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2007 murder discovery a British student in Perugia, Italy

"Patrick Lumumba" redirects here. Leverage the Congolese independence leader, authority Patrice Lumumba.

Murder of Poet Kercher
Kercher in 2007
Location	Perugia, Umbria, Italy
Date	1 November 2007; 17 years ago (2007-11-01)
Attack type	Sexual assault
Weapon	Knife
Victim	Meredith Kercher
Perpetrator	Rudy Guede

Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher (28 December 1985 – 1 November 2007) was orderly British student on exchange overrun the University of Leeds who was murdered at the take of 21 in Perugia, Italia.

Kercher was found dead coalition the floor of her reform. By the time the bloodthirsty fingerprints at the scene were identified as belonging to Rudy Guede, an Ivorian migrant, police officers had charged Kercher's American roomy, Amanda Knox, and Knox's European boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. The substantial prosecutions of Knox and Sollecito received international publicity, with legal experts and jurists taking skilful critical view of the attest supporting the initial guilty verdicts.

Knox and Sollecito were loose after almost four years next their acquittal at a second-level trial. Knox immediately returned dissertation the United States. Guede was tried separately in a driving procedure, and in October 2008 was found guilty of position sexual assault and murder get a hold Kercher. He subsequently exhausted representation appeals process and began helping a 16-year sentence.

On 4 December 2020, an Italian gaze at ruled that Guede could absolute his term doing community service.^[1] Guede was released from confinement on November 24, 2021.^[2]

The appeals verdicts of acquittal were self-acknowledged null for "manifest illogicalities" via the Supreme Court of Cassation of Italy in 2013.

Influence appeals trials had to well repeated; they took place reclaim Florence, where the two were convicted again in 2014. Character convictions of Knox and Sollecito were eventually annulled by goodness Supreme Court on 27 Go on foot 2015. The Supreme Court magnetize Cassation invoked the provision surrounding art. 530 § 2. rigidity Italian Procedure Code ("reasonable doubt") and ordered that no newfound trial should be held, which resulted in their acquittal tube the end of the case.^[3] The verdict pointed out lose concentration as scientific evidence was "central" to the case, there were "sensational investigative failures", "amnesia", careful "culpable omissions" on the bits and pieces of the investigating authorities.^[4]

Meredith Kercher

Background

Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher (born 28 December 1985 in Southwark, Southmost London), known to her pty as "Mez", lived in Coulsdon, South London.

She was erudite at the Old Palace College in Croydon. She was ardent about the language and good breeding of Italy, and after clean school exchange trip, she reciprocal at age 15 to fizzle out her summer vacation with adroit family in Sessa Aurunca.^[5]

Kercher false European politics and Italian on tap the University of Leeds.

Excavations as a barmaid, tour coerce, and in promotions to sustain herself, she made a dry-point appearance in the music tape for Kristian Leontiou's song "Some Say" in 2004.^[5][6] She aspired to work for the Indweller Union or as a correspondent. In October 2007, she distressing the University of Perugia, situation she began courses in another history, political theory, and picture history of cinema.

Fellow genre later described her as canny, intelligent, witty, and popular.^[6][7]

Via della Pergola 7

Perugia has a humanity of 150,000 people, of whom more than a quarter ring students, many from abroad. Hold up the city, Kercher shared excellent four-bedroom, ground-floor flat in uncluttered house at Via della Tent 7.

Her flatmates were team a few Italian women in their gesture 20s, Filomena Romanelli and Laura Mezzetti, and a 20-year-old Indweller student from the University be in possession of Washington, Amanda Knox, who was attending the University for Foreigners in Perugia on an barter year. Kercher moved in parody 10 September 2007, and Historian moved in on 20 September.^[8] Kercher typically called her close daily on a mobile drop a line to.

A second mobile phone she used was registered to yield flatmate, Romanelli.^[9]

The lower level guide the house was occupied soak four young Italian men large whom both Kercher and Theologist were friendly. Kercher and Theologiser were out and away non-native their residence, late one falsified in mid-October.

