Amanda Knox Vigil Is Combination of 'Dread and Hope' as Murder Appeal Nears End
Amanda Knox's bright yellow bedroom in her suburban Seattle home awaits her just as she left it four years ago. In the room is her guitar and boxes of letters she mailed her family from her Italian prison cell.
Knox and her family are trying to not be too excited, but they are hopeful that Knox may be days away from freedom and an emotional homecoming as her appeal heads into its final days. Summations in the case are scheduled to begin Friday.
Knox's step-father, Chris Mellas, has lived in the outskirts of Perugia for most of the past year. The imminent decision whether or not Knox will be acquitted weighs heavily on him.
"It's really hard to describe. It's a combination of dread and hope... the thought that this can finally end or it can kick us in the teeth again. It's impossible to explain," Mellas told ABC News.
Knox's father, Curt Knox, says his daughter's frame of mind is calm, but she appears "jittery and nervous" as she awaits the decision that will decide her future.
It's been four years since a 20 year-old Knox set off to Perugia, Italy, to learn Italian while studying abroad. Her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when she became a suspect in the murder of her English roommate Meredith Kercher.
Knox let a moan and desperate, "Nooo" when she and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murder in 2009. She was sentenced to 26 years and Sollecito to 25 years.
But today Knox and her family can't help but day dream of what they will do if Knox is home soon. Her family says first she will simply enjoy seeing her family and friends, peace and quiet and the simple luxury of "doing what she wants, when she want to."
"She wants to catch up on Harry Potter movies, use a telephone freely, lie in the grass in her backyard and eat a home-cooked breakfast," said Mellas.
Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, is packing her suitcase for what she hopes is her final 6,000 mile trip from Seattle to Perugia. She says lately she has not been able to sleep and often wakes up from dreams of wondering what will happen to Amanda.
"We're hopeful, but we are not going to celebrate until she walks out. But I definitely think all of us feel like this could be the end of the nightmare," Mellas told ABC News.
It's a nightmare that began in November 2007 when Knox and Sollecito were arrested weeks a after her arrival for the brutal murder of Kercher.
The arrest was followed by a year long trial that culminated in their convictions in December 2009. Her conviction was compounded by the proliferation of books and movies depicting her life.
But this summer Knox's appeal brings new hope for her freedom. A court appointed panel of two experts concluded that key DNA evidence used in their convictions was improperly handled, was likely contaminated and should not have been entered as evidence.
In addition, the testimony of a homeless man who placed them in the vicinity of the murder came under fire during their appeal and he contradicted himself.
Final arguments in the appeal begin Friday and a verdict that could possibly free Knox is expected in the first week of October.
From day one, Knox and her family have insisted she is innocent. Her family's support is remarkable. They have collectively made nearly 100 trips to Perugia to visit her for one hour twice a week, the allowed prison visitations.
The anticipation of the appeal verdict is difficult for Curt Knox. "The light has always been on at the end of the tunnel, and now it's shining even brighter. We could be a week to two weeks away from bringing her home. The hope is really there now, but we have to try to stem it a little bit."
In a recent prison visit, Knox posed the question to her father, "What are the top 10 things you want to do when I get home?" Curt Knox says he took the question as a good sign, adding, "On that list is finally celebrating [Knox's] 21st birthday."
Knox, 24, has spent four birthdays, four Christmases and college graduation behind bars. She has also missed the milestones of her sisters, Deanna, 22, and her half-sisters, Ashley, 16, and Delaney, 13.
Amanda Knox Family Hopeful She Will Soon Be Freed
Edda Mellas feels her oldest daughter's absence. "I miss having Amanda around and having her here for all the family gatherings and barbecues. Every time we get together there's always somebody missing, we are acutely aware that she is not there."
Knox's family has always remained "cautiously optimistic," but Curt Knox now says he dares to be "very hopeful."
This international legal drama took a drastic turn for Knox and Sollecito this summer during their appeal.
Two court-appointed independent experts reviewed two key pieces of evidence in the case. One crucial piece of evidence is Kercher's bra clasp, allegedly with Sollecito's DNA on the hook, that was collected six weeks after the murder. The second is a kitchen knife found at Sollecito's apartment. The prosecution claims it's the murder weapon and has Kercher's DNA on the blade and Knox's on the handle.
