Forensic experts in Amanda Knox appeal reject key DNA evidence

By: Casey Glynn
Topics: Daily Blotter

Amanda Knox arrives at hearing Monday

/ AP Photo

(CBS/AP) PERUGIA, Italy - Forensic experts have rejected the reliability of key DNA evidence used to convict Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of killing her British roommate in the Italian city of Perugia.

Pictures: Amanda Knox Appeal

At Knox's appeal hearing Monday, the two experts presented a report concluding that much of the DNA evidence used in the 24-year-old's trial trial was unreliable and possibly contaminated.

Knox is back in court appealing her conviction in the 2007 murder of her roommate, Meredith Kircher.

DNA evidence played a crucial role in securing the convictions of Amanda Knox and her co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito in the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, who was stabbed to death in the apartment she shared with the Seattle exchange student.

CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports the defense will try to show the quality of the police work in general has been shoddy, not nearly reliable enough to convict a young woman of murder.

One key piece of evidence under scrutiny is the murder weapon, a knife, on which investigators found Knox's and Kircher's DNA. The independent forensic report argues the sample on the knife was simply too small to be reliable.

Another piece of evidence, Knox's DNA on Kircher's bra strap, is also under question. The prosecution originally argued there was DNA on it, too, from Knox's boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, which proved he and Knox together were at the murder scene. Not so, says the independent forensic report, which points out that the clasp was left at the crime scene for six weeks and eventually was collected by police using dirty gloves.

The new forensic report, Palmer notes, maintains the Italian police mishandled evidence or failed to follow proper procedure a total of 54 times after the murder investigation began.

Edda Mellas, Amanda Knox's mother, told CBS News: "She's still locked up, and so that's horrible, and it's hard every day in prison, but I think she's feeling more hopeful, like all of us. She feels like she can breathe. That's what she described to us. She feels like the choke-hold is off of her and that there's definitely more hope."

Complete coverage of Amanda Knox on Crimsider

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by brotherap July 27, 2011 7:42 PM EDT

The national media manufactured "court of public opinion"(Italian, this time) wants justice and the police obtained DNA is adequate enough for them no matter how shoddy the procedure and contaminated the sample. As far as the Italian public is concerned, the contaminated DNA arguments are irrelevant just like they were to the American public in the OJ Simpson case. As far as the Italian public is concerned, DNA contamination or not, Amanda Knox is guilty. The prosecutor presented his motive of a ritual killing, and Europeans know that a lot of young Americans have shown a curiosity about voodoo, witch craft, satanism, vampirism, etc. Amanda's arrogant swagger at the onset didn't help and gave the judges adequate motive to charge her. Unlike the common law courts in America the judges are probably not going to buck the Italian public's opinion, after all they got to continue to go out and eat downtown Perugia. In order to shift the momentum she will have to find, as OJ Simpson has now found exculpatory evidence,(Read Pursuit of Exhibit 35 in the OJ Simpson Murder Trial) that was willfully concealed from the court and the public. I hope that this is not the case but unfortunately smart money says that it will be.

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by Barry_T July 28, 2011 9:37 AM EDT: brotherrap, if anyone has a fixation on voodoo and the occult it is Magnini. His epistemic arrogance has wasted four years of their lives. What started as a mistaken assumption regarding the bloody footprints being Raffaele's has turned into an embarrassment to justice everywhere because this prosecutor and his keystone kops. Had they not forced a false confession out of Amanda, they would have had room to manuever. What they didn't count on was world-wide blowback. If Magnini had an ounce of ethical integrity, he would ask the court to dismiss charges against them.


by browniesanyone July 25, 2011 2:22 PM EDT: let that young woman out for god's sake.; Reply to this comment

by hidegirlgcks July 25, 2011 12:28 PM EDT

If they didnt kill her, who did??

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by joancj July 25, 2011 1:43 PM EDT: Rudy Guede raped and murdered Meredith Kercher...period. His forensic material was found all over her tiny bedroom and on and in Ms Kercher. No forensic material belonging to Amanda Knox or Raffale Sollecito was found in the bedroom. There is no way such a bloody, brutal crime could occur and only the forensic material of one person be left behind.


by 4swimtaxi July 25, 2011 11:29 AM EDT: And the truth shall set them free!!!!!!
Hoping Italy does the right thing and sets them free.
They are odiously innocent, they deserve their freedom.; Reply to this comment