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Perugia: The Italian Town Haunted by Amanda Knox
The medieval city of Perugia is known for its chocolate, its well-respected universities, and for hosting one of the world's premier Jazz festivals. But in the United States and Great Britain, this city of ancient, winding streets filled with fortress-like stone dwellings is inextricably linked to Amanda Knox, the American college student who was convicted and then acquitted of murdering Meredith Kercher.
The trials attracted a tsunami of reporters from around the world to this ancient Umbrian hill town and exposed a decadent sex, drugs and party subculture that has existed amongst the student population here for a long time. Various news reports indicated that the Knox-Kercher case has scared away British and American tourists and students but according to some in Perugia, the overall effect on tourism here may not be as grim as one might think.
Tourism officials here didn't want to make an official comment on the effect of the Knox case on tourism in Perugia, but hotel managers and a local who rents apartments to tourists here told me that the publicity surrounding the case has brought more Italian tourists to Perugia, not less.
"Italians have a curiosity to come here and see where the murder took place," said the apartment manager, who asked that I refrain from publishing his name. "They're also visiting the island of Giglio to see where the Costa Concordia crashed. People have a fascination with these things."
The apartment manager and others here have told me that locals are nearly unanimous in their belief that Knox and her Italian boyfriend, Raffeale Sollicito, who no longer lives here, are guilty. The fact that Knox has received a book deal that could be worth close to $4 million has only hardened attitudes towards her here. (Kercher's father is also set to release his own book) Sollicito reportedly finished a computer science degree in prison and, according to ABC News, recently had job interviews in the U.S.
Criticism of the Italian judicial proceedings, which were widely viewed in the U.S. as a travesty of justice, damaged national pride in Italy and created ill will towards Knox's defenders in the U.S. I followed the trials and was relieved when Knox was acquitted on appeal because I don't think there was anywhere near enough evidence to convict her of murder. I came to Perguia to see the city's historical treasures but couldn't resist taking a walk out to the house where Meredith Kercher was murdered. (see top photo)
As I arrived with my family in tow, a young Bangladeshi couple that now lives in the home were on their way out. They were accompanied by some relatives who were visiting from Great Britain who translated for us. The young man, whose name was Mohammed, just moved into the home four months ago, after emigrating from Bangladesh. The landlord never mentioned that a gruesome murder took place in the home but he wondered why tourists come by to photograph the place.
Initially, Mohammed asked me to take his photo and include it in this story, but I bumped into him later that evening- he sells novelty balloons on Corso Vanucci in the center of town- and he asked me to delete the photos of him from my camera.
The house is located behind an imposing fence on a busy street, very close to the University where Knox was a student. It's considered a run-down area in Perugia but there is a very nice view of the surrounding countryside behind the home. I found no evidence of any memorial for Kercher, which is a shame.
After looking around the place for a few minutes, I felt like an intruder, even though Mohammed and his relatives were very friendly and seemed to want to ask us about the Knox case, which they had only a vague awareness of. The infamous house has new tenants and life goes on, but Perugia will never be the same.
For her part, Knox has stated that she still loves Perugia and would like to return to Italy, though it's not likely she'll do that anytime soon, given the fact that Italian prosecutors have appealed her acquittal. Her parents face defamation charges for comments they made about alleged mistreatment of their daughter by Perugia police officers and Knox is reportedly planning to testify via videoconference. For Perugia, there is no end in sight to the Knox case notoriety.
Criticism of the Italian judicial proceedings, which were widely viewed in the U.S. as a travesty of justice, damaged national pride in Italy and created ill will towards Knox's defenders in the U.S. I followed the trials and was relieved when Knox was acquitted on appeal because I don't think there was anywhere near enough evidence to convict her of murder. I came to Perguia to see the city's historical treasures but couldn't resist taking a walk out to the house where Meredith Kercher was murdered. (see top photo)
As I arrived with my family in tow, a young Bangladeshi couple that now lives in the home were on their way out. They were accompanied by some relatives who were visiting from Great Britain who translated for us. The young man, whose name was Mohammed, just moved into the home four months ago, after emigrating from Bangladesh. The landlord never mentioned that a gruesome murder took place in the home but he wondered why tourists come by to photograph the place.Initially, Mohammed asked me to take his photo and include it in this story, but I bumped into him later that evening- he sells novelty balloons on Corso Vanucci in the center of town- and he asked me to delete the photos of him from my camera.
