Amanda Knox says she wrote unsent letter to Meredith Kercher's family

[alp227]

Source: Press Association UK

Amanda Knox has said she wrote to the parents of her murdered flatmate, Meredith Kercher, insisting she had not killed their daughter – but the letter was never sent.

The American, who once more faces accusations that she was involved in the killing, was advised by lawyers that sending the letter could harm her defence. Knox's desire to communicate with the Kercher family is disclosed in her book, Waiting to Be Heard, which is published in the US on Tuesday.

In an extract seen by The Sun she tells how she wrote to the Kerchers. "I'm not the one who killed your daughter and sister. I'm a sister too and I can only attempt to imagine the extent of your grief. In the relatively brief time that Meredith was part of my life, she was always kind to me. I think about her every day."

Her lawyers told her, though, that it was "not the right time" to send the letter.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/28/amanda-knox-wrote-letter-kercher

[TeeYiYi]

1. By saying, ”I'm not the one...

...who killed your daughter...,” it sounds like she knows who did.

TYY

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Everyone knew who did it. The murderer confessed.

Then, the prosecutors gave him a plea deal and a reduced sentence for implicating Amanda so that they could create a show trial---and absolve themselves of guilt for forcing her to implicate a Black man early in the investigation.

I am amazed at how many seemingly sane people lose their sense of judgment over this case. This is the modern day equivalent of the Salem Witch Trials and seems to have started for the simple reason that "Foxy" means one thing in the US----cute and another in the UK---"bad".

[pnwmom]

9. +1000. n/t

[StevieM]

14. The persecution of Amanda and Raffaele is reprehensible. Their innocence is beyond dispute. (eom)

[davidpdx]

19. This is one of those trials that seems to bring out the worst in people in terms of disagreeing

I think some of it has to do with a hatred of Americans by some (not all) in Europeans. This is amplified by the fact that the victim is British which pretty much led them to assume Knox is guilty. Of course the British press turned the entire thing into a circus which didn't help at all.

[pnwmom]

8. She does. It was Rudy Guede, the man who acknowledged being in the house

at the time, but who claimed that he and Meredith had consensual sex and that he was in the bathroom when some mystery-stranger came in and raped and murdered her.

He had no connection with Amanda or Raffaele, and he had a previous history of armed burglary. He was convicted of the rape/murder in a separate trial. During his appeal two years later, he changed his testimony for the first time to fit the prosecution's story that Amanda and Raffaele were there, and got his sentence cut in half. But more than 85 pieces of DNA and other physical evidence put him in the murder room, and not a single piece of evidence was connected to Amanda. The only piece of evidence the prosecution claimed was linked to Raffaele was a bra clasp, which the court-appointed independent experts said was so contaminated it contained enough DNA for at least 8 different male profiles.

So why did the prosecution charge Amanda and Raffaele? Because before the fingerprint and DNA analysis came back, they had paraded them through town saying they were the murderers. Once they realized all the evidence pointed to Guede, they didn't want to admit they'd made a mistake.

[TeeYiYi]

12. The way she worded it...

...sounded a little like a Freudian slip...

Her lawyers were right to have her hold off on sending it. imo

TYY

[pnwmom]

20. Why? Rudy was convicted and she has every reason to believe he's the guilty person.

There was no evidence that there was more than one killer.

[Fairydust1037]

2. What...

Well when was the right time to send it?

[hrmjustin]

24. Welcome to DU my friend!

[McCamy Taylor]

4. This case proves two things. (Some) Italians can be racists and (some) Brits can be stupid.

Two traits that Europeans love to ascribe (solely) to Americans. It would be funny if not for the fact that two young people had their lives ruined in this comedy of errors.

[davidpdx]

6. We might not agree on much

But you hit the nail on the head. The British papers turned the entire thing into a circus. I have yet to hear of anyone in England who condemned the behavior of the paper. As for the Italian judicial system, it is corrupt. I did hear that there were many Italians toward the end who supported Knox.

I have followed the trial from almost the beginning of when it became public. It seems like it will be several more years before this actually comes to a close.

[CanSocDem]

23. And, you can't deny...

....that (some) Americans are cold-blooded killers.

This story writes itself.

.

[Fairydust1037]

5. Books and Interviews

I always wonder what the mindset is behind doing interviews and books, especially with this case not really at a close. Is it going to help her in some way? Is it solely for money? It's interesting how this book is coming out on the same day as the Diane Sawyer interview, despite the case having a new turn again.

[davidpdx]

7. Her family had to go very deep in debt to provide legal counsel as well as travel expenses

so her family could be there during the trial. I would say mostly it is to get her side of the story out which she hasn't been able to say much before she was released. Sitting in a foreign prison for years with your fate unknown, I would guess, is something that is life changing. As for the turn in the case, it won't matter that much. My prediction is one of two things: 1) the lower court will find her not guilty; or 2) the lower court will find her guilty and the appeals court will overturn it and this time the high court will refuse to hear the case leaving the acquittal in place.

[pnwmom]

11. I don't think it goes back to the lower court now -- it goes back to an appeals court.

And then, whatever the appeals court decides will be reviewed by the Supreme Court -- which could find something wrong with that decision and send it back to appeals again.

So theoretically there is no end to this.

[davidpdx]

18. My understanding is the trial starts over completely

As if none of the previous court rulings existed. But yes, you are right it could go on for years.

The chances of her getting extradited are slim to none though.

[pnwmom]

10. She's innocent and she's home and she can now tell her story.

If you had been falsely accused of rape and murder and your name had been dragged through the mud for years, wouldn't you want to set the record straight?

Her family had to mortgage their homes and even borrow money from her grandmother's retirement to pay for her attorney and their travel costs. Of course she wants to pay them back -- and she has continuing legal bills to pay for.

[TeamPooka]

15. The Diane Sawyer interview is arranged by the books publisher's PR/marketing team. nt

Welcome to DU!

[tblue]

17. If I were accused of something I didn't do

I would shout it from the rooftops. I would fear that my silence would be interpreted as accepting the accusation, the opposite of denial. I can understand wanting to get the word out any way possible that "I AM INNOCENT."

[mainer]

13. The prosecutor is obsessed with Satanic cults

Read Douglas Preston's "Monster of Florence" to understand how crazy this prosecutor is.

[JI7]

16. has she ever apologized to the innocent Black Man she lied about ?

the one who had hired her ?

[pnwmom]

21. Yes, years ago. And she withdrew the statement within hours

of signing it, saying in a second statement that she didn't believe it really happened.

[pnwmom]

22. And Rudy Guede will be released next year

thanks to the deal he reached with the prosecutors, which supposedly had nothing to do with his sudden decision after two years to claim that Amanda and Raffaele had been involved in the murder.