Italian lawmakers Claim Amanda Knox Was Treated Unfairly and Have Filed a Petition Requesting an Investigation

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano & Rocco Girlanda

Associated Press: Italy: Campaign in support of Knox steps up

ROME — Some Italian lawmakers claim Amanda Knox was treated unfairly and are seeking a probe of the prosecutors’ office in Perugia, the city where the American student was convicted of murdering her British roommate.  Read the entire article here


Message from the Italy-USA Foundation to the President of Italian Republic

The President of Italy-USA Foundation, Hon. Rocco Girlanda, sent the following letter to the President of Italian Republic, Hon. Giorgio Napolitano, regarding the case of Amanda Knox.

Illustrious President,
I address you as President of the Italy-USA Foundation - that as you know is an international bipartisan institution to which dozens of parliamentarians belong, together with Italian scientists, journalists, diplomats, politicians - and as a parliamentary member of the Judiciary Committee in the Chamber of Deputies. The event of the American student Amanda Knox’s detainment has provoked many discussions and debates, above all in the United States where even members of Congress and other influential institutional personalities are involved. I have been working personally for over a year to try to alleviate the tensions, both in Italy and in the United States, that this case has generated. Also, in full respect of the trial process and of the role of the judicial magistrates, we must make note that the appellate trial has objectively opened more wide and resounding doubts on what was considered clear evidence in the first phase, in which further expertise and examination of testimony were not admitted, limiting the debate in fact to the only reasons of accusation. After all, the same president of the Court of Appeals has opened the second level of trial with an eloquent clarification: “The respect of article 533 of the Penal Procedure Code (pronunciation of sentence only if the accused is guilty of the offense contested beyond any reasonable doubt) does not consent to share totally the decision of the Criminal Court from the first level”. The question that I ask myself is who will compensate two young twenty-year olds, in the hoped for case that the appellate trial recognizes their innocence, of the four years of life and freedom that they have been unjustly depraved and for which no economic compensation could ever reimburse. The use of preventative incarceration will unfortunately with time characterize our country. Even in the United States such measures are difficult to comprehend in so far as the varying rules from state to state. In the U.S. one can be detained from 48 to 72 hours, after which they are officially charged or are released. Trials like that of Perugia could be celebrated with the charged in conditions of freedom, eventually with the restrictive measures about the ex-patriot regarding a foreign citizen. Still, the magistrate has adopted the possible reiteration of the offense as a reason for the detention in jail, a motivation that I limit myself to define as surreal for those like me whom for over a year in these parts have had the chance to get to know Amanda Knox. I have in fact felt the obligation to write a book on Amanda Knox filled with many talks that I had with her in prison, in order to bring her justice and to explain to the world’s public opinion that the true Amanda is a girl completely different from the image that, with the contributions of the media, has emerged from the trials. All of the Penitentiary Police personnel of the prison of Perugia, that have come to know her in the past three years, have confirmed her exemplary behaviour done with respect and kindness towards all of the other detainees and towards the personnel. Amanda is a girl of which today I am proud to call a great friend. She is an ideal girl with which I would send my five children on vacation. Yet from the beginning, this case has pointed out some of the forceful and disturbing rule of law. During the investigation, a television and internet interview was conducted with a State Police officer that showed the corridor of the Roman Police offices, where there are framed photographs of such figures like the leaders of organized crime, serial killers, and other criminals convicted with severe crimes. The officer in question also showed some of the successes of the Central Operating Services, and right after the portrait of Bernardo Provenzano, head of the mafia, there was a framed portrait of Amanda Knox. This portrait was displayed in the State Police offices even before the first trial, and it was accompanied by very serious declarations to the press of that ruling (which has never been sanctioned) where he argues that a “psychological” investigation without the help of science and technology has, “allowed us to arrive very quickly to identify the culprits”. Is it not necessary to recall here that according to the legal principles of our country a defendant can only be found guilty at the end of three sets of hearings by the judiciary and not at the end of police interviews. It seems indeed rather curious and disturbing that in a democratic and liberal state, despite what is required by the Code of Criminal Procedure about the need for absolute and unambiguous evidence, it is possible to judge a citizen convicted only on “psychological” bases after a police interrogation. Through the light findings from the appeal process, the so-called evidence and testimonies of the prosecution have proved to be at best considered contradictory and unreliable. All of these distortions have occurred in the various phases of the investigation by the out of place statements from the police and during the first trial; they been widely reported and distributed throughout United States, even in talk shows with tens of million viewers. These distortions, not without reason, are fueling accusations against the administration of justice in our country. In this sense my intention is to present, along with several colleagues, a parliamentary question to the government regarding the case of Amanda Knox being held. All of this is to protect the freedom of the individual, but above everything else, ensuring the principles of liberal democratic institutions. As Martin Luther King wrote in a letter from the Birmingham, Alabama prison, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere... Justice too long delayed is justice denied”. In this light and with the hope of a different ruling on the Amanda Knox trial taking place in Perugia, I’m well aware of the feelings you have towards the American nation and towards the excellent, historic friendship between the two countries. I would make an appeal, Mr. President, because your authoritative intervention will help to reconcile and mitigate the many controversies that this incident has generated on both sides of the Atlantic. In expressing my deepest gratitude, to the many citizens of Italy and America that the Italy-USA Foundation is honoured to represent, I take this time to express my utmost respects.

Rocco Girlanda

Amanda Knox Prosecutor Continues Abuse of Power to Silence His Critics

 

   

As support continues to build for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, as they fight for their freedom in Perugia Italy, the controversial prosecutor that secured their convictions continues to abuse his power in attempt to silence their support. Prosecutor Guiliano Mignini was the lead prosecutor in the Meredith Kercher murder trial in Perugia Italy, ending in guilty verdicts for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito in late 2009. The trial was highly controversial leaving many throughout the world to believe that Amanda Knox and Rafaele Sollecito have been wrongfully convicted. The appeal for both is currently ongoing.

Last month, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending the rights of journalists worldwide, released an open letter to Italy's President, Giorgio Napolitano, highlighting their concern with the conduct of Giuliano Mignini during the Meredith Kercher trial. CPJ reports that the anti-press actions of Mignini and those under his supervision has caused the press to shy away from reporting on the Meredith Kercher case including the ongoing appeal trail for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. The open letter highlights the abuse of freelance reporter Frank Sfarzo, who has been very critical of the case on his blog Perugia Shock.

You can read more about the open letter, Mignini's conduct, and the harassment of Frank Sfarzo here: http://www.groundreport.com/World/Authorities-Called-Out-For-Harassing-Journalists-i/2938450.

Guiliano Mignini has shown that he has not been swayed by CPJ's concerns regarding his past and present behavior, by continuing to press forward with a defamation lawsuit against Perugia Shock, a blog created and maintained by Frank Sfarzo. Mignini has repeatedly threatened legal action in attempt to silence those who disagree with him. Bowing to pressure, Google recently took Frank's blog offline. 

