Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder - Ep. 52 | Did They Set A Brutal Killer Free? | Amanda Knox

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

In today's episode, we explore the case of Amanda Knox. Amanda Knox was a 20-year-old American student in Italy when her roommate was found murdered. What followed was a chaotic investigation, a sensational trial, and years of headlines that blurred the line between truth and fiction. This episode breaks down the case that gripped the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It began as a dream. A 20-year-old college student from Seattle boards a plane for Italy. Chasing language, culture, and independence. A semester abroad in the picturesque hilltop town of Perugia. And she expected past her books and adventure. But what she found was something else entirely. Because just weeks into her stay, Amanda Knox would find herself

at the center of an international firestorm. And her roommate, Miranda Kircher, was found brutally murdered. And Amanda was suddenly thrust into the role of a suspect, then seductress and then killer. And the media devoured it, and the prosecutors leaned into it. And soon the entire world knew her name. But behind the headlines, the devilish nicknames,

and the courtroom theatrics, was a case that raised a bigger question. Questions about justice, truth, and the stories we choose to believe in. So this is not just a story of murder. It's a story of what happens when a flawed investigation, a global press machine, and the court of public opinion collide at the expense of real people, real lives, and real justice.

This is the case of Amanda Knox. Crime, conspiracy, cults, serial killers, and murder, all things that I love to consume, and I know you do too, you sick, twisted, beautiful. intellectual-minded break. And today we're getting into a controversial case, a conspiratorial case to say the least. So without further ado, let's unbuckle our seatbelts,

go mark five down the highway, slam on the brakes, and must through this windshield into this controversial case together. Amanda Knox was born on July 9th, 1987 in Seattle, Washington. And she was the eldest of two daughters born to Kurt Knox and Etta Melas. And their other daughter's name was Deanna. And she later would have two. half sisters as well, Ashley and Delaney.

Stability, her parents worked to provide her after their divorce. And Amanda grew up middle class in West Seattle. And she would go back and forth between homes of her parents. Who did remain on friendly terms? And in this supportive environment, Amanda grew up outgoing and smart, and even a bit quirky. She loves sports, especially soccer. It was like her passion.

And so much so that her quark, which was clever footwork on the field, gave her the nickname Foxy Knoxy, from her teammates when she was younger. And that nickname would come back in the future, but we are not even close to there yet. And it was for a completely different reason. But friends and family remember Amanda as very fun-loving and friendly when she was younger,

yet kind of naive about harsher realities of the world. And she would attend a very rigorous prep school in Seattle. And there she would perform in school plays and was known for some goofy behavior like bursting into song in the halls. And a high school friend would even recall that She's not crazy and she's not stupid. However, her thoughts get muddled,

noting that Amanda could be vulnerable to confusion and seemingly didn't have a full grasp of reality in certain moments. Whatever that means right now, we don't really know, but we'll get into it. But despite the ditsy, outwardly demeanor, Amanda was intelligent. She earned good grades and she even made the deans list when she went to the University of Washington. And relatives describe the college-aged Amanda as outgoing and unwary. Someone with a very adventurous spirit who lacked some street smarts about the dangers of life.

I kind of thinking she's invincible at this point. But, you know, a lot of us do around that age. I know I did. Very stupid. Very stupid as a late teenager. Oh my, oh my goodness. And her stepfather, Chris, worried that Amanda's trusting nature and naive outlook might be problematic when she ventured out on her own.

And during these formative years, Amanda would develop a relationship that would shape her path. Because in addition to soccer and theater, she had a love for language and writing. And she studied German, Italian, and creative writing. So while pursuing a degree in linguistics at the University of Washington, she had dreams of traveling and immersing herself into foreign languages. So the seed of her Italy dream had been planted, actually, on a family vacation she took there at the age of 15. And it only grew in time. And by her late teens, Amanda was determined to experience life abroad.

So she would work part-time jobs to fund a year of study in Italy. And her family would support her goal, though Chris cautioned that she might not be ready for such a big adventure just yet. But Amanda's mind was completely set. And she would go to Italy and immerse herself in a new culture and carve out her own story. So by 2007, Amanda Knox was 20 years old. And she was ready to spread her wings beyond Seattle and Italy called her name. Because she had fell in love with the country and culture when she was 15 and visited. Between the art, history, and the language, the idea of Italy just captivated her.

So Amanda would arrange to spend an academic year in Italy to refine her Italian and seek adventure. And when choosing a destination, she skipped tourist heavy cities like Rome or Florence, and she would end up picking Perugia, which is a smaller university town. And Perugia had a significant student population and just this authentic Italian charm, which was exactly what Amanda was looking for in order to experience the real Italy. Because she told her friends that she wanted to be somewhere where she could really mingle with the locals and not just other Americans. So Perugia, with its medieval cobblestone alleyways and vibrant students scene, just seemed perfect. And it was set against a lush hilltop backdrop, and the city was known for its youthful energy.

And thousands of foreign students would flock there each year, and in September of 2007, Amanda would become one of them. And almost immediately, she was completely enchanted by the atmosphere in the city. Because Perugia had century-old architecture and lively cafe culture, and Amanda pulled her luggage over the stone streets, and it just felt like, like stepping into a dream. And she would even write her family about her excitement saying, the endless steps and street wind like a maze. And she just had this feeling that adventure was just around every corner there. So Amanda's arrival in Perugia just marked a new chapter in her life.

