Continuation Part 3 - Discussion of the Amanda Knox case

[christianahannah]

Good find! If this is accurate (and I'm sure Ganong would argue that Vogt never gets anything wrong!), then this heavily implies that the 13th November knife test did indeed take place in the very midst of a large number of other tests where Meredith's DNA was present.

The only other (slight) possibility is that Ms Stefanoni decided that the knife was both significant and in need of very sensitive testing, and that she therefore decided to defer the start of the DNA tests in this case until the Tuesday (the 13th), and to make the knife the very first item related to this case to be tested. But if that had been the case, I think it's practically certain that Stefanoni/Comodi would have been very keen to mention this in the 30th July court testimony. And of course Stefanoni would have mentioned it in her original testimony in the first trial: she would have said the knife was tested first, rather than "in the middle" of the 50-60 items.

Therefore, I think we can reasonably conclude that if Vogt's article is accurate, the first test on the knife was almost certainly run on the same day as numerous other tests where Meredith's DNA was present (and present in very large amounts).

I see no record of samples being run on November 13 which contain Meredith's DNA in very large amounts. In fact of the samples which have the same date as the knife there is no DNA from Meredith on those samples. The samples (which I have tried to decipher) are samples collected from Raffaele's apartment on November 6 and run on November 13.

And as far as Stefanoni's testimony, I gathered that she was stating those 50-60 items which tested postive for Meredith's DNA were were run over the course of the testing with the knife neither being the first sample in which her DNA turned up or the last sample.

 

[Bruce Fischer]

As I've said before, my personal view is that nothing coming out of the mouths (or keyboards) of either Comodi or Ms Stefanoni (or Mignini) should be taken at face value any more. I think that all of these characters have amply demonstrated their propensity to obfuscate, mislead and flat-out lie - both inside and outside a courtroom - in relation to this case.

As many others are demonstrating, it's entirely likely that this whole "6-day" and "12-day" claim made my Comodi (presumably in consultation with Ms Stefanoni) is misleading at best, and it may even be an utter lie. Even basic logic tells you that the claims are highly likely to be spurious.

Let's look at the knife first. The knife was recovered from Sollecito's apartment on November 6th 2007. The police were still processing the cottage crime scene at that point, and it's inconceivable that there wasn't a huge number of items in the queue for DNA testing. Stefanoni herself previously testified that the knife was tested "in the middle of around 50-60 items". We know that the knife was tested on 13th November. In order for the "6-day" claim to be correct, we have to believe that nothing whatsoever related to the case was tested between November 7th and November 13th. In view of the large number of items to be tested, and the need to get forensic evidence as soon as possible to put before Matteini's court, I simply can't believe that the testing process ground to a total halt on the 7th until the knife was tested on the 13th.

And regarding the bra clasp, let's not forget that a large number of other important pieces of evidence were collected on the same day as the clasp (we'll overlook for now the utter incompetence of the police in leaving these items - including the blood-soaked jacket and boots actually being worn by Meredith when she was attacked, and the handbag and tote bag - in her room along with the bra clasp for 46 days). Again, we are supposed to believe that there was a 12-day shut-down before the clasp was tested. Doesn't wash. And unless and until Stefanoni produces verifiable records to prove these "quarantine" periods, I (and, I'm assuming, Hellmann's court) am not prepared to presume that Comodi is being totally truthful.

As a footnote to this issue, as Hellmann so correctly pointed out, the issue of the possibility of contamination still exists whether or not these "quarantine" periods were observed. There were so many ways and times that these items could have become contaminated - the lab is only one of multiple places. In addition, as Sfarzo pointed out recently, who's to assume that we are necessarily talking about accidental contamination......?

BTW, I see that the more sociopathic elements of .org are currently engaging in an enthusiastic hunt for Bruce - a pursuit which clearly involves plenty of private correspondence, and some considerable time and effort. And they say that their only concern is "justice for Meredith". I'm sure that Meredith would be very proud of their efforts. What do you think, Peggy, Randy, Paddy.....?

If anyone wants to find me I am always available. Send me an email at injusticeinperugia@yahoo.com. The people that have been searching for me have made no effort whatsoever to contact me. If I wanted information about someone I would just ask that person.

PMF is currently obsessed with Bruce Fisher. Their "investigation" of me consists of nothing more than someone trolling my facebook account and obtaining information from a dishonest teen blogger.