The house is located behind an imposing fence on a busy street, very close to the University where Knox was a student. It's considered a run-down area in Perugia but there is a very nice view of the surrounding countryside behind the home. I found no evidence of any memorial for Kercher, which is a shame.
After looking around the place for a few minutes, I felt like an intruder, even though Mohammed and his relatives were very friendly and seemed to want to ask us about the Knox case, which they had only a vague awareness of. The infamous house has new tenants and life goes on, but Perugia will never be the same.
For her part, Knox has stated that she still loves Perugia and would like to return to Italy, though it's not likely she'll do that anytime soon, given the fact that Italian prosecutors have appealed her acquittal. Her parents face defamation charges for comments they made about alleged mistreatment of their daughter by Perugia police officers and Knox is reportedly planning to testify via videoconference. For Perugia, there is no end in sight to the Knox case notoriety.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anna Apr 27th 2012 3:57PM
I am completely convinced that Amanda and Raffaelle had nothing whatsoever to do with Meredith's murder. I have been fascinated by the case since the very beginning. I, for one, hope someday to visit Perugia and see the place where the murder took place. I have read so much about it that I want to be there. I would never, however, invade anyone's privacy or cause any kind of spectacle. It was a horrible crime, and in addition to the victim, two innocent young people were horribly wronged.
bob m Apr 28th 2012 12:40PM
The TRUTH as reported by acquitting Judge Hellmann: There is no believable motive, there are no witnesses, no evidence of Amanda’s presence in the bloody bedroom, TMB testing proved that there were no bloody footprints in the hallway, no unexpected evidence of Amanda’s presence anywhere in the flat (i.e., she lived there), no ‘lies’ unless one feels compelled to label an illegally coerced statement a lie.
Jack Apr 29th 2012 3:45AM
She is guilty and very lucky
Zooks Apr 29th 2012 11:55AM
I think the title should have been: Italian Town Haunted by Meredith Kercher. It is her murder that is haunting Perugia. That and the mess the police and prosecution made out of the murder investigtion, convicting innocent people before turning it over and reducing the sentence of the sole killer Rudy Guede.
Spuds McKenzie Apr 30th 2012 2:56AM
Who is this apartment manager who gave you all this information, and why doesn't he want to say who he is. Credibility?? Also tell us more about this pervasive decadent sex, drugs and party subculture.
brmull Apr 29th 2012 8:57PM
Dave wrote: "I don't think there was anywhere near enough evidence to convict her of murder." What more evidence do you want? Are you aware of the amount of evidence that is *usually* sufficient to convict in an unwitnessed murder case, in which the defendants don't have a sympathetic media and millions to spend on their defense? Typically there is: (1) Lack of a verifiable alibi--check. (2) Knew the other accused--check. (3) Inability to recall due to alcohol/drugs--check. (4) Gave conflicting and incriminating statements before finally settling on a single version of events--check. Those four, and nothing more, has sent many a man to death row in the US. The case against Knox and Sollecito includes all of that, and much, much more--including some pretty impressive footprint and DNA evidence. Read about it at PMF and TJMK.