So she would enroll in a university for foreigners and then she would set about finding work and housing. And she ended up moving into a large palestone cottage at Villadela Pergola, sharing the ground floor flat with other students. And her roommates would be three other women. Two were Italian trainee lawyers in their late 20s, and then there was Meredith Kirchurcher. So Meredith Susanna Kara Kircher, affectionately known as Mez, to all of her friends, was born on December 28th, 1985 in Southwark, South London, and raised in Colesdon. And she attended the old palace school in Croydon, where her interest in the Italian language and culture first took root. And after participating in a school exchange program, she returned to Italy at 15 to spend a summer with a host family in the 10

town of Sessa Arroutenka. So she went to Italy just like Amanda did when she was 15. Also, apologies if I'm saying stuff wrong, I'm looking up the pronunciations, but there's a good chance I'm butchering this, so I apologize to the Italians out there. And Meredith would later enroll in the University of Leeds studying European politics and Italian. And she would work various jobs to support herself, including a barmaid, a tour guide, and promotional work. And she even briefly appeared in a 2004 music video for Christian Leontio's song, Some Say. So Ambitious and driven, Meredith just hoped that one day she could work for the European Union or pursue a career in journalism. And in October of 2007, Meredith would move to Italy and attend the University of Perugia,

taking courses in modern history, political theory, and cinema history. And those who knew her described her as bright, compassionate, funny, and very well-liked among her peers. So Meredith, Amanda, and the two other girls would be flatmates in Perugia. And it was at this point that Amanda was trying to find a job, and she actually would find a job and she would be hired as a bartender. And it would be at a local bar called Leschique. And it would be owned by Dia Patrick Lamamba. So juggling classes in Italian and shifts at the bar and the thrill of a newfound freedom,

Amanda settled into her life in Perugia with enthusiasm. But little did she know that these mundane details would soon become central in a tragedy that grabbed global headlines. You tell yourself, no one wants your college-era band teas, but on Deep Hop, people are searching for, exactly what you've got. You once paid a small fortune for them at merch stands. Now, a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small fortune back. Sell them easily on Deepop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste will be a money-making

machine? Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Deepop where taste recognizes taste. So in Perusia, Amanda eagerly embraced a social life that was full of new friendships as it was a new experience. And one of the first bonds that Amanda formed was with her roommate Meredith Kircher. So thrown together by circumstance, the two women would actually get along really well. Because Meredith was warm, witty, and very studious, and she already had a very tight-knit group of British friends in Perugia, but they wouldn't see Amanda much. Because Amanda was more interested in mingling with the local Italians. But still, the roommates made an effort to spend some time together. So they would cook dinners in their shared kitchen, and they even indulged their sweet tooth in Perugia's Euro chocolate festival,

wandering the stalls of the city's very famous chocolate fair as autumn said in. And later on, after all the stuff that happened, Amanda's mom would say that there was never any bad blood between the girls that she knew of, saying that they got along great. And beyond her friendly relationship with Meredith, Amanda built some social circles in Perugia, because she was a type to strike up a conversation with anyone. And she found herself hanging out with a mix of people. Because as we know, Amanda preferred the company of Italians over sticking with English-speaking people. She really, really wanted to immerse herself and learn Italian.

And her free spirit of nature made her make friends really easily. And one acquaintance was Rudy Guaday, a young man originally from the Ivory Coast who had been informally adopted in Perugia's scene. And Amanda and Meredith would meet Rudy only a couple of times to the guys who lived in the apartment below theirs. And in one casual gathering in mid-October, Amanda and Meredith went downstairs to their neighbors and wound up in a late-night hangar. sesh with Rudy. But Meredith would eventually leave her bed around 4.30 a.m. with Amanda following behind her. And Rudy would crash on the couch that night. And these encounters were ordinary in student life in Perugia. And nothing about Rudy particularly stood out at the time, other than he seemed undisciplined, preferring to spend all of his time just playing video games. And he was even discovered by police

in an abandoned house with a knife at one point. But a far more significant person in Amanda's life was Raphael Solicito. So on October 12, In 25, 2007, Amanda and Meredith went to a classical music concert at Perugia's University. And there, amidst the crowd, Amanda would strike up a conversation with someone, and that someone was Raphael. And he was a shy, 23-year-old Italian who was studying computer science. And sparks began to fly immediately. And that very night, their connection would turn intimate. And soon, Amanda and Raphael would be inseparable, spending almost all of their free time together.

And she began staying over at Raphael's apartment nearly every night after the after they met. And Raphael had a small flat that was about a five minute walk away from Villadela Pergola, which is where Amanda stayed with her roommates. And the relationship was just a world win with intensity typical in young love.

