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

173 replies

Kathyis6incheshigh · 13/02/2009 14:40

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.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 19/02/2009 17:46

As the mother of two daughters myself, terrapin, I can scarcely imagine the pain that family is going through, knowing their child met such an end on top of such a loss.

I hope they find support and help.

There's an organisation in the US founded by broadcast journalist Adam Walsh, whose own son was murdered when he was a child, called Parents of Murdered Children pomc that would be willing to try to source support for parents in other countries, too.

I just wish they didn't have to deal with the added pain of the trail taking the focus it has recently and hope they can somehow find justice for their daughter.

expatinscotland · 19/02/2009 17:59

Sorry, trial.

terrapin · 19/02/2009 18:46

thanks expat, i will pass that on.The family have had really good support from the Italian agencies involved,the whole thing is made harder because it happened in another country,and the family are not conversant in Italian.The great concern is the families ,particularly Soliceto's are wealthy and well connected....The police and forensics know exactly who did it and how,the evidence is mind blowing, alot of stuff has been said in the media of forensic contamination and this is not so,its not a bungled police operation,however,corruption in the legal system is not unheard of.(not just in Italy ,i realise!)

WinkyWinkola · 19/02/2009 20:34

at terrapins revelations.

Why is it so shocking to me that bright, young things like this are apparently engaging in such brutality? I mean, as opposed to your usual kind of thug?

blueshoes · 19/02/2009 21:26

terrapin, what you describe is truly heartbreaking.

Do you think the truth will come out at the trial? Or is there a risk that justice for Meredith will be perverted?

SalmonFromTheLiffey · 20/02/2009 22:24

terrapin if it's any consolation, that is exactly the impression I had got of Meredith, that she was NOT in to sleeping around. THe media have sensationalised everything they possibly can, but they have nothing negative to say about Meredith.

She has come across as a friendly honest nice girl who did not sleep around.

PortofinoLovesItUpTheOxoTower · 20/02/2009 22:38

I don't know too much about the case, but I really hope they make their decision based on REAL evidence and not just on whether someone looked suitably guilty not miserable enough.

Showmeheaven · 21/02/2009 19:47

I second what SalmonfromTheLiffey says. I would say its the view of the VAST majority of people, and thats what makes this case all the more tragic. Meredith, a beautiful young girl looking forward to her year of studies in Italy.

Unfortunately she got involved with the wrong people simply by sharing a house with Knox. Thats why this murder will forever haunt me. It could have happened to anyone's child.

With the execption of Knox's inappropriate & strange behaviour, the 3 accussed look like normal young people. But one (or) all three of them are murderers. Truely horrifying.

I also hope the truth comes out and that justice is served. Its the very least Meredith's family deserve.

Please also pass on my condolences to her family.

WinkyWinkola · 21/02/2009 20:41

I don't think it's a matter of whether she looks miserable enough - I think she looks barking actually with her cheerful demeanour. Perhaps she will be found to be not sane....

expatinscotland · 21/02/2009 20:43

If someone's insane when they commit murder, though, they generally don't try to clean up, cover up the victim (particularly the face), do stuff like lock the bedroom door after they leave the scene, etc.

WinkyWinkola · 21/02/2009 20:55

If they're psychopathic, wouldn't they try to clean up? Being mad is a pretty broad term and doesn't necessarily mean one that is not in control. That is even more terrifying a prospect though!

Earlybird · 21/02/2009 20:59

I'm in America, and Amanda Knox's parents/sister have been on telly here explaining what a lovely girl she is and how this is all a terrible mistake. According to them, she is/was very innocent, awkward with men and sexually inactive until quite a late age. They 'can't imagine' she would be involved with something so awful and sordid as it is 'not in her character'.

expatinscotland · 21/02/2009 21:00

If they're psychopathic, wouldn't they try to clean up?

No, a psychopath usually does stuff like Ted Bundy, hangs up victim's nighgown neatly in the cupboard and arranges her in bed as if she's sleeping. Doesn't stand out, nothing too obvious or flashy a la Knox.

