Amanda Knox interview rumor “inaccurate”

Amanda Knox sits in court in Italy.

The West Seattle Herald (US) reported yesterday that news out of the UK of an TV interview with Amanda Knox is inaccurate.  (What hasn’t changed, however, is news that Ms. Knox will be in court for a preliminary hearing of the slander charges on June 1st.)

As you can see from yesterday’s post, there are very heated opinions in the comments section about whether Ms. Knox should be in prison at all.

Here is the West Seattle Herald article that clarifies the alleged inaccuracies of the Guardian online article:

UPDATE: Article on Amanda Knox’s TV interview inaccurate

By Steve Shay
May 16, 2010

An article appearing in the British Newspaper Telegraph’s online edition that Amanda Knox will appear on a TV interview is inaccurate, according to Amanda Knox’s stepfather, Chris Mellas, reached in Perugia, Italy by the West Seattle Herald. Such an interview would be of great interest as it would be the first time Knox would have spoken to the public since her murder conviction of her college roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox is currently serving 26 years in prison for the murder. She is appealing that verdict.

The Telegraph’s reporter, Nick Pisa, writes that Knox will appear on TV, and that one of Knox’s lawyers is against it. She is scheduled to make her first public appearance June 1 when she goes on trial in the slander case, brought based on her accusation that the police hit her during questioning.

“The (Telegraph) article is trying to create a controversy out of nothing,” Mellas told the West Seattle Herald by phone. “This is a non-issue because there was never a June 1 date set for an interview. There was a request for an interview, but it has been denied by the Ministry of Justice. They are in charge of making this decision, not a judge, because the case is sort of in limbo. There is currently no judge assigned. Otherwise it would be up to a judge whether Amanda would be permitted an interview.

“Pisa wrote that one of Amanda’s lawyers, Luciano Ghirga, was completely against the interview and that her family was pushing for it,” added Mellas.

“What really happened was that Amanda wanted to have the ability to speak for herself. As far as her family is concerned, whatever Amanda wants, big deal. Why not? We will support it. When we get a new judge, that judge will decide if an interview is permitted.

“if the judge allows it, we will not receive any money from it.”

The head prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini, who prosecuted the murder trial of Ms. Kercher that landed Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito in prison, is scheduled to prosecute a new slander case against Knox. She accused police of hitting her in the head when they first questioned her for 15 hours at the police station. Mignini was in the room during the questioning. The defense is crying foul, and believes such a trial would be unfair as Mignini is trying to pile on more years to Knox’s 26-year sentence she received from his case during the verdict. He had stated publicly he wanted a life sentence for her.

Late edit

On June 1 a preliminary hearing takes place to decide whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. All cases in Italy have this process.

“At that pretrial, Knox’s lawyers will ask that Mignini be removed along with (assistant prosecutor) Manuela Comodi, and also the Judge Claudia Matteini,” said Mellas. “They have all been involved in the case. Italian lay states that they cannot be involved in her cases anymore. Italian law states that you can deal with someone only one time, then it has to be a different judge and prosecutor.”

8 comments

  1. hollyanna919 says:

    Amanda and Raffaele are innocent! If you believe that they are guilty, why? There is no evidence that they had anything to do with the murder of Meredith Kercher. The prosecutor is corrupt as can be! The contradictions in Mignini’s case are appalling; he grasps for scenarios to support his ridiculous theories because there is no case against these two innocent people! They caught the person who did it and then reduced his sentence by half. Absolutely appalling! Steve Moore, a veteran FBI agent has written several articles for Injustice in Perugia website. He has had 25 years of experience in the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, from murder to mass-murder and terrorism. Steve has researched the Meredith Kercher murder case extensively. Steve's expert opinion is one that comes from years of experience and one that must be respected when it comes to crimes of this nature. Please take the time to read Steve Moore's articles and learn the facts about this case from an expert that you can trust. Injustice in perugia org

  2. Heather Coy says:

    Amanda didn't kill Meredith, and this is why her family wants desperately to bring her home. You'd want to do the same if your daughter/sister/friend was unjustly convicted. Find out all you can before you decide that the cops and prosecutor are the "good guys" who must have had reason beyond a shadow of a doubt to send this girl to prison. In fact, there is no credible evidence with which to convict her. Injustice in Perugia org

  3. kitty waters says:

    Do you believe Amanda Knox is guilty? If your only sources are tabloid headlines and one or two websites that post hateful propaganda, you’ll want to hang her. But when I looked past the accusations with an open mind at her side of the story, I cried and wanted to hug her. I challenge you to look at both sides before you make up your mind.

    Proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? Not even close.

    Please…look for the truth and don’t be part of the witch hunt.
    https://www.injusticeinperugia.org/
    injustice in perugia . org

  4. Beau Bloomer says:

    This is so sick that these two are still in jail. That prosecutor is taking two innocent young lives. We really need to do something about this. They have the person who was involved and he told them multiple times that Amanda and Rafaelle were not there. I believe Rudy was working for the police because its not that hard to figure out he has history of breaking in places with a knife, and he bothers women. They found out he was the one that killed her. So they had to put somebody else in his place so they would not be screwed themselves. Which is injustice and we need to get somebody over there and get Amanda and Rafaelle out of there.

  5. Harry Rag says:

    Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito repeatedly told the police a pack of lies in the days after Meredith’s murder.

    On 5 November 2007, Knox and Sollecito were confronted with proof that they had lied and were given another opportunity to tell the truth. However, they both chose to tell the police even more lies.

    Sollecito’s new alibi was shattered by computer forensic evidence and his mobile phone records.

    Knox accused an innocent man, Diya Lumumba, of murdering Meredith despite knowing full well that he was completely innocent. She didn’t recant her false and malicious allegation against Lumumba the whole time he was in prison.

    Knox’s account of what happened on 2 November 2007 is contradicted by her mobile phone records.

    Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito both gave multiple conflicting alibis. Neither Knox nor Sollecito have credible alibis for the night of the murder despite three attempt each. At the trial, Sollecito refused to corroborate Knox’s alibi that she was at his apartment.

    Rudy Guede’s bloody footprints lead straight out of Meredith’s room and out of the house. He didn’t lock Meredith’s door, remove his trainers, go into Filomena’s room or the bathroom that Meredith and Knox shared.

    He didn’t scale the vertical wall outside Filomena’s room or gain access through the window. The break-in was clearly staged. This indicates that somebody who lived at the cottage was trying to deflect attention away from themselves and give the impression that a stranger had broken in and killed Meredith.

    Guede had no reason to stage the break-in and there was no physical evidence that he went into Filomena’s room.

    The scientific police found a mixture of Amanda Knox’s DNA and Meredith’s blood on the floor.

    There was no physical evidence that Rudy Guede went into the blood-spattered bathroom. However, the scientific police found irrefutable proof that Knox and Sollecito tracked Meredith’s blood into this bathroom.

    Amanda Knox’s DNA was found mingled with Meredith’s blood in three different places in the bathroom: on the ledge of the basin, on the bidet, and on a box of Q Tips cotton swabs.

    Sollecito left a visible bloody footprint on the blue bathmat.

    Amanda Knox left a bloody shoeprint on the pillow under Meredith’s body.

    Knox’s and Sollecito’s bare bloody footprints were revealed by luminol in the hallway. Knox’s DNA and Meredith’s DNA was found mixed together in one of the bloody footprints.

    An abundant amount of Raffaele Sollecito’s DNA was found on Meredith’s bra clasp. Sollecito must have applied considerable pressure to the clasp in order to have left so much DNA. The hooks on the clasp were damaged which confirms that Sollecito had gripped them tightly.

    Amanda Knox’s DNA was found on the handle of the double DNA knife and a number of independent forensic experts – Dr. Patrizia Stefanoni, Dr. Renato Biondo and Professor Francesca Torricelli – categorically stated that Meredith’s DNA was on the blade.

    Sollecito knew that Meredith’s DNA was on the blade which is why he twice lied about accidentally pricking her hand whilst cooking.

    The defence experts were unable to prove that there had been any contamination. Alberto Intini, head of the Italian police forensic science unit, pointed out that unless contamination has been proved, it does not exist.

    Amanda Knox voluntarily admitted that she involved in Meredith’s murder in her handwritten note to the police on 6 November 2007. She stated on at least four separate occasions that she was at the cottage when Meredith was killed. She also claimed that Sollecito was at the cottage.