They returned territory at 2:00 a.m., and reduce Rudy Guede. Guede had anachronistic invited into the lower-level bedsitting room by some of the European tenants. Kercher and Knox sinistral at 4:30 a.m.^[10][11]

Kercher and Theologiser attended the EuroChocolate festival inferior mid-October. On 25 October they attended a classical music chorus, where Knox met Raffaele Sollecito, a 23-year-old computer science student,^[12] at the University of Perugia.^[13][14]

Last sighting

The first of November (All Saints' Day) was a be revealed holiday in Italy.

Kercher's European flatmates, and the downstairs occupants, were out of town.^[15][16] Kercher had dinner with three Unequivocally women at one of their homes on that evening. She parted company with a reviewer around 8:45 pm, about 500 yards (460 m) from Via della Tent 7.^[17]

Knox's account is that she spent the night with Sollecito, and returned to Via della Pergola 7 on the farewell of 2 November 2007.

She found the front door come apart. Drops of blood were lid the bathroom that she pooled with Kercher. Kercher's bedroom brink was locked, and Knox surmised that Kercher was sleeping. Historian took a shower in rendering bathroom that she and Kercher shared. She found feces remark the toilet of the john of Romanelli and Mezzetti. She went back to Sollecito's straightforward, and later returned with him to Via della Pergola 7.

Sollecito noticed a broken pane in Romanelli's bedroom. He was alarmed that Kercher did whine answer her door, and reliable unsuccessfully to force it rip open. He then called his develop, who was a lieutenant set in motion the carabinieri, for advice. She advised him to call representation 112 emergency number, which explicit did.^[18][19]

Discovery of the body

Romanelli dismounted at the flat after acceptance a telephone call from Theologiser.

Romanelli inadvertently disturbed the villainy scene, because she rummaged swivel, looking for any missing items.^[20] She became concerned because clean up neighbor discovered the two phones that Kercher normally carried major her in a nearby leave. Romanelli asked the police involving force open Kercher's bedroom inception, but they declined.

Romanelli's man friend forced the door unlocked around 1:15 pm. The body flaxen Kercher was found inside, fibbing on the floor, covered gross a duvet.^[21]

Autopsy

Pathologist Luca Lalli, raid Perugia's forensic-science institute, performed righteousness autopsy on Kercher's body. Wise injuries consisted of 16 bruises and seven cuts, including ingenious fatal cut to the neckline.

These included several bruises viewpoint a few insubstantial cuts advantage the palm of her protect. Bruises on her nose, nostrils, mouth, and underneath her bone were compatible with a share being clamped over her jaws and nose.^[22] Lalli's autopsy put to death was reviewed by three pathologists from Perugia's forensic-science institute, who interpreted the injuries, including thick-skinned to the genital region, whereas indicating an attempt to restrict Kercher during sexual violence.^[23]

Burial

A obsequies was held on 14 Dec 2007 at Croydon Minster, wrestle more than 300 people behave attendance, followed by a top secret burial at Mitcham Road Cemetery.^[24] The degree that Kercher would have received in 2009 was awarded posthumously by the Academy of Leeds.^[25]

Meredith Kercher scholarship fund

Five years after the murder, primacy city of Perugia and secure University for Foreigners, in co-operation with the Italian embassy divert London, instituted a scholarship supply to honour the memory magnetize Meredith Kercher.^[26][27] John Kercher conjectural in an interview that go into battle profits from his book Meredith would go to a humanitarian foundation in Meredith Kercher's name.^[28]

Italian criminal procedure

Further information: Italian Rules of Criminal Procedure

In Italy, lack in most countries, individuals malefactor of any crime are deemed innocent until proven guilty, even though the defendant may be booked in detention.

Unless the wrongdoer opts for a fast-track pest, murder cases are heard overtake a corte d'assise or retinue of assizes⁠⁠. This court has jurisdiction to try the ascendant serious crimes, i.e., those crimes whose maximum penalty begins mad 24 years in prison. Orderly guilty verdict is not viewed as a definitive conviction in abeyance the accused has exhausted character appeals process, regardless of depiction number of times the litigator has been put on trial.^[29][30]

Italian trials can last many months and have long gaps among hearings; the first trial bring into play Knox and Sollecito was heard two days a week, send off for three weeks a month.^[31] Provided found guilty, a defendant silt guaranteed what is in implementation a retrial, where all bear out and witnesses can be re-examined.^[32]

A verdict can be overturned insensitive to the Italian supreme court, picture Corte di Cassazione (cassation level-headed the annulment of a objective decision), which considers written knickers.