Investigative reporter Frank Sfarzo, creator of Perugia Shock, June 2009. Photo by Candace Dempsey

In a recent interview, Sfarzo told CPJ that he received an email from Google, which hosts the Perugia Shock blog, informing him that a court order has been issued for the “preventive closure” of his blog. It was from that court order that Sfarzo learned that Perugia Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini has filed a lawsuit against Perugia Shock for “defamation, carried out by means of a website.” The court order was issued on February 23, by Florentine Judge Paola Belsino.

Frank Sfarzo's reporting must not be silenced. Injustice in Perugia has frequently backed up the Perugia Shock blog because we have long feared that it would become a target of Mignini. Perugia Shock will be back online in its entirety very soon. You can view the new blog here: http://www.perugiashock.com.

Frank Sfarzo is the only reporter that has attended every single court hearing for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, and the only Italian reporter providing information to an English speaking audience. Perugia Shock has provided invaluable first hand information about this case for over three years. Frank Sfarzo's voice must not be allowed to be silenced by a corrupt prosecutor hell-bent on destroying anyone who dares to disagree with him. Enough is enough!

The Committee to Protect Journalists was appalled to see Mignini's latest abuse of power and was quick to respond:

"The Committee to Protect Journalists authorities calls on Florence and Perugia to drop the trumped-up defamation lawsuit against Perugia Shock, an English-language blog created and maintained by Frank Sfarzo, an Italian freelance journalist and blogger. Sfarzo has endured sustained harassment in retaliation for his reporting and commentary on the official investigation into the November 2007 murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher."

“We call on Perugia Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini to drop his defamation lawsuit against Perugia Shock and allow it to remain online,” CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. “This is hardly the first time Mignini has resorted to the law to silence his critics. It’s a heavy-handed tactic that is bound to have a chilling effect on journalists in Italy .” 

This story has been a hot topic on blogs that follow the Amanda Knox case. You would think that other bloggers would come to Frank Sfarzo's defense, in light of the fact that his blog was taken offline, as this is clearly a matter of free speech. Instead the anti-Amanda Knox groups run by New Jersey resident, Peter Quennell and Seattle resident, Peggy Ganong have taken this opportunity to attack Frank Sfarzo and CPJ. The true intentions of these groups have been crystal clear in their reaction to this story. Peggy Ganong speaks adamantly about free speech when others post on her website, Perugia Murder File, yet she has failed to stand up and state that it's wrong to silence Frank Sfarzo. Excuses are being made on her website that Perugia Shock contained defamatory information so the censorship was warranted. This is a baseless claim but one that is quite interesting coming from Peggy Ganong whose website often posts defamatory information about credible writers and journalists such as Douglas Preston and Candace Dempsey. 

Peter Quennell has used his website, True Justice, to attack the CPJ, an organization that works tirelessly to protect journalists throughout the world. Quennell mocks CPJ's Joel Simon accusing him of hiding and pushing out another "naive" spokesperson. Why should CPJ respond to Quennell's baseless attacks and why on earth would Joel Simon feel the need to hide from Peter Quennell? Who does Quennell think he is? In his most recent rant, Quennell refers to Joel Simon as "Joel Fisher," Maybe Quennell will come up with another ridiculous theory that Joel and I are working with Frank Sfarzo and Giuliano Mignini to promote the grand conspiracy that is brewing in Quennell's head.

Quennell's website has posted many falsehoods regarding this developing story, including the falsehood that Frank Sfarzo is an "anonymous Perugian blogger." Quennell's description of Sfarzo makes absolutely no sense due to the fact that Sfarzo is well known in Perugia. Quennell even shows Sfarzo on his website photographed standing next to Giuliano Mignini. The "anonymous" tag comes from the fact that Frank Sfarzo uses a pen name on his blog. Peggy Ganong had this to say on her website: "My guess is that Frank Sfarzo hopes to get some sort of career mileage out of this. If he held himself to real journalistic standards and reported under his own name, things might be different."  Is it possible that Peter Quennell and Peggy Ganong honestly feel that using a pen name is justification for being pressured into silence by the authorities?

Quennell suggests on his website that Sfarzo created this entire drama to bring attention to himself: "NO WAY that site would be going live if a judge in Florence had said to shut it down. Or if Frank’s legal troubles were because of it. Or if Mignini really were gunning for him. It looks like all the Google Blogger hullaballoo yesterday was to simply set CPJ up for another anti-Mignini attack, and to add to Frank’s martyrdom and jump his usually very small audience."

Does Peter Quennell believe that CPJ is in on his dreamt up grand conspiracy? Does he believe that Giuliano Mignini is in on it too? Of course Quennell's theory is complete nonsense. If Quennell took thirty seconds to do some research he would quickly find out that Frank Sfarzo is not the one posting the new Perugia Shock blog and he would also see that the court order against Frank Sfarzo is very real and currently viewable online. You can view the court order here: http://blog.seattlepi.com/dempsey/2011/05/13/sweden-rescues-italian-amanda-knox-blog-google-are-you-watching-2/

If Quennell's egregious accusation that Sfarzo pulled off a publicity stunt, and was never actually harassed, wasn't enough, Quennell also accused Frank of being sexually attracted to Amanda Knox: "Frank. Up to mid 2008 Frank was humanely pro Meredith and sensibly pro guilt. Then he turned on a dime and developed a noticeable lust for Knox." 

When is Quennell going to realize that everything in life does not revolve around sex? I would think Quennell's recent shortcomings would cause him to refrain from this type of speech. I guess it's true that old dogs never learn.

The attacks coming from Quennell and Ganong against Frank Sfarzo are very telling. I would ask anyone who looks to their websites for information on the Amanda Knox case to ask themselves, what kind of person would condone the harassment of a journalist or a blogger, no matter what side of this debate he or she stands on?

Frank Sfarzo deserves the support of anyone who believes in the right to free speech. Those currently fighting so hard against him need to stop and think about what they are actually fighting for.  

Committee to Protect Journalists: Italian Prosecutor Files Defamation Lawsuit, Shutters Blog

Giuliano Mignini

New York, May 11, 2011—The Committee to Protect Journalists authorities calls on Florence and Perugia to drop the trumped-up defamation lawsuit against Perugia Shock, an English-language blog created and maintained by Frank Sfarzo, an Italian freelance journalist and blogger. Sfarzo has endured sustained harassment in retaliation for his reporting and commentary on the official investigation into the November 2007 murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher.

 

Sfarzo told CPJ that he received an email from Google, which hosts the site, last night informing him that a court order has been issued for the “preventive closure” of his blog dedicated to the Kercher case. In compliance with that order, Google took down Perugia Shock; it is now unavailable. It was from the court order, Sfarzo told CPJ, that he learned that Perugia Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini—who has a long-standing record of anti-press actions—has filed a lawsuit against Perugia Shock for “defamation, carried out by means of a website.” The court order, which stemmed from Mignini’s claim, was issued on February 23 by Florentine Judge Paola Belsino. Mignini is the lead prosecutor on the Kercher case.

