Is the incarceration of Amanda Knox coming to an end?
The American college student and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty of murdering Meredith Kercher in 2007. Knox has long proclaimed her innocence. Now, after Knox and Sollecito have spent years in prison and turned up for countless court appearances, an Italian prosecutor says that both suspects are likely to be acquitted.
According to the U.K. Telegraph, "court appointed experts have criticised the way the original forensic investigation was carried out by police." Knox won a recent victory in court, when the prosecutors' request to conduct further examinations on DNA evidence was denied. Independent experts contend that some of the DNA evidence against Knox should not have been admitted as evidence.
This doesn't necessarily mean that Knox will be freed, but it does give the jailed 24-year-old hope. Her days behind bars may come to an end if judges see things her way in the appeal. Below, a brief history of the case that has kept millions transfixed for years.
Amanda Knox, the U.S. student convicted of killing her British flatmate Meredith Kercher in Italy on November 2007, …
The crime: Knox, Sollecito, and a third man, Rudy Guede, were accused and jailed for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher. Kercher, who was from England, was stabbed to death in the house she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy. She was also sexually assaulted.
The rumors: After Kercher's body was discovered, rumors began to swirl that the crime was some sort of sexual act gone horribly wrong. Many in the media took to referring to Amanda as Foxy Knoxy. Some people, including Knox's parents, felt that this nickname painted Amanda as some sort of seductress and helped convict her.
The evidence: Much of the case hinged on DNA taken from a 12-inch knife found at the murder scene. Investigators found Kercher's DNA on the blade, and Knox's on the handle. A recent review found that much of that DNA was unreliable and may have been contaminated by sloppy police work. That's good news for Knox.
The frenzy: Ever since the murder was reported, Web searches have been incredibly high. Even now, four years later, online interest in Knox remains huge. Over the past 24 hours, searches on "amanda knox" and "amanda knox trial" have both roared to huge gains. Not surprisingly, "foxy knoxy pictures" are also popular.
What's next: The closing arguments on the appeal are set to start later this month, on Sept. 23. Perhaps shortly thereafter, there will be real closure for all involved.
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