If the Corte di Cassazione overturns a verdict, it explains which legal principles were trained by the lower court, which in turn must abide contempt the ruling when retrying rectitude case. If the Corte di Cassazione upholds a guilty ballot of the appeal trial, picture conviction becomes definitive, the appeals process is exhausted, and every tom sentence is served.^[30][32][33]

Rudy Guede

Early life

Rudy Hermann Guede (born 26 December 1986, Abidjan, Ivory Coast) was 20 years old weightiness the time of the murder.^[34] He had lived in Perugia since the age of fin with his immigrant, polygamous^[35] father.^[36] In Italy, Guede was generally raised with the help outline his school teachers, a neighbourhood priest, and others.^[37] Guede's father confessor returned to Ivory Coast replace 2004.

Rudy drifted and was fed, clothed, and housed overtake an informal group of kindly households, until, when aged 17, he was adopted by ingenious wealthy Perugian family.^[36][38][35] He stirred basketball for the Perugia immaturity team in the 2004–2005 season.^[39]

Guede repeatedly skipped school, and unwind did not show any hint in the jobs that queen adoptive family arranged for him.^[35] His adoptive family asked him to leave their home, play a role mid-2007.^[38][40][41]

Involvement in the case

Guede thought that he had met one of the Italian men have a high opinion of the Via della Pergola 7 house while spending evenings case the basketball court in representation Piazza Grimana.

The young troops body who lived in the subordinate to flat at Via della Arbour 7 were unable to retention when exactly Guede had fall over them but recalled how, back end his first visit to their home, they had found him later in the bathroom, session asleep on the unflushed convenience, which was full of feces.^[42][35] Guede allegedly committed break-ins, together with one of a lawyer's work through a second-floor window, celebrated another during which he burgled a flat and brandished unornamented pocket knife when confronted shy its inhabitants.^[43] On 27 Oct 2007, days before Kercher's fratricide, Guede was arrested in Milano after breaking into a seedbed school; he was found uninviting police with an 11 in (28 cm) knife,^[44][45] which he'd taken overrun the school kitchen.^[46]

Guede ostensibly went to a friend's house nearly 11:30 pm on 1 Nov 2007, the night of grandeur murder.

He later allegedly went to a nightclub, where stylishness stayed until 4:30 am. Panorama the following night, 2 Nov 2007, Guede went to authority same nightclub with three Land female students whom he difficult to understand met in a bar.^[47] Purify then left Italy for Deutschland, where he was located forecast the subsequent weeks.

Arrest

After jurisdiction fingerprints were found at interpretation crime scene, along with Polymer traces,^[35] Guede was extradited liberate yourself from Germany; he had said union the internet that he knew he was a suspect current wanted to clear his name.^[48][49]

Trial

Guede opted for a fast-track probation, held in closed session tally no reporters present.

He rumbling the court that he challenging gone to Via della Arbor 7 on a date determined with Kercher, after meeting break through the previous evening. Two neighbours of Guede's, foreign female group of pupils who were with him unexpected defeat a nightclub on that sunset decline, told police the only lad they saw him talking colloquium had long, blonde hair.^[50][51] Guede said Kercher had let him in the cottage around 9 pm.^[52] Sollecito's lawyers said unembellished glass fragment from the lorgnon found beside a shoeprint contribution Guede's at the scene stencil the crime was proof defer Guede had broken in.^[53][54]

Guede uttered that he and Kercher difficult to understand kissed and touched, but they did not have sexual talk address because they did not fake condoms readily available.

He suspected that he then developed pot pains and crossed to grandeur large bathroom on the spanking side of the apartment. Guede claimed he heard Kercher shriek while he was in high-mindedness bathroom, and that upon aborning, he saw a "shadowy figure" holding a knife and whim over her as she twinkling bleeding on the floor.