 

“We call on Perugia Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini to drop his defamation lawsuit against Perugia Shock and allow it to remain online,” CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. “This is hardly the first time Mignini has resorted to the law to silence his critics. It’s a heavy-handed tactic that is bound to have a chilling effect on journalists in Italy .”

 

CPJ has documented a history of official harassment, physical attack, and fabricated legal prosecution against Sfarzo—all stemming from his blog, which he created in 2007. The blog carried reporting and comments on the Kercher case. On it, Sfarzo regularly criticized what he considered flaws in the Kercher investigation, at times using harsh language to express his views. Sfarzo’s case was a focus of CPJ’s April 19 letter to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, which expressed concern at the anti-press actions of Perugia authorities.

 

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Amanda Knox: A Case Dominated By Sexual Obsession

In late 2007, student Meredith Kercher was found brutally murdered in a hillside cottage in Perugia Italy. Her murder sparked a media frenzy due to the alleged sexual nature of the crime. News out of Perugia told unsubstantiated tales of a satanic ritualistic sex orgy that led to murder. At the heart of these accusations was Meredith's roommate Amanda Knox. This outrageous fantasy all began with a kiss.

The morning following the murder, Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were standing outside the cottage watching investigators and members of the media converge on the murder scene. As both stood there in the cold, Raffaele held Amanda keeping her warm and at one point they shared a few short kisses. At that moment cameras flashed, images of the two kissing were viewed around the world, instantly creating the fictional satanic ritualistic sex crazed killer "Foxy Knoxy." The media failed to note that Amanda was scared and shaking, looking for comfort in an extreme moment of shock. They also failed to note that the nick-name pulled from Amanda's MySpace page was actually a childhood nickname earned for her skills on the soccer field. "Foxy Knoxy" made for salacious headlines in a story that was becoming more sexually charged with each coming hour. Sex sells and the media saw the opportunity to cash in. Unfortunately the truth was nowhere on their radar.

In the days and weeks that followed, the fantasy of a lust driven and sexually motivated sex killing was the topic of conversation about a case that in reality had absolutely nothing to do with sex. Police moved forward with their investigation of what they would call a "threesome sex-orgy gone wrong." False claims fueled what quickly became a sexual obsession that overwhelmed every media report. One story in particular sent the obsession into overdrive. It was reported that Amanda went to a lingerie shop with Raffaele shortly after the murder to by a g-string. Readers were told they were seen laughing and talking about "wild" sex in the store. As it turns out, the witness claiming to hear the sex talk didn't speak any English. Amanda and Raffaele just so happened to be speaking English in the store. We would later find out that the witness was paid by a tabloid. Even worse, the store wasn't even a lingerie shop. Elizabeth Vargas, an ABC reporter, reported on the Oprah Winfrey show that she visited the store and observed that they didn't even sell the sexy lingerie that was described in the media. She described the store as being similar to a Target store in the United States. Unfortunately, the security camera footage that showed a brief moment when Amanda smiled at Raffaele was all the media needed to propel the lie around the globe.

Barbie Nadeau

One of the most salacious writers in the case, yellow journalist Barbie Nadeau was front and center when it came to fueling the sexual obsession hovering over the case. She printed outright lies regarding excerpts leaked from Amanda's prison diary stating that Amanda claimed to have slept with seven partners during the time she was in Italy. The truth is, in a dishonest attempt to gain information about her sex life, Amanda was told by corrupt prison officials that she tested positive for HIV. In a very responsible manner, Amanda put together an honest list of partners she had been with during her lifetime. Little did she know that immoral journalists such as Barbie Nadeau would use this information to formulate egregious lies to be used against her.

Nadeau consistently shows how out of touch she is with the current culture in Perugia Italy. For example, Nadeau left college students in Perugia baffled when she made this observation:

"I don't think it's completely out of the picture to assume that group sex is part of the university experience now.  Based on interviews I have done, it's just what kids are doing in Perugia. These kids are not strangers to what I would consider to be extreme sex games."

Most readers would probably be quite interested in hearing from those Barbie claimed to interview. If group sex is a normal part of college life, Barbie Nadeau is the only one to realize this.

But Barbie's salacious style is not just used to sexualize the students of Perugia or Amanda Knox. Instead, Nadeau is one of the few yellow journalists willing to take her constant sexualization to the next level by disrespecting the murder victim, Meredith Kercher, in her book Angel Face, describing her lifeless naked body in lurid and sexualized terms ( as viewed during autopsy). There was no reason whatsoever to mention anything about the appearance of Meredith’s private parts and Nadeau should be ashamed for stooping to that level to promote her career. 

Sexually charged headlines for articles written by Barbie Nadeau, and others like her, came easy for editors all around the world.  For those who haven't followed the case, salacious headlines like the following were the norm:

"Lesbian Sex Plea to Knoxy"

"Foxy Knoxy plays the field from her jail cell with new romance"

“Diary reveals Foxy Knoxy’s sex secrets"

“Hayden banned from seeing sex monster Knox”

Giuliano Mignini

The Prosecution and the Court

The media carries much of the blame for fueling the sexual obsession, but we must not forget that they were being fed erroneous information from the prosecution's office led by Giuliano Mignini. Mignini was the media's source for many of the lies that were spread early on. Prosecutor Mignini would change his theory of the crime many times throughout the course of the trial. He eventually dropped the sex game theory that filled the headlines for over two years leading up to the verdict, going with an equally ridiculous theory that Amanda simply hated Meredith enough to kill her. Along with the baseless motivation of hatred, he was able to keep lust in his narrative. He created dialog for Amanda during his closing argument and imagined her saying this to Meredith during the attack: "You are always behaving like a little saint. Now we will show you; now we will make you have sex."

Judge Massei, the head magistrate in the case, didn't buy Mignini's theory and instead created his own lust driven theory of the crime. Massei suggested that Amanda and Raffaele were being intimate in Amanda's room when they overheard Rudy Guede attacking Meredith. Instead of coming to Meredith's aid, Amanda and Raffaele decided to join in on the attack. The amazing thing is that Massei's theory is even more ludicrous than Mignini's. Why would Amanda decide to help a virtual stranger attack and murder her friend? How would they have known that Rudy would not attack them? Common sense was nowhere to be found and apparently any sexually driven theory would do.

Peggy Ganong and Perugia Murder File

The sexual obsession fueled by the court and observed in the media was quickly adopted by a group of individuals running an ongoing hate campaign against Amanda Knox online. This group assembles on a discussion board called Perugia Murder File (PMF) run by Seattle resident, Peggy Ganong. The same group also runs a so called informational site called True Justice (TJMK) run by New Jersey resident, Peter Quennell. This group claims to be dedicated to preserving the memory of Meredith Kercher but in reality their only goal is to smear Amanda Knox. They continuously show an obsession with sex in their daily conversation attempting to paint Amanda's supporters as middle-aged men that only support Amanda because they are sexually attracted to her. Here are a few quotes from PMF, the site moderated by Peggy Ganong:

"They are middle aged Perverts who dream of being the foxy to Amanda's knoxy"

"All are middle-aged men driven by fantasies of recapturing lost youth, being a hero and carrying the damsel in distress off into the sunset."

