Italian prosecutors vow appeal of Knox verdict

PERUGIA, Italy - While Amanda Knox headed home to the United States a free woman Tuesday after an Italian appeals court dramatically overturned the American student's murder conviction, prosecutors expressed disbelief in the verdict and vowed an appeal to Italy's highest criminal court.

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini said Tuesday that he would appeal after reading the court's reasoning due out within 90 days.

"Let's wait and we will see who was right. The first court or the appeal court," Mignini told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

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Amanda Knox not guilty of murder

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"This trial was done under unacceptable media pressure. The decision was almost already announced; this is not normal," he said.

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If the highest court overturns the acquittal, prosecutors would be free to request Knox's extradition to Italy to finish whatever remained of a sentence. It is up to the government to decide whether they make such a request.

Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in 2009 of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher, a 21-year-old British student who shared an apartment with Knox in Perugia. Knox was convicted to 26 years, Sollecito to 25. Both had been in prison since Nov. 6, 2007, four days after Kercher's body had been found at the apartment.

But, the prosecution's case was blown apart by a court-ordered DNA review that discredited crucial genetic evidence.

Monday's verdict reverberated through the streets of this medieval hilltop town, where both Knox and Kercher had arrived for overseas studies programs four years ago.

(At left, watch a "CBS Evening News" report on the verdict)

Hundreds of mostly university-age youths gathered in the piazza outside the courtroom jeered as news of the acquittals spread. "Shame, shame," they yelled, adding that a black man had been made to shoulder all of the guilt for the murder.

The jury upheld Knox's conviction on a charge of slander for accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of carrying out the killing. The judge set the sentence at three years, less than the time Knox had spent in prison.

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Amanda Knox personal photos

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Just before deliberations began Monday, Knox tearfully told the court she did not kill her roommate.

"I've lost a friend in the worst, most brutal, most inexplicable way possible," she said of the 2007 murder of Kercher, who shared an apartment with Knox when they were both students in Perugia. "I'm paying with my life for things that I didn't do."

[rickstas]

What a big difference in the reaction for Casey Anthony and Amanda Knox. Americans are convinced that they are just victims of the rest of the world.

[gca2]

This prosecutor should be disbarred. Do they do that in Italy??? He seems to come up with bizarre theories for how a murder was committed and has a complete disregard for logic.

[gca2]

Sorry, I forgot that several geologists are on being tried for manslaughter for not predicting an earthquake, so perhaps bizarre is quite acceptable.

[heardJunk]

The convicted killer, Rudy Guede, is currently in prison for the murder of poor Meredith Kercher. Guede's DNA was found on Ms. Kercher's body and INSIDE her body. His bloody handprint was found on a pillow underneath her nude dead body.

Two mobile phones, two credit cards and 300 euros in cash had been stolen at the time of the murder. Guede, who shortly thereafter fled the country, to be arrested later in Germany, had a lame story about how he had a "date" with Ms. Kercher in her apartment and how a "shadowy figure" came in and committed the murder, while he was in the bathroom. He even supposedly "struggled" with this shadowy figure and the shadowy figure escaped after hurling a racial remark.

You see, Rudy Guede is a black man from Africa. So in the mind of racist Italian liberals, he could not possibly be guilty of such a horrendous crime without somehow being "framed" by an EVIL WHITE MAN. In this case, the evil white man morphed somehow into an evil white American woman. What a complete load of bull-crap. This was an open-and-shut case if ever there was one. The real murderer is behind bars. Justice has been served.

[numag]

I am convinced beyond all doubt that Amanda participated in the murder of Meredith Kercher. I became convinced when I read a copy of Amanda's handwritten letter to police after she verbally confessed, and signed another statement summarized by police (which were not admitted at her first trial because she had no legal counsel when she confessed the first time). The judge did allow her voluntarily written letter.

Search for this letter, she wrote it on Nov. 6, 2007, there is a wonderful 'Statement Analysis' done on it too -- within this letter she names the owner of the pub where she worked, Patrick Lumumba, as the murderer -- she said she saw him in the house with Meredith and covered her ears when she heard Meredith screaming. Patrick had an iron-clad alibi, but Amanda didn't admit to falsely accusing him until after the police investigation exonerated him two weeks later.