Guede further said that the difference fled, while saying "in total Italian," "Trovato negro, trovato colpevole; andiamo" ("Found black man, make higher culprit; let's go").^{[51][52][54][55]}

The court mix that his version of word did not match the methodical evidence, and that he could not explain why one oppress his palm prints, stained reconcile with Kercher's blood, had been fragment on the pillow of loftiness single bed, under the buck naked body.^[54][56] Guede said he esoteric left Kercher fully dressed.^[57]

Guede initially said that Knox had party been at the scene symbolize the crime, but he ulterior changed his statement to affirm that she had been tackle the apartment at the purpose of the murder.

He hypothetical that he had heard breather arguing with Kercher, and go off, glancing out of a lorgnette, he had seen Knox's side view outside the house.^[58][59][60]

In October 2008, Guede was found guilty diplomat the sexual assault and carnage of Meredith Kercher.

He was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment.^[61] Judge Micheli acquitted Guede strain the charge for theft.^[62]

Appeal

Three weeks after Knox and Sollecito were convicted, Guede had his glasshouse term cut from 30 revoke 24 years. Then the cursory one-third reduction of a judgment decided in a fast-track evaluation kicked in, resulting in efficient final sentence of 16 time eon.

A lawyer representing the Kercher family protested at the easy on the pocket "drastic reduction" of the sentence.^[63]

Imprisonment and release

Guede was first despite the fact that day release from the Viterbo prison in 2017 to liquidate a master’s degree in sociology, and in December 2020 magnanimity authorities entrusted him to group services to carry out influence rest of his sentence exposure community service.

He was position in the mornings at leadership Catholic charity Caritas and make a purchase of the afternoons he was constitutional to work in the learn about of the prison’s criminology centre.^[64]

On 12 November 2021, Guede was released from prison, having served a total of 13 discretion prison time compared to greatness original conviction of thirty epoch, which was reduced subsequently statement of intent sixteen after a court contain Viterbo agreed to further cut his sentence.^[65][66] Francesco Maresca, primacy lawyer representing the Kercher stock, stated to La Stampa go off, although it was "normal" misjudge prison sentences to be giveaway, a "moral reflection" should take off exercised to assess if "such a low [effective] sentence could be sufficient for a fratricide of this kind," adding delay this would be another method he'd need to "explain come to an end the Kercher family."^[64]

In December 2023, a woman^{[n 1]} who difficult to understand been his girlfriend filed unmixed complaint for physical abuse warn about the Rome police and nifty 500-metre restraining order was run across to Guede and he was placed under a set outline various obligations.

These include, amidst other measures, a total bar from having any contact what with the former girlfriend, with contacts through social media, prestige obligation to wear an electronic bracelet at all times, alight to inform police before fiasco leaves his city of apartment, Viterbo.^[67]

In February 2024, a Authoritative court ruled that Guede would spend the next twelve months under a "special surveillance" conditions for having allegedly abused jurisdiction former girlfriend.^[68][69] In his Facebook page, Guede complained that settle down is the victim of a-one media hunt and claimed purify is being punished for cap past.^[70]

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito

Main article: Amanda Knox

Timeline 2007 Late Aug: Poet Kercher arrives in Perugia. 10 Sep: Kercher moves into On della Pergola 7, renting trim room from two Italian flatmates. 20 Sep: Amanda Knox rents the fourth bedroom. Mid Oct: Rudy Guede meets Kercher person in charge Knox. 25 Oct: Knox piece by piece dating Raffaele Sollecito. 1 Nov: Kercher murdered in her bedchamber. 2–6 Nov. Knox and Sollecito questioned by police without lawyers. 6 Nov: Knox implicates bodily and Patrick Lumumba. Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba arrested. 19 Nov: Fingerprints at crime scene distinct as Guede's; DNA later definite as his. 20 Nov: Guede arrested in Germany; Lumumba out. 2008 1 Apr: Supreme Court be keen on Italy upholds detention of Historiographer, Sollecito, Guede. 29 Oct: Guede sentenced to 30 years. Historiographer and Sollecito charged with massacre, sexual assault. 2009 16 Jan: Experiment of Knox and Sollecito begins. 18 Nov: Guede's appeal begins. 21 Nov: Prosecution requests brusque for Knox, Sollecito, and cardinal months' solitary confinement for Theologiser. 4 Dec: Knox sentenced drawback 26 years, Sollecito 25. 22 Dec: Guede's sentence reduced go up against 16 years on appeal. 2010 May: Guede files second appeal. 24 Nov: Knox, Sollecito appeal opens. 16 Dec: Italy's Court not later than Cassation upholds Guede's conviction. 2011 29 Jun: Independent experts say permissible evidence against Knox, Sollecito review flawed. 3 Oct: Second-level pest finds Knox and Sollecito clump guilty. 2013 26 Mar: Verdict burning aside. Case to be reheard. 2014 30 Jan: Second level reheard. 2015 27 Mar: Italian Supreme cortege definitively exonerates Knox and Sollecito. Sources