"those middle aged one hand typists who spend their sleepless nights imagining romantic interludes with Amanda."

"seriously sick, pitifully perverted, lust aided attraction that some bored middle aged males with keyboards, have for a unanimously convicted, justly incarcerated young female"

Recently, this group suggested that Wikipedia Founder Jimbo Wales became interested in the Amanda Knox case because he was looking to have sex with Amanda.

"I don't see the pay-off in the end. Right now, Jimbo is on the verge of losing any sense of respect as a new media entrepreneur (lying about his checkuser results, for example) just for a chance to catch a peek of some tender young sex killer flesh."

"Jimbo is precisely the profile of the aging Lothario looking for access to tail through his powerful media connections. He isn't thinking with his correct head and everything he's proposed is straight out of the FOA manual."   

"Somebody should give Jimbo a cold shower. He's really lathered up and ready for brunette sex killer action"   

Peggy Ganong should have been ashamed to be part of that conversation, but as moderator she not only endorsed the dialogue but joined in with a zinger of her own: "In all seriousness, what is it with these wiki guys and their wicks?"

Peter Quennell: The worst of the sexually obsessed 

Peter Quennell, who runs the website True Justice, does nothing to hide his obsession with murder victim Meredith Kercher on his site, giving readers an experience that is outright creepy. He doesn't hesitate to carry on the sex laden talking points of his group. He had this to say about me when he felt the need to talk about my daughter while accusing me of lusting over Amanda:

"Hmmm. Someone now tells me that Bruce Fisher who runs some FOA website claims to have a daughter. I have never paid much interest in him, but one has to wonder why he is slobbering kinkily over Amanda Knox while at the same time undermining those public institutions that are the bedrock of the future of his daughter and, when she has them, her own kids."

Even though many of the people that support Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are women, Peter Quennell, Peggy Ganong and their followers, like to spread lies that the support comes primarily from perverted middle-aged men. This line of thinking is disgusting, but not surprising.  More likely than not, followers of Quennell and Ganong project their own shameful and creepy sexual obsessions onto others.

Recently, Quennell showed his obsession with young women when he stalked and attempted to extort money from a young woman who resisted his advances. This young woman's name will not be mentioned in this article in order to protect her privacy. Quennell attempted to lure this young woman into a business deal in which he would create a promotional website to help build her career. She was new to the United States and Quennell's offer sounded pretty good in the beginning. Quennell proceeded to create a website telling the young woman that he was creating the site free of charge to show her the benefits of his promotional expertise. The site included many personal details of the young woman's life and she did not approve. The young woman was shocked at the website Quennell had created and also became concerned (and was warned by at least one friend) that his interest in her was not solely business-related. Quennell's emails were at times sexual in nature, repeatedly asking for her to take trips with him. He refused to cease communications with her when asked, and he appeared to her to be obsessed.

The young woman asked Quennell to take the website offline but he refused, demanding money to remove it. Quennell sent the young woman hundreds of emails encouraging (pressuring) her to work with him. This disturbing daily barrage of emails led the young woman to become afraid of Quennell and she decided to go to the police. It was only after being contacted by detectives that Quennell finally removed the website ending this young woman's nightmare.

Quennell has been instructed by the police to have absolutely no contact with this young woman. In fact, if, as a result of this article or any other catalyst, Quennell decides to disobey the instructions of the police and contact or harass this young woman, or repost the offensive website he created, he knows that he will be in violation of stalking laws, and will be subject to arrest.  Additionally, individuals close to the case are in possession of several hundred emails sent by Quennell to this young woman. To this point, they have been kept confidential, and will remain so, unless Quennell violates stalking laws by any of the previously mentioned actions or continues to harass the young woman in any way, shape or form.

I know of other women that have been mistreated by Quennell that have chosen to stay silent for personal reasons. I encourage anyone that has been wronged by Peter Quennell to come forward. Exposing the truth will help to prevent Quennell from mistreating others in the future. Peter Quennell is one of the leaders of the ongoing hate campaign against Amanda Knox. If this information doesn't cause readers to pause and reevaluate what kind person Peter Quennell is and how credible his website is, nothing will.

The truth in this case has been clouded over by a disturbing sexual obsession that began with the prosecution. This obsession spread like cancer throughout the media, distorting public perception, fueling a hate campaign, eventually leading to the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, who now face a quarter century behind bars.

The murder of Meredith Kercher was a brutal crime but not a complicated one. Rudy Guede ambushed Meredith when she arrived home while Guede was in the process of burglarizing the residence. Meredith endured a violent attack which included rape. This crime was not one of lust acted out by three sex killers. This crime was one of extreme violence inflicted by one man in an act of pure evil. The sexual obsession that overwhelmed this case was based on pure fantasy; it was never about sex.

Amanda Knox: Keep the Faith

By Karen Pruett

On May 6, 2011, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito will have spent 1,277 days in prison for a murder they did not commit.  One week longer than Meredith Kercher’s actual murderer, Rudy Guede.

May 20, 2011 will be an important day in appellate court as Judge Claudio Patrillo Hellman rules on the admissibility of challenged DNA evidence and witnesses.  In late March the Roman experts conducting the independent review advised the court that there was “not enough DNA to test” on either the Knife or the Bra Clasp and the clasp was rusted from incorrect storage.  We are cautiously optimistic that the judge may consider throwing out both pieces of evidence which would clear the way for Amanda and Raffaele’s release.

So our hopes are that Judge Hellman will follow the law and rule fairly.

Two prosecution witnesses were also challenged by the defense.  “Toto” Curlatolo, the homeless heroin addict who hangs out in the plaza above the cottage, and Nara Capazelli, a neighbor who lives across the street.  Toto described for the court, six times under oath, the night of Halloween with kids in costumes getting into disco buses as he watched Our Kids “watching the cottage” until midnight.  Meredith died the next evening on All Saints Day when no buses were running.  The defense produced three disco owners who affirmed that no buses ran on November 1, 2007.

Then the Chief of Homicide, Monica Napoleani, “could not be found,” she was to testify about interviewing Toto; the judge leveled a fine of 300 lira and compelled her to appear.  The absence of Napoleani is significant as she has never missed a day in court and is a key player in Amanda’s ordeal.  This woman is one of the directors of the Illegal Interrogation and the source of the “cartwheel” legend.

Mrs. Capazelli, the “Ear Witness,” is an elderly lady who lives across the street and claimed to hear a scream the night of the murder.  When police saw her interview on TV, she was subpoenaed, but never actually interviewed by them.  An acoustical test proved that it was impossible to hear a scream through her closed double-paned window.  The defense witness, a tow-truck driver, was outside in the general area and never heard a scream.

