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Amanda Knox Trial: DNA Review Requires More Time

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on May 11, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

It seems as though the Amanda Knox trial, which was the subject of a trashy Lifetime movie earlier this year, is never-ending

In the latest news, the two court-appointed DNA experts who are assigned to analyze evidence that is the subject of Knox's appeal have requested that the Italian court extend their deadline by 40 days.

Improper DNA testing has been central to the Amanda Knox trial and appeal, the former of which ended with the Washington college student being sentenced to 26 years behind bars for the murder of her Italian roommate, Meredith Kercher.

Because prosecutors were unable to pin down a motive, the Associated Press reports that they relied heavily on DNA evidence found on the alleged murder weapon (a knife) and Kercher's bra clasp.

Though they were set to present their findings on May 21, the two experts have asked for more time so that they can further review documentation.

Because the DNA samples were too small to retest, the Associated Press notes that they are instead assessing the accuracy of the original testing.

If the Amanda Knox trial were occurring in the United States, it's likely that an assessment of the DNA evidence would be occurring in the same manner.

Though DNA evidence is highly accurate, if testing is done improperly or without enough of a sample, results can become unreliable.

Reliability of testing procedures is how DNA evidence is most often attacked. If an attorney can cast enough doubt on the way lab technicians handled the evidence, a court can throw that evidence out.

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