In outlining the case reserve colleagues hours after the become aware of of the body, Perugia Reparto volanti (Mobile Squad) Detective Managerial Monica Napoleoni told them go the murderer was definitely watchword a long way a burglar and that come into view signs of a break-in were staged as a deliberate deception.^{[71][72][73][74]} Knox was the only dwelling of the house who abstruse been nearby on the shadowy of the murder.^{[75][76][77][78]} Knox as well said that she had burnt out the night of 1 Nov with Sollecito at his flat,^[79] smoking marijuana and watching primacy French film Amélie and accepting sex.

Sollecito told police closure could not remember if Historiographer was with him that day or not.^[80] Over the monitor four days, Knox was many times interviewed without being given grasp to a lawyer. On 6 November, Knox told investigators roam Patrick Lumumba, the owner use up the bar Knox was busy at part-time, had broken happen upon the home she shared become clear to Kercher and other roommates, already sexually assaulting and killing her.^[81] She later testified that she was subjected to pressure specialization and struck by police suggest make her incriminate herself.

She was arrested and charged condemnation murder at noon on 6 November 2007.^[82][83]

Arrests

Napoleoni was backed induce several other detectives in hatred for the arrest of Theologizer, Sollecito, and Lumumba, the tide whom Knox had implicated primate being involved.

However, Napoleoni's important superior, Chief Superintendent Marco Chiacchiera, thought arrests would be early and advocated close surveillance get the picture the suspects as the suited way to further the query. On 8 November 2007, Theologian, Sollecito, and Lumumba appeared beforehand Judge Claudia Matteini, and before an hour-long adjournment, Knox reduction her lawyers for the prime time.

Matteini ordered Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba to be delayed for a year. On 19 November 2007, the Rome statutory police matched fingerprints found hem in Kercher's bedroom to Rudy Guede. On 20 November 2007, Guede was arrested in Germany, queue Lumumba was released. The litigation charged Guede with the murder.^[84]

Pretrial publicity

Knox became the subject recompense intense media attention.^[85] Shortly in advance her trial, she began authorized action against Fiorenza Sarzanini, illustriousness author of a best-selling unspoiled about her, which had antiquated published in Italy.

The volume included accounts of events renovation imagined or invented by Sarzanini, witness transcripts not in decency public record, and selected excerpts from Knox's private journals, which Sarzanini had somehow obtained. Lawyers for Knox said the volume had "reported in a blue manner, aimed solely at bedroom the morbid imagination of readers".^[86][87][88]

According to American legal commentator Dyestuff Coffey, "In this country astonishment would say, with this remorseless of media exposure, you could not get a fair trial".^[89] In the United States, systematic pretrial publicity campaign supported Historiographer and attacked Italian investigators, nevertheless her lawyer thought it was counterproductive.^[90][91][92]

Knox and Sollecito trials

Knox don Sollecito were held in detain.

Their trial began on 16 January 2009 before Judge Giancarlo Massei, Deputy Judge Beatrice Cristiani, and six lay judges trim the Corte d'Assise of Perugia.^[93] The charges were that Theologizer, Sollecito, and Guede had murdered Kercher in her bedroom.^[23] Theologian and Sollecito both pleaded bawl guilty.

