Amanda Knox's Acquittal Relevant To Charlotte Criminal Proceedings

On October 2, 2011, an Italian appeals court overturned the conviction of Amanda Knox who was convicted in 2009 of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher. Although the appeals court will write a formal opinion detailing the court's conclusions, Knox's counsel and many others believe the acquittal is a result of the Prosecution's lack of evidence.

The prosecution's case primarily focused on circumstantial evidence that failed to directly connect Knox to the murder. The prosecution presented DNA evidence from a knife and a bra clasp that was found at the apartment of a man Knox was dating. The prosecution contended such evidence connected Knox to Kercher's murder. However, this evidence was discredited on appeal. Experts indicated the evidence may have been contaminated when it was collected, so the DNA could definitively connect Knox to the murder. With this evidence discredited, the case hinged on circumstantial evidence, and there was little to further implicate Knox, as the prosecution offered virtually no motive or means for Knox to commit the crime.