They don't seem to realize that their obsession for Bruce Fisher is proving what I knew all along. I am not working for Marriott, I am not part of a super human PR force, I am not a cameraman from Seattle, I am not a group of people using one name online, I am not Chris Mellas, I am not any of the things they have claimed for the past year.

I am the person I have said I was all along. I am just a guy doing what he can to help. Injustice in Perugia is a grassroots organization working to correct an injustice. I speak the truth. Injustice in Perugia has actual experts analyzing this case; working with real evidence.

The group working so hard to "out" Bruce Fisher has no experts. They rely on the analysis of an anonymous person named Kermit and the astrology of another anonymous person named Ergon. The information provided by these anonymous people is then posted all over the internet by another anonymous person named Harry Rag/The Machine.

Peggy Ganong likes to claim that I have libeled her and her friends but provides absolutely no proof to back up her claims. Why? Because everything I write is true. Peggy thinks that I need to be "outed" so that I can "man up" for my accusations against her group. She makes these statements about me ignoring the fact that she is surrounded by anonymous posters in her group posting false information anywhere and everywhere they can. Her group works tirelessly to harm those that disagree with their views, all while hiding behind screen names.

Remember it is all for Meredith! Peggy and her friends try to get those who disagree with them fired because that will preserve the memory of Meredith Kercher. Makes sense right?

Does Peggy really want to start a blog war of "outing" people? Isn't that a little childish? Does Kermit want his information posted online? How about SomeAlibi? Does Peggy want her private details discussed openly on the forums? Please tell me what this will accomplish. Please tell me how their actions honor Meredith Kercher.

PMF needs to get over their obsession with Bruce Fisher. If there is anything that I have written that is incorrect please send me an email, show me proof that I am wrong, and I will correct it. I do my homework before I post online. I don't make dozens of baseless claims against people (like PMF does to me) hoping that something will stick. I wrote about Peggy's group because they have been attacking an innocent family for years. The truth needed to be told.

 

[Mary_H]

If anyone wants to find me I am always available. Send me an email at injusticeinperugia@yahoo.com. The people that have been searching for me have made no effort whatsoever to contact me. If I wanted information about someone I would just ask that person.

PMF is currently obsessed with Bruce Fisher. Their "investigation" of me consists of nothing more than someone trolling my facebook account and obtaining information from a dishonest teen blogger.

They don't seem to realize that their obsession for Bruce Fisher is proving what I knew all along. I am not working for Marriott, I am not part of a super human PR force, I am not a cameraman from Seattle, I am not a group of people using one name online, I am not Chris Mellas, I am not any of the things they have claimed for the past year.

I am the person I have said I was all along. I am just a guy doing what he can to help. Injustice in Perugia is a grassroots organization working to correct an injustice. I speak the truth. Injustice in Perugia has actual experts analyzing this case; working with real evidence.

The group working so hard to "out" Bruce Fisher has no experts. They rely on the analysis of an anonymous person named Kermit and the astrology of another anonymous person named Ergon. The information provided by these anonymous people is then posted all over the internet by another anonymous person named Harry Rag/The Machine.

Peggy Ganong likes to claim that I have libeled her and her friends but provides absolutely no proof to back up her claims. Why? Because everything I write is true. Peggy thinks that I need to be "outed" so that I can "man up" for my accusations against her group. She makes these statements about me ignoring the fact that she is surrounded by anonymous posters in her group posting false information anywhere and everywhere they can. Her group works tirelessly to harm those that disagree with their views, all while hiding behind screen names.

Remember it is all for Meredith! Peggy and her friends try to get those who disagree with them fired because that will preserve the memory of Meredith Kercher. Makes sense right?

Does Peggy really want to start a blog war of "outing" people? Isn't that a little childish? Does Kermit want his information posted online? How about SomeAlibi? Does Peggy want her private details discussed openly on the forums? Please tell me what this will accomplish. Please tell me how their actions honor Meredith Kercher.

PMF needs to get over their obsession with Bruce Fisher. If there is anything that I have written that is incorrect please send me an email, show me proof that I am wrong, and I will correct it. I do my homework before I post online. I don't make dozens of baseless claims against people (like PMF does to me) hoping that something will stick. I wrote about Peggy's group because they have been attacking an innocent family for years. The truth needed to be told.

Please don't make them stop, Bruce. It was so funny when they thought you were a KIRO-TV cameraman, and so they said all those bad things about the KIRO-TV cameraman, and then when they found out they were wrong and that you aren't a KIRO-TV cameraman, they acted like YOU were the one who not only had tricked them into thinking you were a KIRO-TV cameraman, but also that you were the one who had said all those bad things about the KIRO-TV cameraman, and then they became protective of him! I love that kind of stuff!

