Continuation Part 2 - Discussion of the Amanda Knox case

[Mary_H]

I pointed out the error in the comments section, which appears to be the first time it was ever directly challenged on their site. It looks like she deliberately misrepresented a comment whose real basis she knew about.

Sometimes the P-I has technical difficulties when it comes to their comment sections. The comments on Candace's pages have disappeared temporarily in the past, too. There were several pages of comments after that Andre Vogt article; they'll be back.

 

[Mary_H]

Then again there's the old adage 'Never interfere when your opponent is in the process of destroying themselves.'

Just reading that...they're carrying their 'PR conspiracy' nonsense right into the heart of the Forth Estate, pretending they 'know' something about it whilst parroting 'suspicion' of that line "earned and unearned media" not realizing what it means! For crissakes I told one of them what it was two weeks ago, if there was anything actually 'sinister' about it does anyone in their right mind think it would be on their website?
....................

"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it."

--Voltaire

Saying bad things about the media is one of the least strategic things anyone can do. Last year, the guilters were even calling Oprah stupid. And you know how little power Oprah has.

 

[Kaosium]

Hey Kaosium,
My opinion only, but I bet that you would have fun tearin' apart Barbie's book here on the JREF.

Heh, probably, but that's been done already, and what fun is it hitting an easy target? From what I've read, her book is a 'target rich environment.'

However, as you've posted in excerpts in the past, the book is not without insight. I'll wait until it's in the bargain bin.

 

[Draca]

Heh, probably, but that's been done already, and what fun is it hitting an easy target? From what I've read, her book is a 'target rich environment.'

However, as you've posted in excerpts in the past, the book is not without insight. I'll wait until it's in the bargain bin.

Buy Used on Amazon - 3.78

 

[Kaosium]

Fellas, it's been good to know ya.....

'The Captain wired in, he had water coming in...'

Lord I love that song!

No, there's only been one 'PR Supertanker' in this case, the HMS Foxy Knoxy, and it was scuttled and rests at the bottom of the Atlantic now. It was a transitory vessel, not the sort of thing that can be 'built' and required a mendacious police/prosecution, a window where sleaze merchants could operate without fear of reprisal as LJ has noted, and the willing suspension of disbelief on the behalf of the public, or outright disinterest like myself.

It will never happen, and part of me thinks it probably shouldn't anyway, but I think the best display of poetic justice in this case would be if Amanda Knox could sue the Daily Mail for everything they had, and take over administration of that storied journal. She could change the editorial slant to something sweetness and light, and as a special 'gift' to 'others' put bunnies and kittens on the masthead...

 

[LondonJohn]

Heh, probably, but that's been done already, and what fun is it hitting an easy target? From what I've read, her book is a 'target rich environment.'

However, as you've posted in excerpts in the past, the book is not without insight. I'll wait until it's in the bargain bin.

Oh, it's a corker! Quite apart from its unbalanced, often poorly-written content, it looks as though it was typeset and bound as some sort of junior school project.

 

[Antony]

Hi BabyCondor,
I disagree.
I've known a few career criminals, they've been busted time and time again and spent many years of their life in+out of prison. As far as I know, Rudy Guede had not, hence I do not believe that he was a career criminal. It seems that he had just recently turned onto that road though when he was involved in Miss Kercher's brutal murder.

I also disagree with your last sentence. Rudy Guede has not been convicted of any other murders, nor was he a suspect in any other murders that I am aware of. So why do you, a fellow innocentisti, believe that Rudy Guede will kill again? Isn't the whole purpose of prison to make a person pay for their crime by imposing a sentence of incarceration, thereby denying them their own personal freedom, while also hopefully rehabilitating the convicted person so that they may re-enter society again? Don't you think that Rudy Guede could be rehabilitated?

However, if Rudy was to commit another horrible crime once he gets out of jail, I'd place my $$$ down that this would be the crime of rape. From what I have read, it seems more convicted rapists rape again than non-serial killers kill again. But what do I really know?

Anyways, I hope neither happens, ever again...
RW

These are valid points, as nobody can say with certainty what the outcome of all of this will be for Rudy Guede. All we can say is that he is an extremely dangerous individual, and is likely still to be one when he is released.