And later on, Raphael would admit that Amanda was actually only his second girlfriend ever and that he was somewhat inexperienced with love at this point. But he fell quickly for her. And Meredith, her roommate, had actually started dating an Italian young man who lived downstairs, Giacomo Selenzi. And Amanda's lifestyle in Italy

was that of any college students abroad. Equal parts responsibility and fun. So by day she went to class, studied Italian grammar, and earned pocket money serving drinks at Lecheek, and by night she socialized with a diverse set of friends, and obviously her boyfriend. And she was known to be very open with her sexuality and engaged in some casual sex as well. And there was some drinking in cannabis use as well. And Amanda would even later note that in her house, pot was just as common as pasta. But it was all within the realm of what one might expect in a college age youth flat. Amanda was by no means a very heavy drug user or wildly promiscuous as later portrayed.

She was just a free-spirited 20-year-old exploring her freedom. And none of it really seemed ominous or out of the ordinary for a study abroad student in 2007. So in those early autumn weeks, Amanda was, by all appearances, just simply living the dream. Studying in a beautiful Italian town, falling in love, and forging new friendships. But her ordinary rhythms of student life were about to collide with an unimaginable horror on the night after Halloween. November 1st, 2007 was All Saints Day, which was a public holiday in Italy. And many of Perugia's students, including Amanda's Italian roommates and the young man that lived downstairs, had left town for the long weekend. And the Via della Pergola House was choir

than usual, occupied that evening only by Meredith and briefly Amanda. So during the daytime, Amanda and Meredith just went about their regular routines. To allegedly, at 4 p.m., Meredith cross paths with Amanda and Raphael in the kitchen of the cottage before heading out. And that evening, Meredith would actually join her friends for pizza and ice cream. And she would leave the gathering at about 9 p.m., yawning and saying that she was exhausted and heading home to get some sleep. And Amanda, meanwhile, had originally planned to work a shift at Lashik that night. But early that evening, her boss, Patrick Lumumba, sent her a text message saying, just not to come in.

So with an unexpected free night, Amanda opted to spend the night with Raphael, her boyfriend, at his apartment. And according to what both she and Raphael later told the police, they just spent a lazy night together in. They smoked a bit of marijuana, watched a French film called Emily, and slept together. And this is the alibi Amanda Knox would stand by, that she was at her boyfriend Slat all night long, though it would be fiercely disputed by prosecutors later on. So what transpired back at the cottage on Via della Pergola, 7. During the late hours of November 1st remains a matter of conjecture and controversy. But what is tragically certain is that Meredith Kircher never made it out of her bedroom alive.

So sometime after 9 p.m. that Meredith would make it back to her house. And the house at this point should have been empty. Because Amanda was at Raphael's and her other roommates were out of town for the weekend. So at some point, Meredith would come home and an assailant or assailants would attack Meredith. And in the darkness of Meredith's room, a violent struggle would take place. And the rest of the world, including Amanda Knox, allegedly, would not learn of Meredith's fate until the following day. And this was a day that would reveal a very, very grisly scene.

and it would turn Amanda's life completely upside down. So for Amanda Knox, November 2nd, 2007, would begin like any other lazy morning. Amanda and Raphael would wake up and they would make their way back to Amanda's apartment around noon. And upon her arrival, she would find a very concerning situation. She would find that the door was open and when she walked into the bathroom that she shared with Meredith,

Amanda would be startled to see drops of blood in the sink and on the faucet. And there was also a suspicious smudge of blood, on the bath mat shaped somewhat like a foot. So Amanda would later describe being puzzled, but not immediately panicked at this point. Because the blood spots were small enough that she wondered if perhaps someone had accidentally cut themselves, or maybe that it might have even been menstrual blood,

but a window in one of the other roommate's rooms was unbroken with glass on the floor. And then she would notice that someone had also left feces in the toilet. But still, Amanda did not yet imagine that anything truly dire had happened. So obviously, they would be looking for Meredith at this point because she's supposed to be in the apartment so they would go to her door, but it was locked. So they would repeatedly knock on the door, but no one would answer. And they heard no sound coming from

inside. So Amanda would try calling both of Meredith's phone shortly afternoon, but she did not answer, which was highly unusual for Meredith. And that's what she would call one of her other roommates, Filamina, explaining the situation and expressing her worry for Meredith. And Filomena said she would return to the apartment immediately. And then it was at 1247 that Amanda would call her mother, who urged her to contact the police. And at 1251, Raphael contacted the police. And it was around that exact time that two telecommunications investigators had arrived.

But it wasn't in response to Amanda's call, but it was because a neighbor had reported finding Meredith's phone tossed into the yard. The neighbor's yard, that is. So by seeming coincidence, the authorities were actually at the house now trying to return the lost phone, completely unaware that they were just about to stumble

on a horrific crime scene. So Amanda and Raphael would greet the police and talk to them about the very worrying situation. And they, along with Filamina, requested that the police break down Meredith's door. So they would do so, and what they saw, elicited screams and utter chaos, because Meredith's lifeless body was on the floor covered by a blanket soaked in blood. A lake of blood is how one investigator would describe the scene, because she had been stabbed multiple times, and a bloody necklace of shallow knife wounds encircled her neck. Cuts that seemed to suggest the attacker tried to force

her into compliance. And finally, her throat was slashed so deep that a major artery was severed. And the coroner determined that Meredith died from catastrophic blood loss and exfixiation, and that her death was not instantaneous and that she was probably laying, bleeding out, for several minutes before she passed away. And evidence indicated signs of S.A. and or at least sexual activity before her death. It was just a horrifyingly cruel end for a young woman who just a few hours earlier had been hanging out and laughing with friends while eating pizza and ice cream. So in the aftermath of finding out Meredith had passed away, Amanda's behavior did not fit the mold of a distraught, hysterical roommate, at least not in the eyes of the Italian

