Amanda Knox to be Acquitted, Prosecutor Predicts

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on September 07, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Will American Amanda Knox go free? Even the Italian prosecutor is now predicting that both Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox will be acquitted after some recent blows to the prosecution's case.

Knox and her then-boyfriend Sollecito were convicted in December 2009 for the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in Perguia, Italy. They are now embroiled in an appeals process that could either free them from jail or affirm their sentences.

Kercher, from the U.K., and Knox were both studying abroad in Perugia. Kercher was found stabbed to death in November 2007 in the apartment that she shared with Knox, reports the AP.

In the first trial, much of the prosecution's case relied on DNA evidence. Knox's DNA was found on the handle of a knife, and Kercher's DNA was believed to be on the blade itself. There was also evidence that Sollecito's DNA was on Kercher's bra clasp, reports the AP.

After Knox and Sollecito were convicted of the murder, the case was brought up on appeal. An independent review ordered by an appeals court found that most of the DNA evidence was unreliable and possibly contaminated, The Telegraph reports.

The prosecution had sought another review of the DNA evidence, hoping to counter the results of the independent review. A court has denied this request, which would be good for Knox and Sollecito's appeal, the AP reports.

But now the prosecution is predicting a possible acquittal for Knox and Sollecito: "I can see both Knox and Sollecito being freed which will be a shame as they are both involved," Prosecutor Manuela Comodi told The Telegraph.

In the U.S., reversing a conviction is usually rare. Appellate courts often won't reverse convictions if there are errors in the trial that are deemed "harmless."

But, even an American court would likely find that faulty DNA evidence is not just "harmless." Bad DNA evidence could mean that Amanda Knox will soon be free. If Raffaelle Sollecito and Amanda Knox are acquitted, it could mean that Knox's 26-year sentence and Sollecito's 25-year sentence over the murder will be vacated.

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