amanda knox

The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. The following day, police discovered the body of the 21-year-old British student in the upstairs flat that she shared with three other young women.

On 6 November 2007, police arrested three suspects: Amanda Knox, an American student who shared a flat with Kercher, Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian student, and Patrick Lumumba, a bar owner. On 20 November 2007, Rudy Hermann Guede, a resident of Perugia, was also arrested and Patrick Lumumba, completely exonerated, was released.

Guede was convicted on 28 October 2008 of the sexual assault and murder of Kercher. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. On appeal, his sentence was reduced to 16 years. Guede filed a second appeal in May 2010.

On 4 December 2009, Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of murder, sexual violence and other charges. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, while Sollecito received 25 years. Appeals in these two cases are expected to be held in the autumn of 2010.

The case received much media attention in Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States with some questioning the fairness of the trial.