police or the public. So in the police station, a short time after, as officers began taking statements from witnesses, Amanda's demeanor continued to raise eyebrows. And chief inspector Monica Napoleoni, head of Perugia's murder squad, later testified that, Amanda and Raphael, quote, appeared completely indifferent to everything while waiting at the station. And they would be seen sat, cuddling, whispering to each other, even making faces and writing notes to each other. And even at one point, a detective glanced over only to see Amanda casually perform a cartwheel and the splits right there in the hall. Tone deaf to say the least. And Napoleoni would say, quote unquote, it was strange to everybody.

just describing this whole situation in complete disbelief. And the couple's conduct was so notably out of place that it immediately planted seeds of suspicion in the authorities' minds. And as the day went on, Amanda's responses kind of oscillated. And she would break down at one point, because she would collapse to the floor when police brought her back to the cottage that evening. But by then, the damage was already done in terms of perception.

And the Italian media had already caught wind of the kissing couple at the crime scene and the rumor of Amanda's odd behavior spread like wildfire. So within hours of Meredith's body being discovered, a narrative was already forming. And that narrative was that Amanda Knox was behaving in the way that was not normal for an innocent girl. And this narrative would soon explode into a full-blown

character assassination in the press. But in the meantime, November 2nd and 3rd, Amanda was still technically just a witness. And she would spend the nights at Raphael's flat, now also as a potential suspect's home, And in a decision that would later haunt her, the very next day, Amanda and Raphael would go to a fancy clothing store and purchase lingerie. And she alleged that this purchase was because all of her items were locked in the house as the investigation was taking place. So she needed new underwear.

And a CCTV camera would catch the couple in the store where they would tenderly embrace and Raphael would joke, we can have why sex tonight. Oh, it's just all so bad. It's all, it all looks so bad. And the shop owner was just stunned to see Amanda's face on the news later, saying, how could these two be buying thongs and laughing just a day after Meredith's murder? And he would mention the incident to the police who obtained the security tape. And they would give it to Giuliano, Benignini, who was the prosecutor. And before long, that footage of Amanda and Raphael kissing and giggling over panties made its way to every TV screen in Italy. And the public's reaction was swift and merciless. So Amanda Knox was always

was already guilty in the court of public opinion. Guilty, not necessarily of actual murder, but just a shocking lack of morals and just, you know, common sense and empathy. So these early perceptions, fair or not, just kind of set the stage for what was to come next. Because the police had an absolutely brutal murder on their hands, and now two young people who, in their eyes,

were acting very, very strangely, given the circumstances. So in the days immediately following Meredith Kircher's murder, Italian authorities undertook a sprawling investigation, and they would quickly hone in on Amanda and Raphael as prime suspects, without any evidence at this point at all, just purely based on how they were acting at this point. But to the Perugia police, several things didn't add up at this point, because there was the break-in and the authorities at this point were saying it was probably staged, because the broken window appeared suspiciously fake in their eyes, and the inconsistencies they perceived in Amanda and Raphael's accounts on that morning.

And most of all, the couple's bizarre calmness and scrutiny, which, I mean, we're talking all circumstantial at this point. And everybody, everyone reacts differently to when people die. And sometimes it's very off-putting. And sometimes that can mean that they're guilty, but sometimes it just means they're tone deaf and stupid and a bit just dumb and just not thinking clearly or just lack empathy completely. But at this point, everyone was like, these people absolutely did it. And it was very difficult to see otherwise, even though they don't have a lot to go off of at this point. So from November 2nd onward, Amanda was kept under close watch. And she was asked to come to the police station repeatedly to give witness statements.

And as these sessions went on, their tone grew sharper. Because investigators were openly skeptical of the alibi Amanda and Raphael had provided. And Raphael, at one point, even wavered in his testimony, telling police that he wasn't sure if Amanda had actually been with him the whole time, which is suspicious. And such hints of doubt only intensified the pressure on Amanda. But a critical turning point would come on the night of November 5th, 2007, when police would call in Amanda and Raphael for another round of questioning. But this time, it was at police headquarters, and this time was far more aggressive. So over the course of the night and into the early morning of November 6th, Amanda was subjected to interrogation that lasted several hours, and mostly in Italian, and without a lawyer present.

So just completely, whatever you think, whatever you're thinking of Amanda right now or Raphael. Not fair. Not okay. No matter who this is. And she would actually request a lawyer during this interrogation, but they said it would make things a lot worse. So threatening the witness? Not good either. But what exactly transpired? in the interrogation room is a matter of dispute to this day. And Amanda, who at this point was a 20-year-old foreigner far from home, later claimed that the police used classic heavy-handed tactics, which included isolating her, shouting rapid-fire questions in a different language sometimes even, and even slapped her on the back of the head when she didn't produce the answers that they wanted.