Although this is good news for the defense, we do not trust the Office of Public Minister Giuliano Mignini, as they are adept at manipulating Italy’s Laws.  Currently he is ‘assisting’ the prosecutors, but by Italian law he not supposed to have anything to do with the appeal, yet he continues to work the system.

On April 20, 2011, CBS News reported that longtime Innocence advocate, Frank Sfarzo, the Perugia Shock blogger who lives and reports from Perugia, was arrested by the police, beaten up and then charged with police abuse.  Doug Longhini reported that “The New York based Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote a letter to Italy's President Georgio Napolitano expressing concern about the continuing harassment of journalists covering the Knox case in Italy. The Committee complained that journalists had been threaten and harassed by police and prosecutors in Perugia for the past several years; the worst case being Sfarzo's.”  PM Mignini is trying to silence him with the same tactics he used on Doug Preston and Mario Spezi in 2006.  The prosecution is calling Frank 'crazy.’  Sound familiar?

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”—Robert F. Kennedy.

“Amanda is one of the most selfless, compassionate people I’ve ever known. She has been a positive influence in my life since I met her and continues to be one even now.  Her optimism, kindness, care for others, and hope for this world will always inspire me. Even now, in complete Amanda-fashion, her letters home are filled with concern for her loved ones instead of complaints about her own plight.  The emptiness we feel without her is testament to the type of person she truly is. 
I miss you Amanda.  Seattle is even more gray without you here.—Madison Paxton, a friend who moved to Perugia in 2010 to help Amanda’s family care for her, AmandaDefenseFund.org.

“Meredith Kercher was murdered in Perugia Italy, November 1st, 2007.  Investigators were aware early on that there was no evidence at the crime scene to suggest that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were present at the time of Meredith Kercher's murder.  They were also aware of the fact that the lead prosecutor on the case, Guiliano Mignini, was telling them the two were involved.  With this in mind, they would try desperately to find incriminating evidence to satisfy Mignini’s request.  This approach led to a rush to judgment long before a single piece of evidence was tested and more importantly before the real killer, Rudy Guede, had even appeared on their radar.”—Bruce Fisher, moderator. InjusticeInPerguia.org, author of “Injustice in Perugia.”

“None of the pieces taken from the crime scene pointed to Knox or her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito – the evidence all pointed to Rudy Guede.   Guede's DNA was everywhere, in the victim's room and on her body.  Guede has been convicted of murder, but why they persisted in still charging and convicting Knox and Sollecito, I don't know.  It's a pretty simple story, if they waited for the DNA first, they would have solved this quickly without any kind of mess.”—Dr. Greg Hampikian, Boise State University, Director of the Idaho Innocence Project.

 “The more I investigated, the more I realized that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito could not have had anything to do with the murder of Meredith Kercher.  Moreover, one reason that they were falsely convicted was that every rule of a good investigation was violated.”—Steve Moore FBI (ret), Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent.

“If they are innocent, then how did they get convicted?  Amanda and Raffaele were detained and held without charge before the forensic evidence came back implicating Rudy Guede.  The day of their arrest the police paraded them through the old town with lights on and horns blaring.  By the time Guede was becoming a suspect, a major figure in the Rome police department had put Ms. Knox’s picture in the hallway, right next to the arrest of Bernardo Provenzano.  I think it is a case where the police and Public Minister Mignini had made a bold claim about Knox and Sollecito’s involvement and could not back down.”—Christopher Halkides, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, “View From Wilmington,” blogspot.

 “The Massei Motivation is important evidence.  Very poor evidence against Amanda and Raffaele, but very telling evidence against Giuliano Mignini and the judges that made this decision.  As we analyze it, we see a pattern of contortions that go well beyond bad judgment calls or mere incompetence.  Instead we see sign after sign of willful and deliberate twisting to achieve a desired result.  It is a critical fact for the understanding of this trial that guilt was preordained; the evidence was an afterthought.”—Mark Waterbury, PhD, Science Spheres, author of “Monster of Perugia, the Framing of Amanda Knox.”

“Despite Mignini’s having been convicted of abuse of office for his Monster of Florence activities, he’s still being allowed to participate in Amanda’s appeal, a most-unusual occurrence since appeals are supposed to be do-overs.  Even Amanda Knox’s lawyers have not escaped Mignini and the Perugia police’s legal wrath, nor have her parents, who are being sued for slander.  The father and sister of Raffaele Sollecito, her co-defendant, are also being brought to court for leaking a crime scene video–despite the many, many leaks from police and prosecutors during the so-called “trial of the century.”—Candace Dempsey, Seattle PI, author of “Murder in Italy.”

“This is going to make you laugh. Guess who the prosecution, now, thinks to be involved with the crime?  Me.  It’s no surprise. It’s perfectly consistent with everything else.  The great psychologists who thought that a girl first watches Amelie and then goes and kills her housemate must of course think that the one who writes about a crime is the criminal.  Five cops, then, reported to have been beaten by me and they proved it with a medical certificate.  Will the great judges be fooled again by a couple of cops and a piece of paper?  Of course.  It’s their specialty!  This is the local mind.  Have you all now figured out why this judicial disaster happened?”—Frank Sfarzo, Perugia-Shock.blogspot.com, March 26, 2011.

 “Amanda had absolutely nothing to do with the murder.  The outpouring of abuse toward her is extremely disturbing.  I am convinced she is innocent and I cannot understand why there has been such a bloodthirsty rush to judgment.  The ugly anti-Americanism in the Italian and British press is perhaps understandable (although inexcusable), but why the same in America?  Some of the comments posted in blogs verge on the psychotic.”—Douglas Preston, author of “The Monster of Florence.”

“It’s a railroad job from hell.  Say goodbye to Amanda, she's been so convicted already that it's scary.  She's gonna be gone unless people rise up and fight."—Paul Ciolino, CBS News, Afterword from Monster of Florence, by Preston and Spezi.

“No one can put Amanda with Rudy or Raffaele with Rudy.  I believe that Italian authorities railroaded Amanda for the crime after theorizing Meredith was killed because she refused to join in a drug-fueled orgy with Amanda and the two men.  The citizens of Italy have been given misinformation about her.  Their justice system is great, but like our justice system, it is run by people and can be abused, mistakes can be made, they took a good person and they demonized her.  Amanda was unjustly convicted due to the ill-will of the prosecutor and the media’s assault on her integrity.”—Michael Heavy, U.S. Superior Court Judge.

“I am continually impressed by the caliber of people who are speaking out for Amanda and Raffaele.  Some are dealing with irrational barriers as they advocate for these innocent kids, yet continue despite the hate mongering and slander.  No one does that for a guilty person.”—Karen Pruett, Innocence Advocate.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I don’t know if I can really express what it means to me to have the people who have known me (and even those that haven’t) by my side throughout all of this… After a year I at least have learned to respond to the negativity of my current environment as peacefully and calmly as possible, but my family is still out there in the world that just can’t seem to make up its mind about what to do with my life. So thank you, thank you, thank you.  Io lo so che non sono sola anche quando sono sola.  Even when I am alone, I’m not alone.”—Amanda Knox, Capanne Prison, December 2009.