Too bad they split up with Fulcanelli. He might have told them he was here in the spring of 2010, when you posted a video featuring yourself, which directly proved that you were nothing more than a humble American man in his socks, not a juggernaut of activists all posting under one name.

Duh......

 

[Bruce Fischer]

Double post

 

[Chris_Halkides]

How to spot a fake investigation

Maundy Gregory has a new post up, "How to spot a fake burglary." He seems to think that the glass on the sill is consistent with Massei's hypothesis of the window being broken with the outer shutter closed.

 

[RWVBWL]

<snip>
And regarding the bra clasp, let's not forget that a large number of other important pieces of evidence were collected on the same day as the clasp (we'll overlook for now the utter incompetence of the police in leaving these items - including the blood-soaked jacket and boots actually being worn by Meredith when she was attacked, and the handbag and tote bag - in her room along with the bra clasp for 46 days). Again, we are supposed to believe that there was a 12-day shut-down before the clasp was tested. Doesn't wash. And unless and until Stefanoni produces verifiable records to prove these "quarantine" periods, I (and, I'm assuming, Hellmann's court) am not prepared to presume that Comodi is being totally truthful.

Hi LondonJohn,
Just wanted to point out a minor mistake in another well written post. Meredith was wearing her red and white Puma sneakers when she was murdered, not her boots. I believe Draca has mentioned that 1 sneaker had it shoelaces untied, while the other was still tied. Just a FYI.
Keep up the excellent postings, LJ!
Thanks,
RW

Hi Dan O,
Any chance you can throw a link out there for the public to view of your most recently up-dated timeline? I know that you have the best 1 going and it would be nice if others might have a look at it too!
Thanks, RW

Thanks, RoseMontague for answering my last question posed to you or Halides1. I appreciate it!
RW

Thanks to Katy_did and Komponisto for your hard work!
It's neat to see people who believe in Amanda and Raffaele's innocence of involvement in this tragic, brutal murder come together and try to help, in any way possible, overturn this wrongfull conviction.
RW

Thanks to Bruce Fisher, and Halides1 for your websites, which do a great job of helping to spread the truth about this case we discuss. I know that it's alotta work. Thanks again!

And lastly, I gotta say thanks to everyone else, on both sides, who helps to try and find out the truth of what really happened that night that Miss Kercher lost her life. That, I believe, is something Meredith would want.

R.I.P. Meredith Susana Cara Kercher.

Peace everyone...

 

[Bruce Fischer]

Maundy Gregory has a new post up, "How to spot a fake burglary." He seems to think that the glass on the sill is consistent with Massei's hypothesis of the window being broken with the outer shutter closed.

Nice how Maundy crops the photo of the cottage to make the window appear to be higher up than it really is. The narrow image creates that illusion.

http://maundygregory.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/entry.jpg

Here's another look without cropping.

http://www.injusticeinperugia.org/rh106.JPG

When Guede stood on the bars of the window below, the ledge of the window above was below his armpits giving him plenty of leverage to climb in.

 

[Draca]

If anyone wants to find me I am always available. Send me an email at injusticeinperugia@yahoo.com. The people that have been searching for me have made no effort whatsoever to contact me. If I wanted information about someone I would just ask that person.

PMF is currently obsessed with Bruce Fisher. Their "investigation" of me consists of nothing more than someone trolling my facebook account and obtaining information from a dishonest teen blogger.

They don't seem to realize that their obsession for Bruce Fisher is proving what I knew all along. I am not working for Marriott, I am not part of a super human PR force, I am not a cameraman from Seattle, I am not a group of people using one name online, I am not Chris Mellas, I am not any of the things they have claimed for the past year.

I am the person I have said I was all along. I am just a guy doing what he can to help. Injustice in Perugia is a grassroots organization working to correct an injustice. I speak the truth. Injustice in Perugia has actual experts analyzing this case; working with real evidence.

The group working so hard to "out" Bruce Fisher has no experts. They rely on the analysis of an anonymous person named Kermit and the astrology of another anonymous person named Ergon. The information provided by these anonymous people is then posted all over the internet by another anonymous person named Harry Rag/The Machine.

Peggy Ganong likes to claim that I have libeled her and her friends but provides absolutely no proof to back up her claims. Why? Because everything I write is true. Peggy thinks that I need to be "outed" so that I can "man up" for my accusations against her group. She makes these statements about me ignoring the fact that she is surrounded by anonymous posters in her group posting false information anywhere and everywhere they can. Her group works tirelessly to harm those that disagree with their views, all while hiding behind screen names.