TheTruth May 5th 2012 12:38PM
BRMULL continues to spread lie after lie all over the internet with this case. PMF and TJMK is nothing more than a propaganda site, it does not seek the truth. Look at who actually runs the sites. Its laughable. This case would NEVER have been tried in UK or USA. The illegal interrogation alone would have thrown it out. A police station that tapes all interrogations, somehow failed to tape the most important case in its history. 4 computer hard drives were somehow destroyed, lies stated even under oath by prosecution witnesses, zero DNA at scene for Raf and AK. .Its a joke one scumbags dna is all over Meredith, she had his hair on her, his fluids...One persons! How much hate and jealousy do you have to have in your heart to try and frame two innocent students? It was impossible to have been part of this brutal murder, multiple stab wounds, without leaving one shread of dna...Rudy left 407 pieces... ...Their alibi does check out, that is a lie it doesnt. Tell us oh MULL stain, how does it not workout? You have proof that the prosecution did not have? Were you actually there at the scene yourself? Raf did not know Rudy Guede, thats a fact. Amanda had meet him few time at parties that Meredith was certainly invited to and part of. They never had even called each other or texted. Today I have made 6 texts about meeting for dinner, yet rudy and amanda or raf, never ever even called each other or text each other to meet up as the prosecution insane story states..There is zero evidence anywhere presented that AK and RS were unable to recall events due to alcohol or drugs. Bald double face lie. The appeals court did not just let these two go ,, it completely 100% exonerated them . They did not commit the crime was the verdit. Once again, "they did not commit the crime."...duh...of course they didn't. You seriously have to be mentally challenged to believe otherwise. Magnini was ripped to pieces by the Hellmann court. Hellmann was too nice to the Massei court. It is Italy of course, and saving face is important, apparently. The guilters falsely have stated so many blatant lies, that it to took some money to actually get the facts in the public's hands. Its shocking what I hear people quote as facts on this case. Obviously the Italian , UK, and USA media proganda machine worked to destroy two innocent people. The media turned this into a circus with Mignini and his cohorts leading the way from the beginning, finally the TRUTH has won out yet the liars like BRMULL continue spreading their utter hate for an innocent American and Italian. Read the FACTS on this case in the Judge Hellmann report not some website set up by guilters. Its corrupt that these two were even charged. Hopefully the Knox's can find out who the people are that continue to spread false lies and continue to defame Ms. Knox and sue the ever living crap out of them. I hope its under consideration.
Don May 4th 2012 1:49PM
The DNA work in the Knox case was a cruel hoax as two independent court court appointed experts in Italy demonstrated. The two experts did not just disagree with the police findings, they eviscerated them in a closely reasoned and documented 140 page report that demonstrated 55 major errors. The Italian experts found that the crime scene management and the collection, handling, transport, analysis, interpretation, and documentation of the evidence was all woefully lacking. But there is a subtle but important error here. The crumbling of the DNA work in the Knox and Sollecito case is often treated as the main work that dealt the prosecution a crimpling blow . There is no doubt it was important and dramatic. However, the defense teams had also produced some 450 pages of point-by-point rebuttal of the prosecution, all of it detailed, plausible, and highly convincing. In short, the DNA did not hold up in this case and nothing else did either as the Hellman report clearly indicated. Italy either pulls itself out of the 17th century into the 21st which anyone with intelligence believes they will, or they will continue making themselves look like the Keystone cops. The prosecutor in the Knox case needs to be prosecuted himself so Italy ,its citizens and its guests know that honest investigations can occur, not thuggery. Knox will never be retried and the calumny charge should be thrown out as well since Italy's Massei and Hellman courts ruled interrogation was illegal. Stop trying to save face Italy and do what the law requires.
ACTesla May 21st 2012 6:21PM
Good article, Italy is a beautiful country and most of the people are wonderful too. But Italy deserves a better judicial system than what it has. Trials that progress at a snails pace. 2 days a week, summer off? The damn trial should have lasted at most 4 weeks tops, the first trial lasted over a year after the defendants already had spent a year in jail.
The investigators said "case closed" with dozen police officers sitting behind a desk before a single piece of "physical evidence was ever examined" locking themselves into the theory that AK and RS were involved. This left them cornered and in order to save face they ignored every single piece of contradicting fact and concocted, crazier and crazier scenarios that defy all common sense.
The interrogations of Raffaele, Patrick Lumumba and Amanda Knox were not video or audio recorded as required by law.
The "computer expert" mysteriously destroyed not 1, not 2, but 3 hard drives in 3 different computers. Two of which could have saved the Italy a lot of money and time because 2 of the computers were used by AK and RS during the time of the murder. ( As one who had spent 30+ years in the computer industry, this particularly disturbs me as impossible or at least beyond monumental stupidity)
The Crime Scene Technicians made more errors during the collection of the evidence than the Keystone cops. While 'some mistakes" are to be expected but they made an avalanche of errors and many "critical" errors including not changing gloves and boot covers when moving from room to room. They left not only the famous bra clasp in the flat for 46 days but a sweatshirt soaked in MK's blood as well.
They took one and only one knife amongst several from RS flat? Makes no sense at all and extremely suspicious.