After a three month review, the independent experts concluded that the evidence was likely contaminated and testing results were inconclusive.
The independent experts also scolded prosecutors for the way they handled the DNA evidence.
During the appeal, they played video of the crime scene collection after explaining basic evidence collection standards: place evidence in paper, not plastic bags, change gloves frequently and gently swab for DNA, don't rub.
As the video showed evidence placed in plastic bags, gloves not changed and cotton swabs rubbing surfaces, some spectators gasped in horror while others laughed.
Most notable was the collection of the bra clasp, already controversial because it was collected six weeks after the murder. The video showed forensic police picking up the clasp, handing it to one another, placing it back on the floor, photographing it and then picking it up again.
The independent experts said the substance on the knife blade was starch, specifically rye bread, not Kercher's DNA. They argued that the amount of DNA was too minuscule to have been tested in the first place.
The prosecution has also failed to provide a clear motive or an explanation for the absence of Knox's DNA in Kercher's bedroom where the gruesome crime occurred.
The DNA evidence does point to Rudy Guede, a drifter who was convicted of taking part in the crime during a separate trial. His DNA was found on the victim's body, his bloody hand prints on the wall above her, and his fingerprints on her purse.
Guede, who claims he's innocent, admits he was in the bedroom that night, and initially told police Knox and Sollecito were not present. Months later, he changed his story and said they were there. Guede is serving a 16 year sentence.
Knox's life lies in the hands of a new panel of Italian judges and jurors who have heard her appeal, along with Sollecito's. The possible outcomes of their appeal are an acquittal, sentence reduction, confirmation of trial sentence or an increased sentence to life in prison. The prosecution also appealed after the trial sentence, asking for life in prison.
If Knox's conviction is overturned, she could be freed within hours.
It's a thought Edda Mellas can't resist. "When Amanda comes home it will mean that our family can go back to just having a normal life. We will never be the same and our lives will never be the same, but we will focus on getting a new life and a new set of routines in place to keep moving forward."
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| Amanda Knox attends her appeal hearing to reconsider her guilty verdict in the murder of Meredith Kercher, at Perugia's Court of Appeal, Perugia, Italy, Sept. 5, 2011. |
Knox and her family are trying to not be too excited, but they are hopeful that Knox may be days away from freedom and an emotional homecoming as her appeal heads into its final days. Summations in the case are scheduled to begin Friday.
Knox's step-father, Chris Mellas, has lived in the outskirts of Perugia for most of the past year. The imminent decision whether or not Knox will be acquitted weighs heavily on him.
"It's really hard to describe. It's a combination of dread and hope... the thought that this can finally end or it can kick us in the teeth again. It's impossible to explain," Mellas told ABC News.
Knox's father, Curt Knox, says his daughter's frame of mind is calm, but she appears "jittery and nervous" as she awaits the decision that will decide her future.
It's been four years since a 20 year-old Knox set off to Perugia, Italy, to learn Italian while studying abroad. Her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when she became a suspect in the murder of her English roommate Meredith Kercher.
Knox let a moan and desperate, "Nooo" when she and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murder in 2009. She was sentenced to 26 years and Sollecito to 25 years.
But today Knox and her family can't help but day dream of what they will do if Knox is home soon. Her family says first she will simply enjoy seeing her family and friends, peace and quiet and the simple luxury of "doing what she wants, when she want to."
"She wants to catch up on Harry Potter movies, use a telephone freely, lie in the grass in her backyard and eat a home-cooked breakfast," said Mellas.
Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, is packing her suitcase for what she hopes is her final 6,000 mile trip from Seattle to Perugia. She says lately she has not been able to sleep and often wakes up from dreams of wondering what will happen to Amanda.
"We're hopeful, but we are not going to celebrate until she walks out. But I definitely think all of us feel like this could be the end of the nightmare," Mellas told ABC News.
It's a nightmare that began in November 2007 when Knox and Sollecito were arrested weeks a after her arrival for the brutal murder of Kercher.