Remember it is all for Meredith! Peggy and her friends try to get those who disagree with them fired because that will preserve the memory of Meredith Kercher. Makes sense right?

Does Peggy really want to start a blog war of "outing" people? Isn't that a little childish? Does Kermit want his information posted online? How about SomeAlibi? Does Peggy want her private details discussed openly on the forums? Please tell me what this will accomplish. Please tell me how their actions honor Meredith Kercher.

PMF needs to get over their obsession with Bruce Fisher. If there is anything that I have written that is incorrect please send me an email, show me proof that I am wrong, and I will correct it. I do my homework before I post online. I don't make dozens of baseless claims against people (like PMF does to me) hoping that something will stick. I wrote about Peggy's group because they have been attacking an innocent family for years. The truth needed to be told.

Please, stop with all this quiet hysteria. It is so sad.

 

[RWVBWL]

Good day, Dan O.
The gals got together for the last time on Oct 30, 2007 for lunch and talked about guy issues. Raff showed up and made them pasta lunch, Laura didn't eat, as she had ate earlier, but they had a "very nice" lunch, according to Filomena.

Pages 44 and 45, Murder in Italy, Author: Candace Dempsey.

Thanks, that's another datapoint that goes into my timeline.

Just imagining the 4 girls in that small cottage kitchen at the same time and Raffaele there cutting up some mushrooms for the pasta, if he were to turn around, there would undoubtably be someone there at the point of the knife.

Hi Dan O.
Good point. Might it have been from this lunch that Raffaele makes mention in his diary that he accidently pricked Meredith's hand when he was cooking?
I wonder if that little tiny cut on the underside of her hand was caused by Raffaele when he was cooking lunch that day for the gals?
Hmmm...
RW

 

[Dan O.]

Hi Dan O,
Any chance you can throw a link out there for the public to view of your most recently up-dated timeline? I know that you have the best 1 going and it would be nice if others might have a look at it too!
Thanks, RW

I've thought of doing that but the wiki software isn't designed for read-only views and I don't have enough contributors to act as editors to keep out the vandals. When I get enough time to play with it, I want to try creating a public shadow view of the wiki.

 

[Dan O.]

Hi Dan O.
Good point. Might it have been from this lunch that Raffaele makes mention in his diary that he accidently pricked Meredith's hand when he was cooking?
I wonder if that little tiny cut on the underside of her hand was caused by Raffaele when he was cooking lunch that day for the gals?
Hmmm...
RW

Unless google is terribly wrong on the translation, the diary says, the point only touched her hand and no damage was done.

ETA: hand translation:

I am convinced that she could not have killed Meredith and then return home. The fact that there is Meredith's DNA on the kitchen is because once while cooking together, I shifted myself in the house handling the knife, I had the point on her hand, and immediately after I apologized but she had nothing done to her. So the only real explanation of the kitchen knife is this.​

Google translation:

I am convinced that not having killed Meredith and then return home. The fact that Meredith's DNA on the kitchen knife is because once when cooked together, I, moving into the house wielding a knife, I bet on the hand, and soon after I apologized but she was not Nothing is done. So the only real explanation for this is that the kitchen knife.​

 

[JREF2010]

As Rose has noted, the translation of the Conti-Vecchiotti report is now complete.

For those curious, the "inner" portion ("Forensic Science 101", and knife section, pp. 30-105) was translated by katy_did, and the "outer" portions (C&V's attempted retesting, and bra clasp section, pp. 1-30 and pp. 106-145 respectively) were done by yours truly.

We'll still be polishing and proofreading, but nevertheless, as of now, the complete thoughts of the independent experts as expressed in their report are now available in English.

Thanks to katy_did for collaborating with me on this, and thanks to everybody for the encouragement!

excellent... and thanks and appreciate the effort too, like everyone else has said.
being uni-lingual...I always found the skill to translate really amazing.

 

[RWVBWL]

Unless google is terribly wrong on the translation, the diary says, the point only touched her hand and no damage was done.

ETA: hand translation:

I am convinced that she could not have killed Meredith and then return home. The fact that there is Meredith's DNA on the kitchen is because once while cooking together, I shifted myself in the house handling the knife, I had the point on her hand, and immediately after I apologized but she had nothing done to her. So the only real explanation of the kitchen knife is this.

