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| Patricia Stefanoni |
The controversial
murder case against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, in Perugia
Italy, has now been completely demolished on appeal. Knox and Sollecito
currently stand convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher in late 2007.
Both have vehemently denied any involvement in the murder and now after
nearly 4 years, it appears their voices will be heard.
Court appointed
independent forensic experts, Stefano Conti and Carla Vecchiotti, from
Rome's Sapienza University, released a scathing report detailing gross
negligence on the part of lead forensic scientist, Patricia Stefanoni,
regarding the key DNA evidence used to secure convictions in the first
trial. The alleged murder weapon and a DNA laced bra clasp have been
fully discredited leaving absolutely no credible evidence to confirm the
convictions of Knox and Sollecito. The report will be presented to the
court July 25, where it will be game over for the prosecution.
As an English
translation of the report becomes available, it is clear that much of
the blame belongs to Stefanoni, who lied repeatedly in court to benefit
the prosecution. The independent experts cite an egregious violation
committed by Stefanoni that clearly shows she had an agenda.
The worst of all
revelations is Stefanoni's failure to objectively test DNA samples. The
method she used centers in on a specific suspect, a practice that is
forbidden by all international standards due to the fact that it leads
to biased analysis. Samples are
to be analyzed individually and then the final results are compared to
see if any produce a positive match. If one begins knowing what they are
looking for already, they are likely to interpret the electropherogram
to match the result they are trying to achieve. Conti and Vecchiotti
explain as follows:
"Statements about a profile obtained from a sample under examination, regarding the decision as to which is a true allele and which a 'drop-in', must necessarily be pronounced without knowledge of the suspect's profile; only in such a way, in fact, can a qualitatively unimpeachable and balanced approach to the interpretation of the profile emerging from the sample in question be guaranteed. An interpretation of the profile obtained from a sample, carried out with the suspect's reference profile available, indicates an imbalanced [approach], and is in total contrast with the absolutely objective nature of forensic science"
Stefanoni not only
violated protocol, but also lied about it in court when she stated that
she had adhered to proper procedure and analyzed all traces in an
absolutely objective manner. Her boss, Dr. Renato Biondo, head of the DNA Unit at Polizia Scientifica,
Rome, and consultant for the prosecution, needed positive results from
Stefanoni and she was more than willing to fulfill the request.
This is not the first time Stefanoni has been dishonest with the court. Stefanoni
claimed that stains detected at the crime scene using luminol (an
investigative tool used to detect blood not visible to the human eye)
were never tested for blood; however, in July 2009, when pressured by
the defense, Stefanoni released information originally withheld
confirming the stains were tested with tetramethylbenzidine, which is
extremely sensitive for blood. All of the stains detected with luminol
tested negative for blood. Stefanoni held this information from the
court testifying instead that the stains were indeed blood. This is yet
another example where Stefanoni created evidence to benefit the
prosecution.
But Stefanoni’s lies do not end there. She
also lied when she testified that she changed gloves every time she
handled a new sample. However, Raffaele Sollecito’s defense used clear
video and photographic evidence to show that Stefanoni used the same
gloves multiple times.
Patrizia Stefanoni is
one of the prosecution's key pawns that contributed to the injustice
committed against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito and her actions
should not go unpunished. The conclusions made by the independent experts are
very clear and are expected to be accepted by the court that appointed
them. An ongoing translation of the report can be viewed here:
With the latest
findings, Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann should move for a rapid
conclusion to the appeal, fully exonerating Amanda Knox and Raffaele
Sollecito, in compliance with Italian law. Perugia will then be left
with the job of cleaning up the mess by eliminating those who created
it, as all responsible must be held accountable for causing irreparable
damage to two innocent people.