Which again, no matter what you think of anybody right now, that is bad practice. Beh! Very bad practice. If true, that is. because we don't know for sure. But Chief Inspector Napoleon would vehemently deny any physical assault that took place during these investigations and just said she was treated very well, absolutely no violence. But by Amanda's account, she was exhausted, confused, and very, very scared. And she felt berated, threatened, lied to, and slapped until reality itself felt blurred. But what's certain is that in the early morning hours of November 6, Amanda buckled under the pressure

and gave a wildly damning statement to the police. And in what she described later as induced coercion, Amanda would tell the interrogators this story. She would say that she was in the cottage when Meredith was killed. And specifically, she incriminated her own boss, Patrick Lamumba, claiming that Patrick was with Meredith in Meredith's bedroom that night. And Amanda said she herself covered her ears to drown out the screams as Patrick attacked Meredith. And this statement effectively placed Amanda at the crime scene as a witness and as an accomplice and was as close to confession as the police had been seeking.

So in these statements, Amanda had implicated Patrick Lamumba and herself by proximity. Although notably, she repeatedly claimed her innocence in the whole situation. So now we're in really mucky, muddy fucking waters. So still, the implication was clear because now she was a self-professed eyewitness to the murder. Not good. But Amanda would later recant this tale almost immediately, explaining that it had been completely coerced. But by then, the damage was already done.

So on November 6th, 2007, based on Amanda's confession and the investigation hunches that were developed, the police moved swiftly to make arrests. So in the early morning, Amanda Knox, Raphael, and Patrick were all arrested and taken into custody. And the authorities announced to the media almost immediately that the case was now virtually solved. And in the initial theory,

the motive was some kind of sexual violence. And police would tell reporters that they believed Meredith was murdered because she refused to participate in violent sexual activity orchestrated by Amanda, Raphael, and Patrick. And they would point to Amanda's breakdown and confession as evidence. And the tabloid press in Italy and Britain immediately ran with this narrative. Just painting this trio as a sordid sex, sex game cult gone wrong.

When at this point, they really actually didn't know any of that. It was just kind of a made-up thing. And Amanda Knox's mugshot was just splashed on papers alongside shocking headlines. So overnight, she became an infamous barbaric ringleader of a horrific crime. It was just a very sensational story, something that media would just eat the fuck up. Because it was an American femme fatal and her Italian lover and this African bar owner committing this sacrificial sex murder, and it would just spread like wildfire. However, the case police thought that they had would soon begin to unravel.

Because for one, Patrick Lumumba had an ironclad alibi. Because on the night of November 1st, he was working at his bar, Le Chic, which was full of customers. And several witnesses that saw him there all night. And within two weeks, it was very clear that Patrick could not have been at the murder scene. he would vehemently deny any sort of involvement. And the Mamba was fully exonerated and released when police confirmed this alibi and found zero evidence placing him at the crime scene. And Amanda's accusation of this innocent man, whether a panicked false memory or deliberate lie,

now formed the basis for a separate charge against her, which was criminal slander. Just digging that hole. Digging that hole for herself right now. But more importantly, the collapse of the case against the Mumba, cast a really dark cloud over the police investigation in a hole. Because if Amanda's confession had pointed to the wrong man, how reliable were any of her statements? And under what circumstances had they been obtained? Now people were asking questions. And for Amanda, the aftermath of the interrogation was devastating because she found herself in a holding cell, realizing that she had implicated herself

in a murder, she insisted she didn't commit. And even after retracting her confession, it was too late. And the authorities would keep pressing forward. because they did believe that Amanda had told the truth during that interrogation. And now they would just kind of construct their own theory around it. And they would just kind of like shift to Lamamba out of that theory now that it was proven that he was not there. So soon a fourth suspect would emerge from forensic evidence. Yeah, we haven't even gotten evidence, like actual evidence yet. Just a really weird confession.

And the evidence would bring forth 20-year-old Rudy, the guy that was acquaintances with Amanda and Meredith, whose bloody fingerprints and DNA were, identified on Meredith's belongings. So on November 20th, 2007, Rudy would be arrested in Germany, where he had fled and he was extradited to Italy. And with Rudy in the picture now, prosecutors altered the narrative,

which was that now they contended that Amanda, Rafael, and Rudy together had assaulted Meredith in a drug-fueled escalation of some sexual game. And it was an extreme theory. But lead prosecutor Giuliano would believe it. And he would even toyed. with the outlandish ideas of satanic rituals and orgies, a motive he invoked in past cases. Just made up stuff that actually had nothing to do with the case even a little bit.

And Juliano, the lead prosecutor, would see Amanda as a central figure. And that was that Amanda was the instigator who just hated her roommate and that led these men to attack her. And over the next year, Amanda would sit in prison awaiting trial. And this is when serious questions about the entire investigation. would begin to surface because it had become apparent at this point that Amanda's interrogation had not been recorded. Again, bad practice. And no lawyer was present. Bad practice. And she was a very scared foreign student who had been awake all night. Just the perfect conditions for a false confession, allegedly. And her claim of being slapped by police, whether true or not, underscored the coercive atmosphere. One writer would note that, quote, Knox spent four years in prison largely for a failure to grieve in the way people expected. Due to that core statement, rather than any hard evidence. But in Italy, investigation just forged on, just absolutely convinced that Amanda and Raphael were guilty alongside Rudy.

