American Student, 2 Men Held For Murder

Seattle Woman's Italian Hearing Postponed, Two Others Investigated For U.K. Student's Murder

(CBS/AP)  A judge on Thursday postponed a decision for another day on whether there was sufficient evidence to keep an American student in jail in connection with the death of her British roommate, a defense lawyer said.

Judge Claudia Matteini said she would decide Friday whether Amanda Marie Knox, a 20-year-old student from Seattle, should remain in jail pending further investigation into the death of Meredith Kercher, Knox's attorney, Luciano Ghirga, told reporters outside the courthouse.

At the hearing Thursday, Matteini was still weighing whether to continue to hold Knox's Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 24, and a Congolese resident, Lumumba "Patrick" Diya, 38, Ghirga said.

The three were detained on Tuesday in connection with the sexual assault and death of Kercher, 21.

Kercher was found dead Friday, the day after attending a Halloween party, in the apartment she shared with Knox, authorities said.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips said, according to police, the victim was found half-naked with a stab wound in her neck. Police are working on the theory she was killed during a sexual assault.

The coroner said Kercher was stabbed in the neck, but police say no murder weapon has been found.

Knox, Phillips reports, is the daughter of a Macy's department store executive and is said to have a checkered history. Her Myspace page shows her and her Italian boyfriend in costume, she with a machine gun, he with a meat cleaver.

Italian police say there are inconsistencies in the stories they initially told of their whereabouts on the night Meredith was killed last week.

Knox had originally told police that she had actually covered her ears when she heard screaming coming from the victim's room, but she had earlier told police, according to reports, that she wasn't home at all that evening and had come home to find blood on the floor.

Meredith body was later found in her own room with the door locked from the inside.

There are also reports that police had access to a cell phone call between Knox and her boyfriend in which she says, "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep this up." And there's also a report that a knife has been found in the boyfriend's apartment, but at this stage we don't know whether that knife has actually been connected to the murder.

Ghirga said Knox was well but stressed by the experience.

"We maintain her innocence, and the prosecutor maintains she contributed to the crime," Ghirga said.

Sollecito's attorney, Tiziano Tedeschi, told reporters as he arrived at the courthouse that he was "serene" and had "total faith in the judge."

In her profile on the MySpace.com social networking site, Knox wrote that she was majoring in Italian and German and minoring in creative writing.

She wrote on her blog last month that she was in "one of my most happiest places right now" and mentions her house, her language classes, working at Diya's bar six nights a week and her observations on Italian life.

"Everything shuts down in the middle of the day so everyone can have a 3 hour lunch break. i love it," she wrote. "i wish we had that in america. ... Having that time in the middle of the day reminds you that life really isnt all about going to work and making money. its about who you are and what you choose to do and who you choose to spend your time with."

She signed off by wishing her friends well: "Vi voglio bene."

Meanwhile, Meredith's parents and her sister, Stephanie Kercher, have come to reclaim her body.

"Words can't even begin to describe how we feel right now other than utterly devastated at the tragic loss of our daughter and sister, Meredith," said Stephanie. "Nothing can prepare you for the news we received on Friday evening, and it's taken this long for us to be able to express our thoughts."

Candles on Thursday morning still marked the spot where a vigil was held in the heart of the Italian city of Perugia, a city of about 150,000 people which hosts two major universities.

But while candles burned on the steps of the city's medieval cathedral, many foreign students continued to party as usual.

"The Americans still come out as if nothing happened," said Esteban Garcia Pascual, the Argentine-born owner of a downtown pub that is popular among foreign students. "They go out and have fun and continue their adventure."

[bacoop30]

I think this is extremely sad. For everyone who thinks ALL Americans are heartless and could give a *** about the death of a stranger is pure bull@#$%! I care because Meridith was human just like you and me, and it pains me that people hurt eachother. I know a lot of other Americans who care,so please don''t make generalizations about people.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by forthepeopl1 at 11:54 AM : Nov 08, 2007
+ report abuse


*****

you are a crock of sh*t..

you pretty much cut and pasted that one out of one of your buddy''s (chavez) misdeeds.

[forthepeopl1]

SO GO AHEAD AMERICANS BE WEAK, THIS IS COMMING....IT IS TIME FOR A REVOLUTION,TIME TO STOP BUSH/CHENEY


The violence broke out after an estimated 80,000 ant-iBUSH demonstrators - led by university students - marched peacefully to the Supreme Court to protest constitutional changes that would greatly expand BUSH/CHENEY power if voters agree to the changes in December. Unrest, if it continues, could mar a Dec. 2 referendum on the controversial reforms
The amendments being protested would abolish presidential term limits, give the president control over the Central Bank and let him create new provinces governed by handpicked officials.
The protesters demand the referendum be suspended, saying the amendments would weaken civil liberties and give BUSH AND CHENEY unprecedented power to declare states of emergency.
``Don''''''''t allow AMERICA to go down a path that nobody wants to cross , during the march to the Supreme Court.
BUSH, who was first elected in2000, denies the reforms threaten freedom. He says they would instead move AMERICA toward what he calls ``21st century socialism.''''''''''''''''
In televised comments prior to the unrest, BUSH urged ALL AMERICANS to turn out en masse to vote for the reforms. In reference to the opposition, he said: ``Don''''''''t go crazy.''''''''''''''''

SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE HER IN AMERICA, AND SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT...

WITH 250 MILLION AMERICANS THEY CANT KILL US ALL..TIME FOR A REVOLUTION.

[nlm2383]

"The Americans still come out as if nothing happened," said Esteban Garcia Pascual, the Argentine-born owner of a downtown pub that is popular among foreign students. "They go out and have fun and continue their adventure."

What a jerk...I''m sorry, this is a terribly sad story, but I don''t personally mourn the death of someone I don''t know directly. Of course they''re going to go on with their normal, every day lives. Way to single out Americans...I wonder what the Italian''s that didn''t know here were doing?

[casperjgirl]

This is such a tragic story. My heart goes out to Merdith''s family.