  6. joancj says:

    Good old Harry Rag…you and your myths, legends & lies do get around the net, don’t you/they?!

    Harry, as brilliant as you are (and it may be that you can time travel and walk thru walls to get first hand knowledge?) I’m sure you can tell all of us idiots how three people can, as a trio, commit a very bloody and brutal murder in a very small space and only one person’s forensic material is left in the room and on the victim, I think the world of forensic investigation would be amazed at the breadth of your scientific expertise.

    Oh yes…I forgot…Amanda & Raffaele came back and spent all night cleaning up their DNA…right? Once again (Greek chorus)…if you can tell all of us idiots how you can separate and clean up forensic material belonging to two people leaving behind forensic material belonging to just one person (see paragraph above), again I think the world of forensic investigation would be amazed…etc., etc., etc.

    Good luck….

  7. Harry Rag says:

    Joancj,

    You wrote:

    “I’m sure you can tell all of us idiots how three people can, as a trio, commit a very bloody and brutal murder in a very small space and only one person’s forensic material is left in the room and on the victim…”

    The above statement is complete and utter nonsense.

    Raffaele Sollecito left an abundant amount of his DNA on a small piece of Meredith’s underwear.

    Amanda left a visible bloody shoeprint on a pillow under Meredith’s body.

    There is other evidence placing Knox in Meredith’s room on the night of the murder: the double DNA knife and the blood she tracked into the bathroom, the hallway and Filomena’s room. She even admitted that she was involved in Meredith’s murder.

    Sollecito’s visible bloody footprint on the blue bathmat is further proof that he was in Meredith’s room.

    Surprisingly, there was only one instance of Rudy Guede’s DNA on Meredith’s body.

    Would you care to explain who went into Filomena’s room and the bathroom that Knox and Meredith shared after Meredith had been stabbed?

    Bear in mind that it couldn’t have been Rudy Guede because there’s irrefutable forensic proof that he left Meredith’s room and went straight out the house.

  8. PhanuelB says:

    For those not familiar with this case Rudy Guede is guilty as sin. Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are totally innocent. In Italy’s trial of the century, their justice system was broken.

    Vast evidence indicates that Guede committed the crime but the police and prosecutor become fixated on a theory that would have no parallel in the history of crime. They believe that Amanda Knox got together with Guede, who she had seen around but did not know personally, for a sex orgy involving her, Meredith, and her new Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Meredith is murdered when she resists. Sexually motivated homicides are almost always committed by troubled males acting alone. There is no credible evidence that this crime was an exception.

    No biological material of Amanda Knox was found in the room where the murder took place, none. Rudy Guede’s DNA was everywhere including in area indicating sexual penetration. His palm print was there in the victim’s blood; his foot prints are there; he flees; he admits being there. Guede had no visible means of support and was not a student. Meredith had started dating an Italian young man and no one knew of a relationship between her and Guede. Rudy says he had consensual sexual contact with the victim and somebody else came in and killed her while he was sitting on the toilet. The defensive wounds on his hands were from his heroic attempts to fight off the real attacker. He doesn’t call police or an ambulance but instead goes to a disco to further party that night. The next day he flees to Germany.

    In the weeks prior to the crime he had participated in at least three separate breaking and entering incidents in which he was armed with a knife and had no accomplices. He had a history of knife fights and he had motives of sexual desire and theft.

    The prosecution claims that Amanda confessed but they have no video or recordings of her interrogation. Two days after the murder Amanda had written a 6 page email to 25 family and friends in which she detailed her version of the events. That version of events appears truthful in all respects and is presumed to be what she told police at least until they started playing tough with her.

    The prosecution claims two pieces of DNA evidence link Amanda and Raffaele to the crime, but outside experts have heavily disputed the validity of these two items. Both were of trace amounts and could have gotten there through contamination or transfer by innocent means. Prosecutors explain the lack of DNA evidence with claims that that Amanda and Raffaele had cleaned it all up with bleach.

    This case was one of the great travesties of justice of our time. Commentators in the US have condemned this trial in the strongest terms. Italian law prohibits publication of the trial record to the Internet meaning that the important public debate on this issue has been defined by second hand information.

Comments are closed.