What do you think about the Kercher/Knox murder trial?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Latest here

I find it hard to believe she did it - seems very trumped up. So much of the evidence seems to be to do with Knox not behaving 'appropriately', but how would you behave if something so shocking happened as the murder of your flatmate? I can imagine it taking a while to sink in.

So, it's OK for you to say that someone about whom you have no evidence is guilty because you think she is odd; that she isn't being punished effectively by being kept in a "cushy" Italian jail and she should be in a US jail where she is much more likely to be assaulted/murdered despite not having been found guilty; that all/most people from Seattle are weird (and may or may not be guilty of murder on that basis) but that I am being somehow really chippy to take you up on your opinions?

Keep posting like that and I will be more than happy to keep at it.

Sure thing, lala.

Yep, I think she should be extradicted back home if she is found guilty and not live off the Italian taxpayer.

I'd bet any amount of money if she were facing prison back home she wouldn't be acting like she does in court.

If anything if she were my daughter I'd be absolutely appalled at how little respect her bahaviour shows for poor Meredith.

This is supposed to be about Meredith, but Miss Knoxhas done her best to be the centre of attention.

That's shocking and I feel evev sorrier for Meredith's family.

It's ok for any of us to say she's guilty, whether based on facts or gut feelings, we are neither on the jury or the judge. We're just having a discussion which will have no bearing on the trail whatsoever.

I disagree; it may have no basis on how this trial goes but I think the general assumption that people linked to a murder have to behave in a particular way is extremely damaging to the way in which justice operates (as someone pointed out earlier in the thread, just look at men such as Colin Stagg and Barry George).

I also am genuinely curious to know why so many people believe that a woman who has no history of violent crime, appears not to have had a bad relationship with the murder victim, seems to have only known one of the other accused in passing and did not have any clear motive for the murder is guilty of the crime. The "evidence" could at best be called speculative but, worse than that, a lot of it seems to be about her lifestyle - Amanda Knox had several boyfriends, she worked in a bar and so on.

Maybe it's a Maxine Carr thing?
Meredith's blood was found on the knife in Sollecito's flat, his dna was on the handle and the knife had been bleached, along with the rest of the gubbins in his flat....I think we can probably safely say he is not innocent.
Maybe she's in lurve?

People with a history of violent crime have to start somewhere, Maybe she wouldn't go on to fill anyone else, she doesn't strike me as a serial killer, but I still think she did this one.

The is something very off about her, she doesn't seems to kmow how to act appropriate to the situation.

Bucharest: yes, it's always struck me as odd that women associated with a crime seem to come off a lot worse than the men responsible for it. MC was very, very stupid to provide her then boyfriend with an alibi but her name practically became a byword for the murders itself. Rose West who, again, covered up the killings is seen as a much more evil figure than Fred West who carried out the murders. Sonia Sutcliffe was more or less accused of being an accessory to the Yorkshire Ripper etc etc.

Her behaviour in court is baffling and disturbing.

And why can't she stop parading around like she's on X Factor: The Trial and have some respect for Meredith Kercher and family?

Plus the obnoxious campaign for her innocence.

Can't imagine what the jurors think of it all.

Because we can't get it into our heads that a woman is capable of such heinous crimes- when our entire mythology is based on woman nurturing life, while the bloke goes out and hits things on the head, and has done since he was grunting.......

Must admit, I was/am fairly convinced of Knox's guilt, based on little other than what others on here have said, that she seems odd.....I shall go and do some reading up now....

Though it's not really "mythology" that women kill far, far fewer people than men do is it, it's a matter of fact. I think we find female murderers/accused murderers more fascinating because it is very rare.

I haven't read a great deal about this case, but I know that apparantly suspicions have been raised because when the police were at the scene Knox and her boyfriend were seen kissing and whispering. Now, obviously they could have been getting off on it and whispering their fake stories to each other, but they could also have been comforting each other??

They are both definitely odd characters, but I can't say one way or another cos I'm only reading about it in the papers and everything is twisted one way or another.

It reminds me of the Madeline McCann case, when my workmates insisted that Kate McCann was guilty because 'she never looked sad'!!!!!!! I had to try to contain myself. What, for those 2 photos or whatever she happened not to be crying?? What about all the behind closed doors when she would be prostrate with grief?

Anyway that's by the by, my point is - we just don't know. And they will be found guilty - I feel it in my water.

This trial has something of that larry clarke film "Bully" about it - different circs but rich, bored teenage "students" with seemingly no moral compass or compassion about the death of one of their friends.

It must have been one seriously messed up sex game. But i suppose we all do crazy things when young and at university...

I agree with expat on this - I think a whole lotta drugs were involved and I feel so utterly sorry for Merediths' poor family. The indignity of it all.

The other girls who lived in the house (English) were in bits immediately after the body was found - AK was calm & casual.

Also I read one bit of evidence from one of them that AK made some descriptive comment about how MK had died, when the door had been locked, the police had to break in, & AK had not been into the room

Will try to find it.

I can't understand what the motive would be so I tend to think she probably wasn't involved.

ABC News

'Amanda Knox also said things at the police station that perplexed the others.
She said she was the first person to find the body. "She said, 'How do you think I feel, I found her,'" Butterworth said.
When another girl named Natalie Hayward said she hoped Kercher hadn't been in too much pain, Amanda Knox, according to Frost, responded brusquely, "What the f- do you think? She f-ing bled to death."
After five other British girlfriends of the victim were questioned, their stories closely mirrored those of the first two witnesses.'

Again, yes Muffle, I agree. It is more fascinating because it's rare.

A Knox would only be 'extradicted' if she had managed to escape Italy, but she's in the country where she comitted the crime.

It's awful that maintaining a strong public persona like Kate McCann is seen by some people to be similar to behaving wildly inappropriately like a sociopath can be compared. Poor Kate McCann. I don't mean people on this thread btw.

ps, A sociopath who gets high on drugs could easily behave like a psychopath.

That detachment from reality and social mores and a feeling of isolation and 'untouchability'.... ignite those tendencies with drugs (don't know what she was on that night, anybody know) and I do believe that you have a potential murderer....

Salmonintheliffey, what evidence is there that Knox is a sociopath? Is this a label that has been attached by people involved in the case?

I don't know if there is any! But she doesn't seem to be governed at all by social conventions or social mores does she? A sociopath is a fair few rungs below a psychopath and people have used the word psychopath before me. I thought I was being fair to her

A sociopath is not necessarily dangerous, but literally doesn't know how to behave in a way that's perceived to be 'normal', or to react normally in 'normal' situations. That's my understanding of a sociopath anyway, and it seems to fit her better than psychopath.

Isn't she from Mercer Island?

Hardly a typical kid from Seattle.

Is Mercer Island extremely privileged?

I think so yes, they are/were all wealthy students tbh

Salmon, I agree with you re her sociopathic tendencies & potential to get carried away. When this first happened pictures from myspace etc, of both AK & the Italian boyfriend with guns & knives & things, were reproduced in the press.

Have ummed and aahed about posting,but, as a friend of John Kercher,Meredith's father,i just want to say that firstly - NO WAY was Meredith involved,willingly,in any sex games,END OF.Secondly ,Expat, you are completely right in all you say.I am privvy to a few details not known by media etc,i hope those evil young people rot in hell.To say her family,and friends are devastated by Meredith's murder is just not getting anywhere near reality,she was a bright,wonderful woman,so so adored and loved.I truly had never properly encountered real "heartbreak" until i saw John after his beautiful daughters murder.She just was wonderful,and WHY WHY WHY do the media find it so hard to accept that not every young woman is into sleeping around etc???