Google translation:

I am convinced that not having killed Meredith and then return home. The fact that Meredith's DNA on the kitchen knife is because once when cooked together, I, moving into the house wielding a knife, I bet on the hand, and soon after I apologized but she was not Nothing is done. So the only real explanation for this is that the kitchen knife.

Hi Dan O.
Thanks for that info, as I don't have it in front of me rght now. I just recall seeing that photograph of Meredith's hand when we here on JREF were discussing the chance that it might have been caused by a small peice of glass, and IIRC, someone had said that they thought the little cut didn't bleed. It does kinda look like what a knife tip might do if it accidently pricked someones hand. If anyone wants to post that picture, feel free to do so.

Maybe it was caused by Raff, and that is the basis for him writing in his diary that he accidently pricked Meredith's hand while cooking. A simple explanation for something that appears sinister. If I was a betting man, I would say that this lunch was were it happened and that Raffaele's diary story originates from...
RW

PS -

I've thought of doing that but the wiki software isn't designed for read-only views and I don't have enough contributors to act as editors to keep out the vandals. When I get enough time to play with it, I want to try creating a public shadow view of the wiki.

I can see your point.
I haven't checked Bruce's InjusticeinPerugia.com website in a while, maybe he could use your work, host it for you and give you the credit for the work you've done compiling it. Just a thought, for it would be nice to check it out and share it with others, it is the best 1 that I ever I recall seeing...
RW

 

[Draca]

Hi Dan O.
Good point. Might it have been from this lunch that Raffaele makes mention in his diary that he accidentally pricked Meredith's hand when he was cooking?
I wonder if that little tiny cut on the underside of her hand was caused by Raffaele when he was cooking lunch that day for the gals?
Hmmm...
RW

Hi RW,

I've thought of this before too. That Raffaele thought about an incidence that happened but wasn't thinking clearly that it wasn't the same knife. I think that is very possible. I get tired of hearing this pondering of Raffaele's brought up by the guilters all the time. It is my opinion that he was simply thinking out loud on paper; just trying to figure out how it could be that Meredith's DNA would possibly be on his knife. He didn't know of the character of BS Patrizia Stefanoni at that time though.

 

[RandyN]

Maundy Gregory has a new post up, "How to spot a fake burglary." He seems to think that the glass on the sill is consistent with Massei's hypothesis of the window being broken with the outer shutter closed.

Well then that makes him as dumb as Massei. If the outer shutter is closed then where is the fresh dent in the outer shutter where the rock would have to have hit? Oppps...not there.

Then he has to explain away the fresh dent and inlaid glass shards on and in the inner (white) shutter. Opppps bet he ignores that.

OTOH...the neat pile of "outer edge glass" (think the outside pieces of a jig saw puzzle) all stacked on one side indicate someone carefully removing these to allow his (Rudy Guede) hand easy passage to the lock mechanism.

So in conclusion....How TO Spot a FAKE fake burglary one must understand the simple laws of motion and then apply some other laws that allow suspension of the true laws and force glass to fly at impossible angles and fresh dents to happen where it is impossible given your fake interpretation. And the correct reply should have been....No your honor I am not an expert at rock throwing but I am an expert at ballistics and trajectory and the physical laws that apply to fast moving bullets can be extrapolated to include a slow moving rock. Besides I’m far better then the zero witnesses the prosecution have brought forward to prove their claim. Hint...think Jeopardy Who should have said this? DO Dee Do DEE do dee dummm..ba ba ba ba ba ba bum….

 

[RandyN]

Read tonight on one of the hate sites that the one remaining scientist type there thinks the independent expert report is correct. So far everyone else just ignored his comment...as if he never said anything. Strange that.

 

[LondonJohn]

I see no record of samples being run on November 13 which contain Meredith's DNA in very large amounts. In fact of the samples which have the same date as the knife there is no DNA from Meredith on those samples. The samples (which I have tried to decipher) are samples collected from Raffaele's apartment on November 6 and run on November 13.

And as far as Stefanoni's testimony, I gathered that she was stating those 50-60 items which tested postive for Meredith's DNA were were run over the course of the testing with the knife neither being the first sample in which her DNA turned up or the last sample.

And the highlighted bit is the important part. If items from the cottage containing Meredith's DNA did not start to be lab-tested until Monday 12th (as per Vogt's claim), then Stefanoni's testimony would clearly imply that some of Meredith's DNA must have been being tested on the day before the knife test on the 13th - if not also on the 13th itself prior to the knife test.