As for rehabilitation, of course that's a possibility to be hoped for; but the conditions are not good. Nobody knows better than Rudy Guede how badly the authorities screwed-up in pursuing Amanda and Raffaele, and how he benefited from their screw-ups by having the main part of the blame diverted from himself. That's not a good start in creating good reasons for a criminal to mend his ways.

Those who respond with knee-jerk denial to miscarriages of justice often claim to be giving priority to the victim and the judicial system in general, over the rights of the accused. This delusion is one of the big ironies of such debates: miscarriages of justice are most obvious to the real culprits in the crime; and they are the very people with whom the discrediting of justice is most damaging.

 

[babycondor]

Hi BabyCondor,
I disagree.
I've known a few career criminals, they've been busted time and time again and spent many years of their life in+out of prison. As far as I know, Rudy Guede had not, hence I do not believe that he was a career criminal. It seems that he had just recently turned onto that road though when he was involved in Miss Kercher's brutal murder.

So we are in agreement on that point.

I also disagree with your last sentence. Rudy Guede has not been convicted of any other murders, nor was he a suspect in any other murders that I am aware of. So why do you, a fellow innocentisti, believe that Rudy Guede will kill again? Isn't the whole purpose of prison to make a person pay for their crime by imposing a sentence of incarceration, thereby denying them their own personal freedom, while also hopefully rehabilitating the convicted person so that they may re-enter society again? Don't you think that Rudy Guede could be rehabilitated?

I'm probably overly pessimistic in my prediction that he will murder again. But I think it's very likely he will commit another violent crime.

Anyways, I hope neither happens, ever again...
RW

Me too.

 

[Kaosium]

Kaosium,
Good point about Maresca. I know that Raffaele also spent some time in solitary, but I do not have the exact length of time. The failure of the prosecution to appeal Rudy's mitigation to the Supreme Court is most troubling.

As I recall she didn't actually have to serve it, it was just what the truculent twins Mignini and Maresca demanded, thankfully more merciful heads prevailed.

Well there is some confusion whether the prosecution was/is able to appeal mitigation for fast-track trials. I have searched the penal code and have found some evidence saying no, they can't, but I am not certain of this.

That wouldn't make much sense to me. Thus everyone convicted or more or less the same crime serves the same sentence regardless of severity?

Maresca filed the civil suit during Rudy's trial and before Micheli ruled that there was enough evidence for Amanda or Raffaele to proceed to trial. I don't believe Maresca has had leniency or nice words for Rudy, as well as Amanda or Raffaele.

I find it interesting that Maresca wasn't even hired until Guede's trial was nearly complete, like he was of no concern exacting vengeance against.

 

[Kaosium]

Oh, it's a corker! Quite apart from its unbalanced, often poorly-written content, it looks as though it was typeset and bound as some sort of junior school project.

I just glanced through it and my memory may be inexact, but I seem to recall they used really big words like it was the Reader's Digest senior edition.

Did you find it better or worse than "Darkness Descending?"

 

[Chris_Halkides]

Dempsey on Guede

Candace Dempsey has a blog entry out on Rudy. She wrote, "He has continued to pin Meredith’s missing 300 euro on the American student, even after cops found his DNA on the victim’s handbag and Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini admitted to Oggi Magazine that 'Rudy reached into her purse.' Inexplicably he also knew about the theft before it appeared in the press....His highly prejudicial, televised spontaneous statement was doubly controversial, coming within days of the final verdict for Amanda and Raffaele. Their non-sequestered jurors could watch it on TV." She also has a translation of Rudy's statement to the police.

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

Candace Dempsey has a blog entry out on Rudy. She wrote, "He has continued to pin Meredith’s missing 300 euro on the American student, even after cops found his DNA on the victim’s handbag and Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini admitted to Oggi Magazine that 'Rudy reached into her purse.' Inexplicably he also knew about the theft before it appeared in the press....His highly prejudicial, televised spontaneous statement was doubly controversial, coming within days of the final verdict for Amanda and Raffaele. Their non-sequestered jurors could watch it on TV." She also has a translation of Rudy's statement to the police.