Another example of insane people who kill would be Andrea Yates, who after a long struggle with postpartum psychosis which developed schizophrenic traits drowned her children in a bath and then dressed them, laid them in bed, put blankets on them as if they were sleeping, then calmly rang 999 and told the dispatcher exactly what she'd done.

expatinscotland · 21/02/2009 21:01

Yes, Early, that's what my mom said, too. Although even my mom pointed out that she'd have been horrified if we'd shown such little respect for the dead like Miss Knox.

But hey ho, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's parents were sadly shocked by their sons' actions, too.

Earlybird · 21/02/2009 21:06

expat - her family are presenting the whole thing as a terrible mistake/misunderstanding that couldn't possibly be true of their precious girl. We've also got the 'foreign legal system that is biased against her' angle going too.

expatinscotland · 21/02/2009 21:10

Oh, yes, my dad told me they were using that slant, too. He sort of chuckled and just said, 'C'mon, your 20-year-old daughter in Europe for a year and you think she's going to spend it in a convent?'

I lived abroad both in high school and junior year at university.

VERY strict warning from my dad (we'd lived with him abroad when he was working offshore and he'd also gone on his own quite a bit): Remember, if you fuck up there, you're fucked!

I took his words to heart .

WinkyWinkola · 21/02/2009 21:21

Ah, I see. Thanks for filling in about psychopaths.

Soooooo, why does she appear to be lighthearted? A hysterical reaction to a dreadful predicament?

SalmonFromTheLiffey · 22/02/2009 11:49

Her family can't really use the 'foreign legal system biased against our precious innocent daughter' argument.

The girl who was killed wasn't Italian either. So the Italian legal system have a British victim, an American perpetrator, and the World's media watching. I'd say this is going to be the fairest case seen in Italy for a long time.

SalmonFromTheLiffey · 22/02/2009 11:50

sorry, 'alleged' perpetrator

Showmeheaven · 22/02/2009 16:10

I can understand her demeanour being off the wall immediately after the murder ... she was desperately trying to "act her way out of it" and got it totally wrong. She ended up drawing attention to herself because of her idiotic behaviour.

But I can't understand why she's still behaving this way 18 months later in court It doesn't make sense, unless she really is insane, of course. I also can't understand why her legal team aren't advising her. Her family in the U.S. don't seem to have noticed either ?? It really is bizzare.

DuelingFanjo · 21/11/2009 12:04

Apologies for bumping an old thread but I wanted to talk about this trial as it's back in the news.

Am shocked by the amount of people here who think she's guilty because of her behaviour after the discovery of the body

I've read a lot over the last two days about this case and am absolutely convinced that she and her boyfriend are innocent and that the right man (Guede) is behind bars.

It seems to me that Guide fled the scene of a rape and murder (his DNA is all over the crime scene) and then when he was finally captured almost hree weeks later he started to tell a story which implicated amanda knox and Raffaele Sollecito because by then he knew they were being accused.

All this sex game and drugs thing (A spliff!!) is just ridiculous IMO.

I really really hope that the jury (is it a jury trial in Italy?) will see the DNA evidence for what it is and find them not-guilty because there is so much pointing towards them not being involved and I truly believe the prosecutions case has been built around a fals image of 'foxy knoxy' and this mad idea that all three were involved in some kind of sex game!

DuelingFanjo · 21/11/2009 12:07

this makes interesting reading.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 21/11/2009 12:23

I think they're innocent and that Guede is trying to take some of the heat off him. I can't believe its actually got as far as a trial. I really hope they're found not guilty.

DuelingFanjo · 21/11/2009 13:25

Am glad someone feels the same.

I am surprised at how many people would convict on a gut feeling and really hope the jury aren't like this.

The DNA evidence they have against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito is just so bad and the crime scene seems to have been contaminated very early on.

Nancy66 · 21/11/2009 13:27

I've met Meredith's dad (a fellow journalist) a few times over the years and he is a lovely, gentle man. I think the Kercher family have behaved with so much dignity and restraint throughout this whole circus.

Unfortunately sometimes tragedy brings out the worst in attention seeking types like Amanda Knox - it doesn't matter that somebody has met a violent death. The cameras are on HER and this is her chance to be famous.

Joanna Lees was the same.