And the stage was just set for a very long and strenuous legal battle, one that would expose very deep flaws in the case against Amanda. But not before, it nearly cost her decades of fraud. freedom. So as Amanda Knox's case proceeded to trial, it became increasingly clear that the prosecution's narrative was built on very shaky ground because observers and eventually Italian judges identified numerous problems within the case, from forensic blunders to blatant character assassination of Amanda in the media and the courtroom. And then there was the forensic flaws, which was the physical evidence used to implicate Amanda and Raphael turned out to be

alarmingly scant and deeply flawed. Because despite the crime scene being extraordinarily bloody, investigators failed to find any of Amanda's DNA in marital bedroom, where we know the murder happened. And this is something that the 2015 Supreme Court of Cassation ruling would underscore, saying that there was, quote, complete lack of biological traces connecting Knox to the crime. Instead, the DNA evidence pointed directly and overwhelmingly toward Rudy. Because his DNA was found on and inside marvellous body and in multiple bloodstains inside of the room. So how then do you tie Amanda to the murder? And that was the big question. But the prosecution would hang its hat on two key pieces of forensic evidence. And that was a kitchen knife and

a bra clasp. Because the knife retrieved from Raphael's kitchen was claimed to be the murder weapon. Because on its blade, forensic analysis to Dr. Patricia Stephanoni reported finding a minute trace of DNA that appeared to match Meredith's. And on its handle, DNA matching Amanda Knox. And this sounded damning until it was scrutinized in detail. Because in 2011, independent experts from Rome's Sapienza University re-examined the knife evidence and demolished its credibility. Because they found that traces of Meredith's DNA on the blade was so low in quantity that it was impossible to obtain a reliable profile at all. In fact, it was likely contamination, which wasn't a clear signal at all. And they claimed that Stefanoni had not followed standard international DNA protocols and actually made errors in analysis

and did not properly back up the evidence that she ended up giving in the courtroom. And even the timing of it was very, very suspect. because police claimed this large kitchen knife produced the wounds on Meredith. But later, analysis showed that the knife's dimensions didn't match some of the biggest injuries at all. And the second piece was the bra clasp. And this was a metal hook from the back of Meredith's bra that had been cut off during the attack. And it was collected from the crime scene 46 days after the murder, having been overlooked initially and left on the floor at the time.

But when finally tested, the clasps showed a mixture of DNA, including a profile attributed to Refi. And prosecutors would argue that Raphael was in Meredith's room and participated in this assault. But here too, independent experts uncovered major issues because the DNA on it was mixed and very complex. Because given the long delay and very sloppy handling, the experts testified that the braw clasp was likely contaminated and could not be considered as reliable evidence. In fact, every single one of the prosecution's forensic claims fell under severe doubt when examined more closely. And the independent review just destroyed Stefanoni's work, calling the knife and bra-class DNA evidence just completely worthless in providing anything. And in the end, the crime scene itself never yielded any reliable footprints, fingerprints, or DNA from Amanda or Raphael.

Whereas Rudy's presence was indisputable. And the Italian Supreme Court would later note how illogical it was to propose that Amanda and Raphael somehow selectively cleaned the crime scene of their own traces while leaving Rudy's every. a scenario that the judges would call, quote, impossible. So in short, the forensic case against Amanda Knox and Raphael was deeply and irreparably flawed. So with hard evidence completely lacking, the prosecution and the media leaned heavily on attacking Amanda Knox's character, because that's what they had. Turning the trial at times into a spectacle of personal slurs and moral judgment. So from the outset, Amanda became a victim of sensationalist portrayal. And the tabloids would dub her Foxy Noxie, the childhood nickname that we were talking about before, if you remember.

And would just run with the tales of her alleged promiscuity, drug use, and occult practices. And the media seized on every salacious detail between a vibrator being found in her belongings to her every single gesture, from kissing Raphael to her courtroom attire. An Italian prosecutors and lawyers actively fed on this narrative. And in the courtroom, prosecutor, Giuliano, described Amanda as a sex and drug-crazed instigator. And during one hearing, a lawyer for Patrick Lumumba, who Amanda had wrongly accused, launched into a scathing denunciation of Knox, calling her a diabolical, satanic, demonic she-devil in front of the jury. I mean, that's a bit rough.

Again, I don't know anything, but they're really leading into it, needless to say. And these words were so extreme that they would make international headlines. It was a character assassination in the most literal sense, painting Amanda as a cartoonish villain. And in essence, much of the case against Amanda just became about Amanda, between her personality, her behavior, her perceived moral character, rather than actual concrete facts or any evidence at all. And the blurring of the lines between evidence and character was just wildly condemned.

And Amanda's father, Kurt Knox, called the media onslaught and the process. executing tactics as quote, character assassination. And the result was that by the time Amanda's trial started, she faced not only legal charges, but a public image so poisoned that many assumed her guilt before it even started and just because of what they were told in the tabloids. So together, the faulty forensics and the character attacks nearly ensured a wrongful conviction, allegedly.

