Report: DNA Links American To Italy Murder

Samples From 20-Year-Old U.S. Student, Murdered Roommate, Reportedly Found On Knife

(CBS/AP)  Italian investigators have found the DNA of a murdered British college student, and her roommate - an American woman who's been detained in the case - on a knife belonging to the American's boyfriend, British media reported Thursday.

Amanda Marie Knox, 20, of Seattle, her Italian boyfriend, and a Congolese immigrant have been jailed as suspects in the case since soon after police in the city of Perugia discovered the partially-nude body of her roommate in a pool of blood at their apartment on November 2.

Meredith Kercher, 21, was found with her throat cut.

Britain's Sky News and the British Broadcasting Corp. both reported Thursday that police sources had confirmed DNA from a knife belonging to Knox's 23-year-old boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, matched samples taken from Kercher's body, and Knox herself.

Investigators have not confirmed that the knife, removed form Sollecito's home, was the murder weapon.

All three suspects have denied involvement in Kercher's death. They are being held as suspects, but have not been charged with any crime. Under Italian law, they can be held for up to one year while prosecutors decide if there is enough evidence to bring formal charges.

According to the BBC, police were pursuing several other key pieces of potential evidence, including Sollecito's computer hard drive.

Lawyers have claimed that the Italian and Knox were not at the apartment she shared with Kercher at the time of the murder, but were instead at his home, online.

Police were examining the hard drive in an attempt to prove that Sollecito was not on the Internet as he claims he was, the BBC said.

The report also said investigators were scrutinizing hair samples found in Kercher's left hand, and images from a security video camera that monitors the entrance to the two girls' apartment building.

The body of Kercher, who prosecutors believe was murdered after refusing to take part in an extreme sex game, was flown back to the U.K. on Sunday. She was from the county of Surrey, in southern England.

An Italian newspaper reported over the weekend that forensic traces found in Kercher's apartment suggested that a fourth person may have been involved in the killing. La Repubblica said police discovered DNA in the apartment's bathroom that did not match any of the three suspects.

[brianbwb-2009]

she set the whole thing up to please her wimpy little boyfriend and her Black Boss. UGH.
Posted by wheezel3

What does being "Black" have to do with anything? Why do you racists look for any mention of ethnicity in an article to trigger your expressions of stupidity?

[wheezel3]

Go read the Newsweek article, it''s much more complete. Wormy-looking Amanda Knox is a druggie and a cretin and was undoubtedly jealous of poor Meredith -- she set the whole thing up to please her wimpy little boyfriend and her Black Boss. UGH.

[gunnerone2]

Geez, this story is pretty clear. Some of these posts, like camposanto''s and a few others are just plain bizarre. I have no idea what they are talking about. But as far as the murder is concerned, if these people are guilty then they should spend the rest of their lives in prison. The young girl they killed has no future so neither should they.

[janeyre-2009]

Lifetime, that women''s station. I think that is the name. You know where they kill all of the men?

[marcodele]

I''m not completely whacko. Does that mean I can''t post on this thread?

[victjuli]

CBS knows Bush knows about Kennedy, and won''t divulge it''s sources because of the vast left-wing conspiracy.

[mediapreachr]

Where are those highly paid american lawyers when you need them?

[ymaguoc]

The enemy isn''t in Washington...it''s from the University of Washington! If you recall, Ted Bundy was a Huskie too!

[whatithink-2009]

victjuli,

Are you on some kind of medication? That made ABSOLUTELY no sense. Fox News is *** with your brain.

[candide777]

Who will get the movie rights? Stay tuned.