Taking back their reputations one word at a time.

The Committee to Protect Journalists Speaks out: In Italy, journalists threatened for reporting on murders

Perugia Public Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini

Injustice in Perugia has been granted permission to post this letter in its entirety by The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

April 19, 2011
His Excellency Giorgio Napolitano
President of the Italian Republic
Palazzo del Quirinale
00187 Roma
Italia
Via email: presidenza.repubblica@quirinale.it

Dear President Napolitano,
The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending the rights of journalists worldwide, is deeply concerned about local authorities' harassment of journalists and media outlets who criticize the official investigation into the November 2007 brutal murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in the central Italian city of Perugia. CPJ is particularly troubled by the manifest intolerance to criticism displayed by Perugia Public Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, who has filed or threatened to file criminal lawsuits against individual reporters, writers, and press outlets, both in Italy and the United States, in connection with the Kercher murder investigation as well as the investigation into the Monster of Florence serial killings.

• Italiano

The Kercher murder investigation was headed by Mignini and conducted by a Perugia police unit known as the Squadra Mobile. Mignini was also in charge of the latest investigation into the unsolved murders of eight couples in Tuscany between 1968 and 1985, collectively known as the Monster of Florence killings because of the especially cruel manner in which the victims were slain.

The anti-press actions of Squadra Mobile under Mignini's supervision, coupled with Mignini's longstanding record of harassment of journalists who criticize his conduct on the job, cause the press to stay away from sensitive subjects, including important developments in the Kercher case such as the appeal of two defendants in the case. CPJ is particularly concerned about the impact Perugia authorities' repressive actions have on local reporters and individual bloggers, who lack the support and backing of major publications. These individuals are most vulnerable to official retaliation for their work, including legal prosecution and physical attack.

As the appeal of the defendants--U.S. student Amanda Knox and Italian student Raffaele Sollecito--continues at the appellate court of Perugia (Corte di Assise di Appello di Perugia), we call on you to ensure that journalists, writers, and bloggers are able to report and comment on the proceedings freely and without fear of reprisal.

Of the cases that have come to CPJ's attention, one stands out because of the abusive actions employed by members of Squadra Mobile to punish a critic of the official Kercher murder inquiry. Local freelance reporter Frank Sfarzo created his English-language blog Perugia Shock in 2007, days after Kercher's gruesome murder. Based in Perugia, Sfarzo became interested in the case from the start, posting reporting and comments on it on his blog. Sfarzo regularly criticized what he considered flaws in the Kercher investigation, at times using harsh language to express his views.

Sfarzo told CPJ his troubles started on October 28, 2008, the day Knox and Sollecito were indicted and a third defendant was convicted of murdering Kercher. Several members of Squadra Mobile, Sfarzo told CPJ, approached him just outside the city court (Corte di Assise di Perugia) and started to push and hit him. "You are pissing us off!"--they told him, referring to his coverage.

When the trial of Knox and Sollecito began that December, Squadra Mobile continued to harass him. They regularly tried to prevent him from entering the court; seized his cellphone and went through his contacts and text messages; mouthed insults at him from across the courtroom; and stared over his shoulder as he took notes. "This was done in the presence of the judge, the Carabinieri [the military police], and the court guards, but they would do nothing," Sfarzo told CPJ.

The harassment reached its peak on September 28, 2010, when five officers of Squadra Mobile forcibly entered Sfarzo's apartment. They did not produce a warrant or show their badges, Sfarzo told CPJ. Four of the five shoved Sfarzo to the ground, struck him, handcuffed him, and climbed on top of him, crushing his air supply, he told CPJ. They stopped when a neighbor, disturbed by the commotion, showed up, Sfarzo said.

Next, the officers took Sfarzo to the Perugia city hospital, where they claimed he had attacked them; they persuaded a doctor to issue a medical report for the injuries Sfarzo was alleged to have caused. In addition, the Squadra Mobile officers brought Sfarzo before a psychiatrist, demanding that she issue him a certificate of insanity. To prove that Sfarzo was mentally ill, the officers produced Sfarzo's reporter's notebook on the Kercher murder case, which they had seized from his apartment. "They told the doctor that I was pathologically obsessed with the case, that I was so fixated on it I must be insane," Sfarzo told CPJ. The psychiatrist refused to issue the certificate.

From the hospital, the officers brought a handcuffed and injured Sfarzo to their headquarters, where, in the blogger's words, they "displayed me as a trophy," referring to him as "the bastard who defends Amanda [Knox]." The officers refused Sfarzo's requests to call his lawyer or his relatives, and put him in a cell for the night.


The next day, the officers brought Sfarzo before a local judge, who validated his arrest and indicted him on several articles of Italy's penal code for "using violence and threats to resist public officials" and "injuring an officer." Sfarzo was released pending a trial in May. He faces up to six years in prison if convicted. "The police can count on the complicity of judges," Sfarzo told CPJ. Police officers, he added, are sure of their impunity.

CPJ is also concerned that Prosecutor Mignini has filed or threatened to file criminal defamation lawsuits against a number of journalists and media outlets--both in Italy and in the United States--who have criticized his record.

In September 2010, Giangavino Sulas, an investigative reporter with the national weekly newsmagazine Oggi, received an official notification that Mignini had started legal action against him in response to an Oggi article he had published earlier that year, Sulas told CPJ. The article in question criticized the Monster of Florence homicide investigation, which Mignini headed, and mentioned the prosecutor's conviction on abuse of office charges related to his conduct in that case, Sulas said. Oggi editor Umberto Brindani also received two "notices of investigation" that year--dated July 24 and September 2--in relation to the magazine's coverage of the Monster of Florence case, CPJ confirmed. Neither Sulas nor Brindani have received further prosecution notices. (In January 2010, a Florence court handed Mignini a 16-month prison term on, among other charges, illegal wiretapping of journalists who covered the Monster of Florence case. Mignini remains free and on the job while he appeals the sentence.)

Back in 2006, Mignini had veteran crime reporter Mario Spezi imprisoned on a long list of trumped-up charges as retaliation for Spezi's journalistic investigation into the Monster of Florence series of killings. CPJ advocated on Spezi's behalf, Spezi was eventually released, and his work resulted in a best-selling true crime novel, named after the case and cowritten by U.S. writer Douglas Preston. Despite the positive dénouement, in the years after Spezi's release, Mignini has continued to pile up indictments against the journalist in the Monster case. The indictments have been as severe as "complicity to murder," CPJ research shows. In October 2009, when Spezi was attending a preliminary court hearing in one such indictment, he read a statement in his defense, the journalist told CPJ. The statement was sharply critical of Mignini, Spezi told CPJ. Soon after the hearing, the prosecutor indicted Spezi for "offending the honor and prestige of a judge"--a criminal charge that carries up to five years in prison if convicted.