So the first trial was held in Perugia in 2009 and ended in a resounding defeat for Amanda and her co-defendant Raphael. So after nearly a year of hearings on December 5th, 2009, the jury found both of them guilty of Meredith Kircher's murder. And in addition to the murder conviction, Amanda was also found guilty of slander for falsely implicating Patrick Lumumba. And the court would sentence Amanda to 26 years in prison and Raphael to 25. So in the verdict, the judges accepted the prosecution's sensational theory that Amanda, Rafael and Rudy, who by then had been separately trialed because there was so much forensic evidence had jointly assaulted Meredith in a drug-fueled sexual assault that spiraled into

murder. And the verdict would just land like a thunderbolt amid a blaze of media coverage. And as a judge read the sentence, Amanda Knox broke down sobbing in the courtroom. And her family, having flown to Italy for the verdict, reacted with tears and just outrage. Because her family condemned the decision as a failure of Italian judicial system. And it's worth noting that Rudy tried separately in a fast-track procedure had been convicted earlier and given a 30-year sentence, later reduced on appeal to 16 years for his role in the murder. But by the end of 2009, the official line in Italy was that all three assailants, Amanda, Raphael and Rudy, were convicted and put behind bars. And to Perugia and in much of the British press, there was satisfaction that justice for Meredith had been achieved.

Yet doubts lingered internationally, because many in the American media and some Italian observers, question the verdict, pointing to the lack of hard evidence and the apparent biases. Because Amanda Knox and Raphael steadfastly maintained their innocence and immediately appealed the conviction, as is their right in the Italian system. And the next chapter would come in 2011 with the appeal trials. And in Italy, an appeal is not just a review, but it's essentially a second trial where new evidence can be introduced. And Amanda's appeal was heard in Perugia in a new trial. And throughout 2011, Amanda's team methodically attacked the weaknesses in the case. And the appeal in court also allowed more discussion of how the initial investigation might have gone wrong

because of the media pressure that swirled the case. And then finally, on October 3rd, 2011, the appeal court delivered a stunning ruling. Amanda and Raphael's convictions of murder were overturned. I'm really overwhelmed right now. So after four years in prison, Amanda was declared not guilty of the murder of Meredith Kircher due to the lack of evidence. And she would be immediately released from custody. So Amanda would be quickly ushered out, and within a day she was on a plane back home to Seattle. And in a tearful statement in the Seattle airport,

a dazed Amanda thanked those who believed in her and supported her family, saying she was overwhelmed. My family is the most important thing to me right now. They're reminding me to speak in English, because I'm having problems with that. I'm really overwhelmed. right now. I was looking down from the airplane and it seemed like everything wasn't real.

And for Amanda's family and supporters, it was a moment of great joy, just the end of a nightmare. However, the appeal at court did uphold one aspect, and that was that the slander conviction of accusing Patrick Lamumba would remain in place. And they would give a three-year sentence, but Amanda had already served four by then, so she was done. But still, by late 2011, Amanda Knox and Rafael were effectively free and exonerated in the eyes of the court. Yet the saga was not over. Because in an unexpected twist that many outside Italy found hard to comprehend, the case went to the Italian Supreme Court and came back again.

So in March of 2013, Italy's highest court reviewed the prosecution's appeal of the acquittal. And stunning, Amanda and her supporters, the Court of Cassation overturned the 2011 acquittal and ordered a new appellate trial. And this meant that Amanda, currently safe in the U.S., and Raphael, who was still in Italy, were once again defendants facing murder charges. And the retrial would take place in Florence in 2013 to 2014. And Amanda, knowing that the U.S. would likely not extradite her

if she was reconvicted, chose to not return to Italy for the proceedings. And she would remain in Seattle effectively being tried in absent. And Raphael, however, would appear in court, which would have been, I imagine, very agonizing without Amanda by his side. And in January of 2014, the Florence court would deliver its decision. And they would actually reinstate the guilty verdicts, reconvicting Amanda and Raphael of Meredith's murder.

Just a insane, insane rollercoaster. And in the next iteration, they even increased Amanda's sentence to 28 and a half years. Factoring in the slander charge, while Raphael's was confirmed around 25 years. And the Florence judges just essentially doubled down on the original theory, apparently unmoved by the doubts that were raised earlier. It was as if this seesaw of Italian justice had swung back hard. And Amanda, receiving this news from across the ocean, said she was frightened and saddened, but, quote, will never go willingly back to Italy to serve such a sentence. And Raphael, who had surrendered his passport, faced the real prospect of prison again. But they would once again appeal.

And then finally, in March of 2015, the case would reach its. definite conclusion. And the Italian Supreme Court took up Amanda and Raphael's final appeal of the Florence conviction. And on March 27, 2015, in a highly anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court annulled the convictions once and for all, definitively acquitting Amanda Knox and Raphael of the murder. And this was the legal end of it. Under the Italian law, a Supreme Court acquittal is final and cannot be retried. And Amanda, who was 27 by then, was full of joy. And she would say that, I'm great to have my life back. After seven and a half years, two convictions, two acquittals, and one retrial, Amanda Knox was finally irrevocably free. And the Supreme Court's full reasoning was released a few

