Amanda Knox movie set to debut on Lifetime despite opposition
(CBS/KIRO) SEATTLE - A controversial movie about American student Amanda Knox will debut Monday night on Liftetime.
Knox remains jailed in Italy while appealing her conviction in the murder her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.
"Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy," which features "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere, will air despite opposition from both the family of Meredith Kercher and from lawyers representing Knox, reports CBS affiliate KIRO.
A report in the British media said a graphic scene showing Amanda Knox participating in the fatal stabbing of her English roommate has been removed from the movie.
CBS affiliate KIRO spoke with author and forensic scientist, Mark Waterbury, who believes Knox is innocent.Waterbury examined the case for a new book. He said the new movie could damage Knox, because it's airing while the case is still in appeal.
In his new book, "The Monster of Perugia: The Framing of Amanda Knox," Waterbury wrote Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted because of corruption in the Italian legal system.
Waterbury not only believes Knox is innocent, but he also claims she was framed by corrupt prosecutors.
Despite the fact that Lifetime reportedly dropped the graphic murder scene, Waterbury worries that potential jurors could see the movie adding to the fact that the media has a huge impact on the Italian justice system.
"It is not reality, it is a movie depiction. They took a lot of misinformation and they made a movie of it. That's kind of the way they were convicted in the first place," said Waterbury.
A spokesman for Knox's family said that the movie is an "ill-timed, profit-driven venture" and said many family members don't plan to watch.
Kercher was slain on Nov. 1, 2007, in Perugia, Italy, in a case that has generated publicity in both the United States and Europe.
Knox, Sollecito and another man, Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede, were convicted of the murder in 2009 in the Italian courts. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison; Sollecito 25 years. Both deny wrongdoing and their appeals trial is under way.
The trial of Amanda Knox has been covered extensively by CBS News' 48 Hours | Mystery.
Click here for complete coverage of Amanda Knox on Crimesider.
