Amanda Knox Awaits Kercher Retrial Decision

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

The sister of murdered student Meredith Kercher has spoken of the "unanswered questions" surrounding her death, ahead of a final court appeal.

Stephanie Kercher said she hoped for answers as Italian Supreme Court judges decide whether to order Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito to stand trial again or to completely close the case.

Miss Kercher, 21, was found semi-naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom in the house she shared with fellow student Ms Knox and two other women in the town of Perugia.

Her sister said: "There are lots of questions without answers and that's why we are looking for the truth.

"We miss Meredith terribly and nothing will bring her back. We hope that the Supreme Court hearing will help to find some answers to what happened that night in November 2007 when our lives changed forever.

"We still get messages of support from all over the world. Meredith will never be forgotten but it's also important not to forget what happened, a beautiful young girl, my little sister, taken away from us too early in a brutal manner, with many aspects to still clarify.''

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted on appeal

Ms Knox, 25, and Mr Sollecito, 29, were initially found guilty of murder in 2009, with Ms Knox sentenced to 26 years in jail and Mr Sollecito handed a 25-year term.

But at their appeal in October 2011, defence lawyers and experts revealed how evidence had been contaminated or poorly handled by forensic teams and that the conviction should be considered unsafe.

They were immediately freed with Ms Knox returning to her home in Seattle while Mr Sollecito went back to Bisceglie on the southern Italian coast near Bari.

Today's hearing will be behind closed doors with neither of them in attendance, and only their lawyers representing them.

A panel of judges will rule whether the Italian legal code was applied correctly and fairly in both trials, and if they find grounds they can order a retrial - as prosecutors in Perugia have demanded - or they can close the case completely.

The case will be decided purely on paperwork and legal documents with no new witnesses giving evidence. A decision is expected by late this evening.

Luciano Ghirga, Ms Knox's lawyer, said: "She is very anxious about the hearing but she is waiting for it knowing full well that the outcome is very important."

Meredith Kercher's mother, brother and sister

Since returning to the US, she has maintained a low profile although she has written a book about her four years in an Italian jail and is due to give an interview to American TV station ABC next month ahead of its release.

Mr Sollecito has also written a book and has already given an interview on Italian TV about the case where he said he and Ms Knox were no longer lovers but were still in touch - he visited her earlier this year and they speak on Skype regularly.

His father, Francesco, said: "He is working hard on his studies. He's working on a project involving the movement of surgical instruments during operations. He is calm and serene even if we are all in a state of apprehension.''

Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito have always insisted they are innocent of murdering Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey.

She had only been in Italy for two months before she was killed, having arrived for a year-long course as part of her Leeds University degree.

Drifter Rudy Guede is serving 16 years for the murder having initially being sentenced to 30 but this was later reduced on appeal.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Amanda Knox Awaits Kercher Retrial Decision

Dengan url

http://pasanganbacklinks.blogspot.com/2013/03/amanda-knox-awaits-kercher-retrial.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Amanda Knox Awaits Kercher Retrial Decision

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Amanda Knox Awaits Kercher Retrial Decision

sebagai sumbernya