Spezi's trial on that charge took place in February in Florence. He was found guilty in early March and sentenced either to serve 15 days in prison or to pay 570 euros (US$826) in damages to Mignini; Spezi told CPJ he has opted to pay. He and his lawyer are considering an appeal, he said.
CPJ research shows Spezi no longer covers the Monster of Florence case. And the chilling effect of Mignini's anti-press actions has reverberated across the ocean.

Preston, Spezi's co-author who suffered harassment by Mignini himself in 2006--and eventually was forced to leave Italy for fear of imprisonment--told CPJ he was still afraid of going back. He has been unable to clarify his legal status in Italy. In the summer of 2008, Mignini told third parties that he would have Preston arrested if the writer returned, Preston writes in the Afterword to The Monster of Florence paperback edition, published in 2009. When the U.S. State Department contacted Mignini's office to verify whether an arrest warrant in Preston's name indeed existed, Mignini refused to reply, citing concerns for Preston's confidentiality, the author said.

Mignini has used a similar tactic against the U.S. weekly newspaper West Seattle Herald. In late January 2009, the paper published an article that criticized the investigation into the Kercher murder case as lacking in evidence; it also contained a reference to unnamed legal experts who reportedly believed Mignini to be "mentally unstable." The article was published on the web on February 1 of that year and triggered a swift reaction by Mignini. Eleven days later, he told the BBC he had filed a defamation claim against the West Seattle Herald. "I am quite a healthy man," the BBC reported Mignini as saying. "I don't go to the doctor much, and I have never visited a psychologist."

In an email interview with CPJ, West Seattle Herald Editor Ken Robinson said the paper had not received any official notifications of legal action. Robinson said that the paper does not fear repercussions from Mignini and that the paper does not send reporters to Italy simply for budgetary concerns.

Robinson said he and his newspaper were not perturbed by the prosecutor's actions, but that is not the case with Joe Cottonwood, another U.S. writer Mignini has threatened with a criminal defamation lawsuit. Cottonwood told CPJ the action stems from a comment related to the Kercher murder case that he emailed to a reporter-friend in Italy. In the comment Cottonwood described Mignini as an "intellectually dishonest bully." The comment was published by the Italian daily newspaper Il Giornale in August 2009.

In an email interview, Cottonwood told CPJ he learned of Mignini's intention to file defamation charges against him from the Italian press. (CPJ is trying to confirm whether Mignini has indeed filed the charge.) But whether Mignini has indeed filed the charge or only threatened to do so, Cottonwood is not taking any chances. "I will not return to Italy," the writer told CPJ. "I don't have the financial resources and can't afford to defend myself there."

Your Excellency, we are urging you to ensure that reporters and writers are not afraid to cover, comment on, and criticize the activities of Perugia authorities. This is particularly pressing now that the appeal of two defendants in the Kercher murder case goes on at a local court.

We ask you to ensure that the politically motivated lawsuit against Perugia blogger Frank Sfarzo is immediately scrapped and that outside investigators are assigned to conduct an investigation into the September 28-29, 2010, abusive actions of Squadra Mobile officers against him.

We also call on you, in your capacity as president of Italy's Superior Judicial Council (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura), to ensure that Perugia prosecutors, including Mignini, are not allowed to use criminal defamation as the proverbial bogeyman against their critics. It is unacceptable that journalists, bloggers, and writers on both sides of the Atlantic should censor themselves by staying away from subjects of public interest such as the Meredith Kercher murder case and the Monster of Florence killings because of Prosecutor Mignini's inability to tolerate the scrutiny that comes with public office. It is also unthinkable that U.S. journalists--who have reported in Italy before and love the country--should not dare go back for fear of being arrested.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We await your response.
Joel Simon
Executive Director

Ron Hendry's Analysis of Meredith Kercher's Bra & Clasp for Amanda Knox Case

How the enraged killer ripped the victim’s bra apart with his bare hands

When Meredith Kercher’s body was found the day after the murder, her bra was lying on the floor near her feet. A small portion of her bra, a clasp fabric with two hooks, was later found under a pillow which was under her body. A visual inspection indicated that both shoulder straps were severed. Also, the clasp fabric with two hooks had been severed from the right back strap. A reconstruction of the murder and sexual assault found that the killer, Rudy Guede, had severed the bra at both shoulder straps and the back strap fabric clasp hook section and had then pulled the bra off from the front. Recently, a close examination was undertaken of how the bra straps were severed. The only available quality detail photos of the victim’s bra were those taken at the crime scene. Unfortunately, these photos show only one side of the bra making it difficult to discern and understand the original bra design.

The photo above is the best overall photo of the victim’s bra shown with the breast cups reversed to each other and marked with L for left and R for right.

The exact make and model of the bra is also not currently known so an exemplar bra has not been examined. However a similar bra was examined along with viewing of bra designs over the internet. In examining the similar bra and comparing it to the photos of the victim’s bra, several similarities were noted in the basic construction of each bra. These similarities appear rather common from observing the construction of bra photos found over the internet.

Typical full cup bra design
The victim’s bra was found to be a full cup bra design with shoulder straps. Full cup bras with shoulder straps typically have cup receptacles for both breasts which are connected to each other with fabric and then with side or back straps that attach in the back of the wearer through a hook and loop attachment. Bras typically have shoulder straps that connect from the top of each bra cup over the shoulder to the respective back strap. The shoulder straps typically have an adjusting feature in the back which connects to the non-adjusting strap segment via a metal loop. The non adjusting strap is looped through the metal loop and sewn together at this loop connection. The left back strap typically terminates in the middle of the back with a clasp fabric loop receptacle section.

The right back strap typically terminates in a clasp fabric hook section which overlays the fabric loop section and attaches to the loop receptacles. The right shoulder strap typically attaches to the right back strap a few inches from the clasp fabric hook section and then is sewn along the upper fabric edge of the back strap where it ends and is sewn to the clasp fabric and hook section. The same general construction applies to the left shoulder strap with the exception of the end being at the clasp fabric loop section.

Examination of victim’s bra
A close inspection of the left shoulder strap indicates that this strap was separated at the metal loop connection on the back shoulder side. The non adjustable strap had failed at its threaded connection to the metal loop allowing the non adjustable strap to separate. The killer had to tightly grip the left shoulder strap to either side of the metal loop and then utilize a maximum pulling apart effort to induce failure in the threaded end of the non adjustable strap.

Thus, one would expect the four or five inch region to either side of the left shoulder strap metal loop to be a prime location to find skin and or blood cells belonging to the killer.

Same photo as above with blue circles and dotted lines showing where the left severed  shoulder strap had been connected. The green circles show where the end of the right severed shoulder strap had been sewn to the bra back strap where the fabric clasp hook had also been sewn.