There is a 427+ page report from Amanda's first trial detailing all the evidence of Amanda's guilt -- called the Massei report after the lead judge in the trial -- the guilty verdict was unanimous. I have read this report -- there is no possible way on earth Amanda Knox was not involved in this murder -- she definitely participated -- there is a mountain of evidence!

American media are being spoon-fed propaganda by the million-dollar+ propaganda machine paid for by Amanda's parents and supporter, Friends of Amanda -- this is a fund-raising group that exists to pay for the professional liars, media relations specialists, and legal defense. The bill is into the millions of dollars, so big that Amanda will be doing talk show interviews, news specials, and books and movie deals for years to pay it all off. This is why her parents have to convince Americans that Amanda is innocent -- so they can all cash in!

The American public and media have been played for fools by this propaganda machine. Look for the mountain of evidence against Amanda Knox that is published in other countries -- some of the British media, The Daily Beast, Andrea Vogt (Seattle free lance writer), for the truth about this case. You are NOT getting the truth from ABC News, CNN, NBC, CBS -- they are all being paid to lie.

Look to these web sites for the 'other side of the story:' 1) True Justice for Meredith Kercher; 2) Perugia Murder File. This will open your eyes to how much real evidence there is against Amanda!

[innocent1bystander]

Yes, she did "confess" if that's what you want to call it. The problem is that the details in her confession do not match the crime scene. That is why experts concluded that it was coerced and why the cops had to claim that her verbal confession DID match the crime scene. This sham is reminiscent of trials in the Jim-Crow South. Of course, it is possible she is guilty (it is also possible that Pavarotti did it), but certainly not beyond a reasonable doubt. She was acquitted despite the local population and the Brits demanding blood--that's not typical of a miscarriage of justice.

[innocent1bystander]

One more thing, the judge could have sentenced Ms. Knox for the entire period she spent in prison but didn't do so. Why is this relevant? Well, if she were sentenced for the entire time spent in jail (or a few days longer), then she would not have had a good prosecutorial misconduct case since the direct damages (loss of freedom which is of concrete value) would go away and she would be forced to talk about reputational costs (which is speculative). The judge was in essence, putting the cops and dishonest prosecutor on notice and opening them to repercussions to their misconduct. This seems to suggest that not only was there insufficient evidence to convict, but that the misdeeds of the prosecution/investigators was repulsive to the judge--even if he doesn't come out and say it directly (although he did scold a bit, didn't he?).

[mstarvin2003]

Hopefully this girl has a shred of intelligence and will never leave the US again!!

[Armed_Texan]

This is another perfect example of overzealous lawyers putting their careers ahead of justice, and the innocent paying the price. Trumped-up DNA "evidence", coerced confessions, human abuse, conspiracy to commit fraud -- you name it, this case has it all. The prosecutors should have to serve four years in prison to make up for their reckless behavior.

[EyeEdit1]

Why in the world would Amanda Knox wish to return to Italy? Further I have to ask whether people are grasping the extent of corruption, incompetence, ignorance and superstition this case revealed. How quaint and picturesque were the Middle Ages in Europe ... anyone?

[red1530]

If the prosecutor succeeds in his appeal the United States government should deny the extradition request due to exposing Amanda to double jeopardy.

[jb80538]

Italy doesn't have a double jeopardy law like the US. But I'm sure she will never set foot in Italy ever again.

[catwoman1952]

I believe they only went after her because she is an american.....too bad, she is out of their country, let them appeal all they want.....the prosecuter needs to be prosecuted for making up lies and false evidence.

[scribe15]

Amanda Knox is a victim of racism. The crowd protested her acquittal on the basis of her skin color- they cannot accept that a black man was (rightly) convicted and white defendants are freed, regardless of the facts of the case which indicate that Knox and her boyfriend were railroaded to conviction by some twisted idea of racial parity- let's show how racially tolerant we are by convicting two innocent whites so there will be racial diversity among the "killers". Unspeakably unjust.