Chris,

Why would she write this:

Independent experts have already knocked out the DNA tests, the only evidence linking the former lovers to the cottage where Meredith, Amanda’s roommate, was slashed to death on Nov. 1, 2007.

??

I suppose one could make a case that she means they 'knocked them out' as in 'evaluated' them but somehow I don't think that is what she meant.

 

[Dan O.]

Chris,

Why would she write this:

Independent experts have already knocked out the DNA tests, the only evidence linking the former lovers to the cottage where Meredith, Amanda’s roommate, was slashed to death on Nov. 1, 2007.

??

I suppose one could make a case that she means they 'knocked them out' as in 'evaluated' them but somehow I don't think that is what she meant.

Knockout^WP as in down for the count and not getting back up. The DNA evidence won't be fighting another round.

 

[RoseMontague]

I find it interesting that Maresca wasn't even hired until Guede's trial was nearly complete, like he was of no concern exacting vengeance against.

IIRC, Maresca was originally hired to fight against a second autopsy and get the body released to the Kerchers, very early in the process.

Guede got the maximum 30 year sentence in the first trial so there was nothing to appeal at that point. Guede got the same mitigation Raffaele received to 24 years on his appeal (the one-third fast track reduces that to 16 years).

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

Knockout^WP as in down for the count and not getting back up. The DNA evidence won't be fighting another round.

That is a bit premature I think. I am hopeful but I don't think anyone should be stating it as fact just yet.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

Guede vs. Sollecito

Guede got the maximum 30 year sentence in the first trial so there was nothing to appeal at that point. Guede got the same mitigation Raffaele received to 24 years on his appeal (the one-third fast track reduces that to 16 years).

Yes, but the prosecution is appealing Sollecito's mitigation. Christianahannah thought that the mitigation might not be subject to appeal, but someone else, possibly LJ, thought otherwise.

 

[RWVBWL]

Fried

Hi everyone,
So I was just having a read in some of the forums and blogs that I follow reagrding this case we discuss and this caught my eye.

This posted by Frank Sfarzo, aka Francesco Sforza of Perugia Shock:

Frank said...
Yes I know what happened to the computers. The same happened to my cell: fried!it's their rule, frying everything, always, just in case.
<snip>

What is with all the fryin' goin' on in Perugia?

Haven't they fired the guy or gal who somehow fried those computers during the early investigation? I wonder how any member of the colpevolisti side would feel if their own cell phone had it's contents fried after visiting the questura?

 

[Chris_Halkides]

JFK

Just a general response really to your post. I have just finished watching the “Kennedy’s” miniseries over here, there are people who will never accept the official version of JFK’s assassination, and there are people who actually believe that the movie JFK is historically accurate. My wife believes Princess Diana was killed by powerful forces within the UK establishment because she was dating Dodi Fayed. In short people believe what they choose to believe at the end of the day in this case the verdict of the appeal jury will decide Raffaele and Amanda’s fate.

CoulsdonUK,

Is it your position that people who believe that Amanda and Raffaele are innocent are like those who do not accept the official versions of JFK's or Princess Diana's death? If so, would you elaborate?

 

[Chris_Halkides]

low template

Chris,

Why would she write this:

Independent experts have already knocked out the DNA tests, the only evidence linking the former lovers to the cottage where Meredith, Amanda’s roommate, was slashed to death on Nov. 1, 2007.

??

I suppose one could make a case that she means they 'knocked them out' as in 'evaluated' them but somehow I don't think that is what she meant.

PDiGirolamo,

I am not sure, but it is possible that the bra clasp will be tossed as evidence. If Raffaele's profile is in the low template range but the test cannot be repeated, this might be enough. Just speculating.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

enough

PDiGirolamo,
If Raffaele's profile is in the low template range but the test cannot be repeated, this might be enough.

On the other hand, the Y chromosomal evidence might be enough for them to decide that it is Raffaele's DNA. Then it would come down to whether the errors in collecting and handling the clasp and the presence of other DNA is enough to make them want to toss this evidence. It is enough for me.