The arrest was followed by a year long trial that culminated in their convictions in December 2009. Her conviction was compounded by the proliferation of books and movies depicting her life.
But this summer Knox's appeal brings new hope for her freedom. A court appointed panel of two experts concluded that key DNA evidence used in their convictions was improperly handled, was likely contaminated and should not have been entered as evidence.
In addition, the testimony of a homeless man who placed them in the vicinity of the murder came under fire during their appeal and he contradicted himself.
Final arguments in the appeal begin Friday and a verdict that could possibly free Knox is expected in the first week of October.
From day one, Knox and her family have insisted she is innocent. Her family's support is remarkable. They have collectively made nearly 100 trips to Perugia to visit her for one hour twice a week, the allowed prison visitations.
The anticipation of the appeal verdict is difficult for Curt Knox. "The light has always been on at the end of the tunnel, and now it's shining even brighter. We could be a week to two weeks away from bringing her home. The hope is really there now, but we have to try to stem it a little bit."
In a recent prison visit, Knox posed the question to her father, "What are the top 10 things you want to do when I get home?" Curt Knox says he took the question as a good sign, adding, "On that list is finally celebrating [Knox's] 21st birthday."
Knox, 24, has spent four birthdays, four Christmases and college graduation behind bars. She has also missed the milestones of her sisters, Deanna, 22, and her half-sisters, Ashley, 16, and Delaney, 13.
Amanda Knox Family Hopeful She Will Soon Be Freed
Edda Mellas feels her oldest daughter's absence. "I miss having Amanda around and having her here for all the family gatherings and barbecues. Every time we get together there's always somebody missing, we are acutely aware that she is not there."
Knox's family has always remained "cautiously optimistic," but Curt Knox now says he dares to be "very hopeful."
This international legal drama took a drastic turn for Knox and Sollecito this summer during their appeal.
Two court-appointed independent experts reviewed two key pieces of evidence in the case. One crucial piece of evidence is Kercher's bra clasp, allegedly with Sollecito's DNA on the hook, that was collected six weeks after the murder. The second is a kitchen knife found at Sollecito's apartment. The prosecution claims it's the murder weapon and has Kercher's DNA on the blade and Knox's on the handle.
After a three month review, the independent experts concluded that the evidence was likely contaminated and testing results were inconclusive.
The independent experts also scolded prosecutors for the way they handled the DNA evidence.
During the appeal, they played video of the crime scene collection after explaining basic evidence collection standards: place evidence in paper, not plastic bags, change gloves frequently and gently swab for DNA, don't rub.
As the video showed evidence placed in plastic bags, gloves not changed and cotton swabs rubbing surfaces, some spectators gasped in horror while others laughed.
Most notable was the collection of the bra clasp, already controversial because it was collected six weeks after the murder. The video showed forensic police picking up the clasp, handing it to one another, placing it back on the floor, photographing it and then picking it up again.
The independent experts said the substance on the knife blade was starch, specifically rye bread, not Kercher's DNA. They argued that the amount of DNA was too minuscule to have been tested in the first place.
The prosecution has also failed to provide a clear motive or an explanation for the absence of Knox's DNA in Kercher's bedroom where the gruesome crime occurred.
The DNA evidence does point to Rudy Guede, a drifter who was convicted of taking part in the crime during a separate trial. His DNA was found on the victim's body, his bloody hand prints on the wall above her, and his fingerprints on her purse.
Guede, who claims he's innocent, admits he was in the bedroom that night, and initially told police Knox and Sollecito were not present. Months later, he changed his story and said they were there. Guede is serving a 16 year sentence.
Knox's life lies in the hands of a new panel of Italian judges and jurors who have heard her appeal, along with Sollecito's. The possible outcomes of their appeal are an acquittal, sentence reduction, confirmation of trial sentence or an increased sentence to life in prison. The prosecution also appealed after the trial sentence, asking for life in prison.
If Knox's conviction is overturned, she could be freed within hours.
It's a thought Edda Mellas can't resist. "When Amanda comes home it will mean that our family can go back to just having a normal life. We will never be the same and our lives will never be the same, but we will focus on getting a new life and a new set of routines in place to keep moving forward."
