After almost 1 year in writing and editing, the story of Amanda Knox, in her own words, has been published. Here, in honest, candid description, she recounts the details of her ordeal at the hands of over zealous police forces, desperate prosecutors, a full fledged print media circus in Italy, EU, and especially Great Britain.
From her own notes written during her almost 4 years to the day in prison, she recounts in minute detail, the trials and tribulations of an 20 yr. old American college student alone, abroad in a foreign country, unable to speak the language beyond an elementary level, accused of a heinous crime: the murder of her roommate in their apartment during a time when she was absent.
Not a lawyer, Amanda is faced with a legal system that on first glance, appears to function in similar ways to the American system: courts, judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and a prison system for convicted offenders. But the differences prove to be confusing, often baffling, and a time frame of events that almost completely ignore the calender.
Perugia is an old city located in the province of Umbria. Known as the breadbasket of Italia, this province lacks a sea coast. But it has fertile soils, a fine climate, and many attractions for visitors. The University of Perugia attracts many Italians, and the University for Foreigners attracts a large contingent of students from abroad, including America. This was the institution that Ms. Knox attended along with her roommate, Meredith Kercher.
Her ordeal began on Nov. 1, 2007 when her roommate's body was discovered in their apartment they shared with 2 other Italian grad students. It didn't take long for public prosecutor and head police investigator, Giuliano Mignini to seize the opportunity to attempt to rescue his tarnished reputation, sullied by his actions in Florence during another murder investigation from the prior year.
In no time, the lead investigators began to focus on Amanda and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, an older student from Bari, the son of a prominent family from the southeast Italian coast. After lengthy interrogations without benefit of counsel, Amanda and Raffaele were arrested for murder of her roommate. And the media circus commenced with her arrest.
Concomitant with her arrest, Mignini began leaking alleged "facts" learned during the coarse of his investigation. He fabricated a lurid story of a sex party gone awry on Halloween night, a night of partying across the Italian landscape, especially among the university's students in Perugia. These revelations were like chumming he waters with shark bait and the sharks responded with outrageous stories based on hearsay, conjecture, and Mignini's outright lies.
After a week, a 21 year old Italian citizen of African birth was arrested in Germany and extradited to Perugia. He was arrested and charged with the murder in addition to the other two. This man had been known to local police and was responsible for two earlier break ins in Perugia, and had been caught with stolen goods. His method of entry, breaking a window and climbing through matched evidence at the girls' apartment. Mignini's opinion stated this evidence was staged. Mr. Guede, the
African perpetrator, denied direct involvement. His DNA was found all over the room where the crime(s) occurred, along with fingerprints and footprints.
More later.
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