 

Above is a closeup of the adjustable section of the left shoulder strap showing the metal loop is lacking a non adjustable strap connection. The arrow on left points to a blood stain likely left by the killer’s hands and was either his or the victim’s blood. The arrow on right points to an irregular crease in the strap likely made by the killer’s tight grip needed  to pull the strap apart at the metal loop.

Above  is the non adjustable portion of the left shoulder strap whose end has been ripped from the metal loop by tearing open the sewn threads. Below is a closeup of the ripped open end showing torn sewing threads. The DNA of the killer is likely on this section of the strap as a result of the tight grip and pulling action needed to break the strap apart at the threaded connection.

Next, we consider the right shoulder strap. This strap was severed at the connection of the adjustable strap segment to the back strap. One end of the adjustable strap was sewn to the back strap for about two to three inches where it terminated at the connection of the clasp hook fabric. A close inspection of the right back strap indicates the right shoulder strap had been totally ripped off at the threaded connections.

The photo above shows a closeup view of the right back strap and right shoulder strap. The end of the severed right shoulder strap is located at the upper arrow. This strap had been sewn along the blue line to the back strap where it ended at the clasp fabric hook section which had also been torn off and is not shown in this photo. The lower left arrow locates where the clasp fabric hook had been sewn onto the right back strap.

The upper photo above is a view of the inside end of the right back strap. The bottom photo is a  view of the inside of the severed fabric clasp hook. Both had been sewn together along with the end of the right shoulder strap. Note the machine cut look to both pieces and the sewn appearance to both pieces with loose threads seen in both as well. Also note that one of the hooks has been heavily deformed and almost pulled apart from the clasp fabric.

When examining the severed fabric clasp hook section, one can detect where it had  been sewn together with the right bra strap end. When examining the right bra strap end, one can detect where it had been sewn to the fabric clasp hook and the right shoulder strap.

Thus, it becomes apparent that ripping off the right shoulder strap would result in a partial if not total unzipping or ripping off of the fabric clasp hook as well. If anything, once the right shoulder strap had been ripped off, it would take only a little more effort to totally rip off the fabric clasp hook. 

The illustration above shows how the fabric clasp and hook (red outline) was sewn attached to the end of the right bra strap. The blue line shows how the right shoulder strap had also been sewn both to the back strap and the inside of the fabric clasp and hook. Thus when the killer ripped off the right shoulder strap he also partially ripped the fabric clasp from the right bra strap.

The illustration above shows the three primary hand grips the killer used to rip apart the victim’s bra. Handgrip zones 1 and 2 (orange) are the locations the killer likely used to try and pull the back strap apart at the hooks. Handgrips 3 and 4 (blue) were the locations the killer likely used to rip the right shoulder strap off the bra strap and this in turn likely partially separated the fabric clasp and hook piece. Handgrips 5 and 6 (green) were the locations the killer likely used to pull the left shoulder strap apart at the metal loop.

The photo above shows the bra from the Mignini Forensic Report. The numbers apparently indicate four locations where DNA testing had taken place by Forensic Biologist Stefanoni. Location A corresponds with location 6 in the handgrip illustration. Location C is at one end of location 5 in the handgrip illustration. Location B appears to somewhat correspond with location 3 in the handgrip illustration. Location D is outside the location 4 in the handgrip illustration. Stefanoni reported finding Rudy Guede’s DNA only at location B.

The photo above shows a view of outside of clasp showing blood drops on the fabric. Forensic Biologist Stefanoni sampled the fabric as one DNA test and sampled both hooks as a second DNA test. She testified finding the DNA of the victim and Raffaele Sollecito on the combined hook sample and only the victims DNA on the fabric sample. The finding of Raffaele’s DNA on the combined hook sample has been heavily disputed by the defense of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox.

Likely scenario for ripping bra apart

The killer likely initially briefly attempted to unhook the rear back strap. When unable to quickly do that, the killer likely tried pulling the back strap apart by gripping to either side of the hook and loop connection. This almost succeeded as it pulled the top hook almost out of its cloth attachment and deformed it. The killer likely next grabbed the right shoulder strap with one hand and the right back strap with the other and totally ripped the right shoulder strap away from the right back strap. This almost tore the fabric clasp hook off from the back strap as well. The killer then likely grabbed the fabric portion of the clasp with the hand that had been gripping the shoulder strap and finished pulling the fabric clasp from the right back strap. Next the killer likely grabbed the left shoulder strap on both sides of the metal loop and pulled the shoulder strap apart at the threaded connection of the non adjustable strap.

Findings and observations

The victim’s bra had been ripped or torn apart in all locations by brute hand and arm force. The killer had not used a knife to cut the bra at any of the severed locations. In addition, all the torn failures occurred wholly at the threaded connections and not in the fabric pieces that make up the bra.

The killer was obviously still in an enraged state when he tore the bra apart by hand. In order to induce all this damage by hand, the Killer had gripped the bra in at least six separate locations and pulled apart with enough force to likely rub off skin cells containing DNA. These six locations were identified and are likely to contain sufficient DNA for identification.

The killer, Rudy Guede, was found with healing hand cut wounds and admitted being cut in the hand when he was in the upstairs flat the night of the murder. Therefore, in half of these tight gripping locations, the killer’s own blood is likely to be found. The fabric portion of the fabric clasp hook is another location of a possible strong grip for the final separation of that piece from the right back strap.

The hooks may not have even been touched during the removal action. A normal unhooking of the back bra strap is done by gripping the adjacent fabric and doesn’t require the hands to touch the hooks. Even if the killer’s hands touched the fabric hooks, this contact would not likely have been anywhere near as strong as the contact to the fabric to pull the bra straps apart and thus would not likely have left a DNA signature on

the hooks.

If the killer’s blood was left anywhere in Meredith Kercher’s room, it was likely left on the fabric portions of the bra during the several strong gripping and pulling actions to

tear the bra apart.

A call for Independent DNA Testing

It is this writer’s firm opinion from a review of the totality of the physical evidence that Raffaele Sollecito was not in Meredith Kercher’s room or the upstairs flat the night she was murdered.

However, the Prosecution and indeed Presiding Judge Massei, maintained that Raffaele Sollecito participated in the effort to remove the bra. Judge Massei in his sentencing report said that Raffaele Sollecito “---, finding himself behind Meredith, pulling on the bra with violence, finally deciding to cut it) ---”. Massei says Raffaele cut the bra with his own pocket knife.

The gripping and pulling actions all occurred on the bra fabric. If Raffaele participated in the violent pulling action to remove the bra, then his DNA should show up in several locations on the bra fabric.

Therefore, an independent laboratory with no agenda or bias should be allowed to reexamine

and test the bra for multiple indications of the killer’s enraged and deranged behavior. In all likelihood any subsequent non biased testing will find Rudy Guede’s DNA and blood all over the bra fabric with no finding of Raffaele or Amanda.