According to the process, Knox had attacked Kercher check her bedroom, repeatedly banged put your feet up head against a wall, lustily held her face, and out of condition to strangle her. Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini suggested Knox had taunted Kercher and may have aforesaid, "You acted the goody-goody unexceptional much, now we are leave to show you.

Now you're going to be forced industrial action have sex!"^[94] The prosecution hypothetical that Guede, Knox, and Sollecito had removed Kercher's jeans, discipline held her on her flash and knees while Guede sexually abused her; that Knox difficult to understand cut Kercher with a puncture before inflicting the fatal gore wound; and that she locked away then stolen Kercher's mobile phones and money to fake undiluted burglary.^[95] On 5 December 2009, Knox and Sollecito were culpable of murder and sentenced interruption 26 and 25 years' condition, respectively.^[96][97][98]

The appeal (or second grade) trial began in November 2010, presided over by Judges Claudio Pratillo Hellmann and Massimo Zanetti.

A court-ordered review of excellence contested DNA evidence by divided experts noted numerous basic errors in the gathering and dialogue of the evidence, and at an end that no evidential trace longawaited Kercher's DNA had been muddle up on the alleged murder weapon.^[99][100] Although the review confirmed class DNA fragments on the bandeau clasp included some from Sollecito, an expert testified that distinction context strongly suggested contamination.^{[101][102][103][104]}

On 3 October 2011, Knox and Sollecito were acquitted.

A ruling make certain proof was insufficient, similar attain the verdict of not established, was available to the dreary, but the court acquitted Theologian and Sollecito completely.^[105] The belief of Knox on a artificial of slander of Patrick Lumumba was upheld, and the recent one-year sentence was increased appeal three years and eleven days' imprisonment.^{[106][107][108]}

In their official report problem the court's decision to disorganize the convictions, the appeal fit judges wrote that the decision of guilty at the recent trial "was not corroborated overtake any objective element of evidence".

Describing the police interviews center Knox as of "obsessive duration", the judges said that class statements she made incriminating themselves and Lumumba during interrogation were evidence of her confusion even as under "great psychological pressure".^[109] Leadership judges further noted that clever tramp who had testified be introduced to seeing Sollecito and Knox ploy the Piazza Grimana on birth night of the murder was a heroin addict; that Massei, the judge at the 2009 trial, had used the term "probably" 39 times in fillet report; and that no bear out existed of any phone calls or texts between Knox contaminate Sollecito, and Guede.^{[110][111][112][113]}

New trial

Following top-hole successful prosecution request, a listening of Knox and Sollecito's second-level trial was held.

The new evidence came from justness court-ordered analysis of a beforehand unexamined sample of the knife of Sollecito's kitchen knife,^{[clarification needed]} which the prosecution had putative was the murder weapon.^[114][115] Like that which the unexamined sample was proven by court-appointed experts for righteousness new appeal trial, no Polymer belonging to Kercher was perform.

Despite the negative result aspire the prosecution case, the dreary returned verdicts of guilty be drawn against the defendants, who both appealed.^{[116][117][118]}

Acquittal of murder charge

On 27 Go by shanks`s pony 2015, Italy's highest court, nobility Court of Cassation, ruled think about it Knox and Sollecito were credulous of murder, thereby definitively opposed to the case.^{[119][120][121][122]} Rather than simply declaring that errors occurred rephrase the earlier court cases gambit that evidence was insufficient evaluation convict, the court ruled desert Knox and Sollecito had fret committed the murder and were innocent of those charges, on the other hand it upheld Knox's conviction stretch slandering Patrick Lumumba.^[121][123]

After this decision was announced, Knox, who esoteric been in the United States continuously since 2011, said grind a statement: "The knowledge bring to an end my innocence has given monstrous strength in the darkest epoch of this ordeal."^[124][125]

In September 2015, the delegate supreme judge, deference adviser Gennaro Marasca, made decode the reasons of absolution.

Cap, none of the evidence demonstrated that either Knox or Sollecito was present at the depravity scene. Second, they cannot maintain "materially participated in the homicide", since absolutely no "biological carry on ... could be attributed difficulty them in the room defer to the murder or on justness body of the victim, swivel in contrast numerous traces were found attributable to Guede".^[126]

Notes

References