months later. And it amounted to a very harsh rebuke of the prosecution's case. And the high court cited, quote, stunning flaws that had led to wrongful accusations. And the justices noted that, quote, lack of any biological trace of Amanda or Raphael at the crime scene and criticized lower courts for buying into a, quote, theory of complicity without evidence suggesting motives like Amanda's supposed resentment of Meredith that were never proven. And they flatly rejected the idea entirely that the scene had been selectively clean of Amanda Knox's traces as illogical and literally impossible. And the Supreme Court acknowledged that media sensationalism and pressure had led to a, quote, frantic search for one of more guilty parties to consign to international public opinion, which was

a situation that certainly did no favors for a fair investigation. And in the end, the court concluded that aside from Rudy, whose guilt was unquestioned, there was no reliable evidence that Amanda or Raphael had participated in the crime at all. And the only crime that Amanda remained convicted of was the slander of Patrick Lumumba, but she had already served four years of time in an Italian prison. So the final exoneration was just a moment of immense relief and validation of Amanda and her family. And Amanda would say, quote, Meredith was my friend. She deserved so much in this life. And in saying that, she was really trying to return focus to the victim of whose life was actually taken during this crime. Because I also can't imagine how Meredith's family's feeling during all of this.

Like everything's, the attention is just on Amanda. And I imagine they just want justice done. But also their daughter whose life was lost is now completely overshadowed by Amanda. But it's just a case in which sensationalism and the judicial system clashed and the victim was kind of overshadowed. So I just want to put my heart out there to merit this family and know that she is the real victim in this case. But the long legal saga had concluded, but there were repercussions. Because when Amanda Knox stepped off the plane onto Seattle soil in October of 2011, she was a 24-year-old who had spent the past four years behind bars in a foreign country. and just thrust into a spotlight she never wanted.

And her priority was just to simply reclaim a semblance of normal life. And once she kind of got reused to being home again, she re-enrolled in the University of Washington to finish her bachelor's degree. She also began to explore her voice through the writing process of everything that she had been through. And in 2013, she would even go on to publish a memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, which became a New York bestseller. And the book, for which she reportedly received $4 million advance for,

detailed the version of events and the ordeal of prison. But much of the proceeds just went towards paying off the massive legal debts her family had accumulated over those years. So for the first time, Amanda was able to publicly tell her story in her own words. And the release was accompanied by a very high-profile interview on ABC with Diane Sawyer, during which Amanda, composed yet emotional, reiterated her innocence and described how, quote-unquote, surreal the whole saga had been. I was in the courtroom when they were calling me a devil. It's one thing to be called certain things in the media, and then it's another thing to be sitting in a courtroom, fighting for your life while people are calling you a devil. And she would also be interviewed by Good Morning America.

And as the years went on, Amanda carved out a new identity, transforming from a tabloid figure into an advocate and a writer. And she began to work as a freelance journalist. And she also became increasingly involved in the Innocence Project movement and other advocacy groups for wrongfully convicted people. Notably, in June of 2019, Amanda returned to Italy for the first time. And that was because she was invited to speak at the Criminal Justice Festival in Medina for Italy's Innocence Project. And in 2016, Netflix would release a well-received documentary titled Amanda Knox, which featured candid interviews with Amanda, Raphael, and other people from the case. And the film offered a more nuanced view of the case and examined how media narratives can diverge from reality.

And the opening line of the documentary famously has Amanda looking into the camera and saying, quote, either I'm a psychopath in sheep's clothing, or I am you. And it challenged viewers to question the caricature that had been built around her. And in 2017, she would take on a role in a TV series called The Scarlet Letter Reports. And eventually, she would find love again, and she would become engaged to her actual childhood friend. But the engagement would end amicably. And then a couple years later, she would meet Christian Robinson, who was an author. And in 2018, Amanda and Chris would quietly elope.

recent years, Amanda and Chris have welcomed two children into the world with a daughter named Eureka born in 2021 and a son named Echo born in 2023. And motherhood has apparently been a very joyful chapter for Amanda. And she often shares on social media glimpses of her family life. So she's built a career as a writer, podcaster, and public speaker and has by and large succeeded in rebuilding herself beyond the tabloids headlines. And while for some the name Amanda Knox will forever be tied to a notorious murder case. Those who follow her work today see a person who has fought to reclaim her narrative and to help others in the process. And through it all, she expresses her gratitude that she is alive and able to make a difference. And while Italy's justice system initially stumbled in Amanda's

case, it did not emerge unchanged. And the intense scrutiny spurred some reflections of reform within Italy. One concrete reform regarding police interrogations. Partially in response to Amanda's case, Italian authorities introduce measures to record suspects interrogations on video. In fact, interrogations must be fully documented through audio and audiovisual recording now. But the implementation of this requirement varies. Furthermore, the Knox ordeal prompted Italian police and prosecutors to reconsider media relations. And this case has also indirectly bolstered calls for international cooperation and standards in forensic science. It was basically just a giant wake-up call for Italy.

But there are some people that still believe she and her. Raphael are guilty even though they were acquitted. And that's not up for me to decide. You can decide whatever you want. I'm just giving you the facts of the case, all right? But at the end of the day, Meredith lost her life. And again, my heart goes out to that family. And Amanda has made the most of her life after being acquitted. So I wish all the best. And that is the end of the video. If you want to give me other cases to deep dive, let me know down below. I always read your comments. And until next time, please be safe. And I will see you. beautiful face in the next video. All right? Bye.