed in tears when the verdict was read.
Update at 3:54 p.m. ET: The court also threw out the murder conviction against Knox's former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
Update at 3:49 p.m. ET: The court has overturned the murder conviction of Amanda Knox and released her from prison.
Original post: With a verdict due at 3:45 p.m. ET, Amanda Knox of Seattle and her former boyfriend have arrived in court in Perugia, Italy, to learn whether their murder convictions will be upheld or overturned for the killing of a U.K. student during a violent sexual encounter in 2007.
CAPTIONBy Antonio Calanni, AP
Knox, 24, and 27-year-old Raffaele Sollecito made last-ditch appeals of their convictions in the throat-slashing of Meredith Kercher in November 2007.
Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Italian authorities allowed her a final appeal to state her case. Speaking in fluent Italian, Knox told the court, "I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal, I was not there."
Thoughts? Was she really innocent?