Then in testing, the DNA experts ignored more than a dozen negative tests not showing any DNA on the bra clasp and the knife and continued until they find a result that satisfied them. This result was refuted by court appointed independent experts.
Actual evidence implicates 1 killer and 1 killer only, Rudy Guede, the suspect who had broken into 4 homes in the previous 5 weeks stealing laptops, watches a knife and who pulled a knife when confronted by a resident that discovered him during the break -in. The killer who left his DNA all over MK and inside MK as well as his fingerprints and shoeprints that matched to his shoes. Rudy Guede barely known by Meredith or Amanda and was never known to ever be in that apartment before.
Sadly instead, the prosecution came up with a crazy sex scenario which has no precedent in known criminal history where 3 people who barely knew each other, if at all, participated in a group rape of a 4th. Instead of accepting the more pedestrian and common type of crime where a known burglar was surprised by a female and was killed and sexually assaulted. Also it is the one type of crime that all the physical evidence pointed toward.
No, Meredith Kercher was killed by Rudy Guede and perhaps an unknown accomplice but even that seems to be very extreme, remote possibility. Sadly, for the Kerchers, were sold by the Italian police and prosecutors, they will most likely never feel at peace and will always feel that two totally innocent kids got away with murder.
Charles L Jun 1st 2012 5:47PM
Amanda and Raffaele have not yet been acquitted. One Court convicted them of murder the second acquitted for murder (and convicted Amanda for slandering Patrick whom she accused of the murder even if innocent) but the deciding factor will be the Supreme Court which could cancel the first appeal and convict them or send back the trial. I think Amanda Raffaele are definitely guilty - they acted with Rudy - and the appeal will be cancelled or reversed in Supreme Court. At that point a new appeal will convict them and Supreme Court will confirm. My reasons to think they are guilty are: 1. they have no alibi 2. Amanda confirmed she was present at the murder scene in a written piece she gave to the police after having been arrested. This written document is key evidence as she is admitting she was there [before she had also admitted to be there during an interrogation but those statements cannot be used for crime of murder, they can be used for crime of slander for which she was convicted]. Why say you are there if you are not? She was there. 3. Amanda accused an innocent third party of the murder 4. the innocent third party Patrick was black as one of the other murderers, Rudy 5. Rudy the other killer said and confirmed in Court Amanda and Raff were there in the flat 6. Amanda told her mother on the phone she was in the flat and she could not lie about that 7. a lot of evidence places Amanda and Raff at the flat in order - 8. mixed blood of Amanda and Meredith in bathroom in various points. Amanda bled 9. mixed DNA of Amanda and Meredith on prints found with lluminol on the floor, which means there was an attempt to clean up 10. prints of naked feet in blood or found with luminol not compatible with Rudy, who had shows on anyway 11. fake break-in ... Supreme court already accepted Rudy did not break in through the window and a fake break-in was staged to divert suspicions, the only person who had interest in doing that was Amanda 12. DNA on bra and knife - not essential anyway but especially the bra had clear DNA of Raff which was not denied by new experts, all other DNA such as mixed blood etc. was not reviewed by new expert and is to be considered accepted just as Rudy's DNA 13. witnesses who saw the couple outside Raff's flat so their alibis is again denied 14. lies on the alibi demonstrated by computers and mobile phones which were turned on very early morning after murder 15. contradictions regarding that morning in particular Filomena's door (AK says it was closed, Raff said it was open ... this shows the story they told about that morning is false) 16. Amanda said in the written piece to police that Meredith screamed and this is confirmed by a witness 17. Supreme Court already ruled killers of Meredith are more than one given all the evidence 18. Rudy was not convicted for burglary so he did not come in through that window which was anyway impossible to reach and too exposed to the street to be considered by a burglar 19. evidence on body of Meredith that the attackers were many 20. blood on door of bathooom and in other parts partially cleaned demonstrates a clean up which was not done by Rudy (his shoeprints in blood go directly out) 20. telephone call of Raff to police where he says "nothing was stolen", how did he know? ... there are many other reasons to make me think they are guilty and no reason to make me think the opposite. The appeal verdict is completely wrong and will be cancelled IMHO while the first verdict was very welll motivated and articulated with logic.