Innocent? Maybe

The local media and Amanda Knox fans were out in force on the return of their heroine, following the tossing out of her conviction for the murder of her roommate in Perugia, Italy. It kind of reminded me of the warm welcome home that the Lockerbie bomber received when he was released from prison for medical reasons. I was talking to the proprietor at the coffee shop I spend a lot of time at (because of the Wi-Fi) about the Amanda Knox case, and it was his opinion that Knox would not have received such applause if she was not young, white and female—and I think people know my views on such matters. Frankly, I see Knox as your typical privileged youth, irresponsible and narcissistic. I don’t feel sorry for her. Is she innocent of the crime she was originally convicted of? I would probably err on the side of innocence, but just barely, and I suspect that there is more to this story than her supporters want known.

Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, was found dead, her throat slashed, on November 2, 2007. She and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were detained for questioning three days later. Why? Because their “alibi”—that they were at Sollecito’s home at the time of the murder—was suspect. Strangely, Sollecito’s computer allegedly had been turned off, as well as their cell phones, and thus only they could “corroborate” their own stories. It also came out that Kercher and Knox were not exactly friends; according to those who knew her, Kercher apparently was “irritated” by Knox’s “exhibitionist” behavior and being unhelpful with housework. According to the police, Knox confessed to be home when Kercher was killed and hearing her scream, claiming that her employer, Patrick Lumumba, was the killer. Lumumba was detained, but released after two weeks after his alibi was confirmed; Lumumba later successfully sued Knox for libel, and was awarded a $50,000 award. Of course, Knox subsequently claimed that she had been coerced into this “confession,” although she never explained why she fingered Lumumba.

A “friend” of Knox’s, Rudy Guede, was arrested in Germany. Guede’s DNA was found in a vaginal swab taken from Kercher; he claimed that he did have sex with Kercher, but was in the bathroom when another man killed her. Maybe, or not. After Knox, Sollecito and Guede were charged with murder, the latter was granted a separate trial, after claiming that he believed that Knox and Sollecito were conspiring against him. "In recent weeks a lot of poison has been spread by the (other) defense teams, and we feel the necessity to find some form of serenity in a separate hearing" said his attorney.

So why was Knox and her boyfriend charged. Partly because their alibi was questionable, because a bloody shoe print was allegedly made by Sollecito, Knox’s DNA was allegedly found mixed with Kercher’s blood in the bathroom sink, and the only apparent murder weapon allegedly had Kercher’s DNA on the blade—and Knox’s DNA on the handle—was found in Sollecito’s appartment. In his separate trial, Guede was convicted and sentence to what reduced to a 16-year sentence. Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murder and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, rather less than they might have expected in the U.S.. Their appeals concentrated on fingering Guede, although neither claimed to have been there, questioning the handling of evidence and the veracity of the DNA evidence. Guede claimed during the subsequent appeal that he believed that Knox and Sollecito killed Kercher, although this may have been a case of revenge; in any case, the defense said that Guede’s claim was based on a “feeling,” and that he had not actually witnessed such an event. Knox claimed to be “shocked” at Guede’s claims—although probably no more so than was Lumumba at Knox’s initial accusation to police.

Fortunately for Knox and her (ex) boyfriend, it would seem that after the initial publicity over the crime, “cooler” heads prevailed. It was probably easier for an Italian jury to allow Guede, an African, to pay for the crime by himself. But while the Knox family and their supporters rejoiced, the Kercher family was “incensed” at the “ludicrous” decision to free the two. The Italian appeals process, unlike that in U.S., leans heavily in favor of the convicted (many Italians cynically blame this on oft-indicted prime minister Berlusconi, who has tried to pass laws favorable to his various predicaments). The truth may be that Guede is solely responsible--or it may be that Knox has secrets she wishes no one to know. Photos of Knox upon her return remind me of a scared little girl who is relieved she got away with something.