The other option is that Vogt is wrong (heaven forbid!!) and that in fact forensic items from the cottage were being tested in Ms Stefanoni's lab from around the 3rd-4th November onwards. but if that's the case, then I revert to my first scenario, which seems equally implausible to me:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=7455102#post7455102

Lastly, the reason I made the comment about Meredith's DNA being present in very large amounts was that this must have been the case in a significant proportion of the samples taken from the cottage. Meredith was the primary shredder of DNA in the crime scene, owing to the high volume of her bleeding. And since many of the crime scene swabs were of her blood (in either neat or dilute form), there would have been - to coin a word - an abundant amount of her DNA in Ms Stefanoni's lab by the time the knife was tested.

 

[LondonJohn]

Hi LondonJohn,
Just wanted to point out a minor mistake in another well written post. Meredith was wearing her red and white Puma sneakers when she was murdered, not her boots. I believe Draca has mentioned that 1 sneaker had it shoelaces untied, while the other was still tied. Just a FYI.
Keep up the excellent postings, LJ!
Thanks,
RW

Hey RW! Thanks for the correction - it was just a momentary aberration, and I did mean to say trainers (or sneakers in US parlance ).

 

[LondonJohn]

Hi RW,

I've thought of this before too. That Raffaele thought about an incidence that happened but wasn't thinking clearly that it wasn't the same knife. I think that is very possible. I get tired of hearing this pondering of Raffaele's brought up by the guilters all the time. It is my opinion that he was simply thinking out loud on paper; just trying to figure out how it could be that Meredith's DNA would possibly be on his knife. He didn't know of the character of BS Patrizia Stefanoni at that time though.

I share your thinking on this. I've always thought that there had to have been at least a grain of truth to Sollecito's diary claim - it seems too detailed and precise - particularly when it deals with the reaction to the knife-prick - to be a total invention. I also think that if someone was flat-out lying about such an incident, they would be inclined to make a less-definitive claim (e.g. "I think perhaps I might have touched Meredith with the knife once while I was cooking"), since the need not to be caught in a lie would be important if what was being said was indeed a lie. But by making such a declarative statement, Sollecito was leaving himself no wiggle-room if he was lying - I'm therefore inclined to think that what he wrote was at least partially true.

 

[LondonJohn]

Maundy Gregory has a new post up, "How to spot a fake burglary." He seems to think that the glass on the sill is consistent with Massei's hypothesis of the window being broken with the outer shutter closed.

This is someone who has expended some 2,500 words making an "argument" which is badly-reasoned, convoluted and deeply compromised by confirmation bias.

The error you've alluded to above is only one of many. But to deal with the "glass on the sill" issue, let's examine the inherent contradiction in the prosecution/Massei "staging" narrative regarding this glass. Massei "reasons" in his report that these large pieces of glass on the inner portion of the sill (i.e. inside where the outer shutters would close to) "must" indicate that the outer shutters were closed when the window was broken. Of course, if his "reasoning" is correct, then it would indeed have been impossible for the window to have been broken by a rock thrown from the outside.

But Massei is demonstrably badly wrong in his thinking here. It has been amply demonstrated that when thin plate glass is broken by a blunt object travelling at low (sub-100mph) velocity, the broken glass either moves forward in the same direction as the blunt object, or it falls vertically downwards. There is never a situation in which large pieces of glass are flung backwards. Yes, there are inevitably tiny shards of glass ejected rearwards during the impact, but the Massei report also shows that the police took utterly inadequate steps to check for such glass dispersal on the scrub ground below the window. So, in fact, the position of glass on the windowsill, with no large pieces on the ground below the window, is entirely consistent with the window having been broken by a rock thrown from the outside, with the outer shutters open. In addition, its highly likely that a real intruder would have had to manually remove additional pieces of glass to access the window latch - and the evidence indicates that this is exactly what was done. The intruder would most likely have carefully removed these pieces of glass, then placed them onto the sill rather than risk causing any more noise than necessary by throwing them either to the ground or inside the room.

But even once that part of the "staging" has been addressed, there's another inherent contradiction in the "reasoning". Massei's theory of the window breakage is as follows: the "stager" (Knox or Sollecito) closed the outer shutters, but opened the left window. He or she then held the window and the inner shutter together - in a half-open position, and threw the rock through the glass, striking the outer side of the glass pane first. This is how Massei accounts for the glass particles and clear indentation on the outer face of the inner shutter. But if the glass was broken in that way, then it would have been irrelevant whether the outer shutters were open or closed from the point of view of glass dispersal - none of the broken glass in Massei's scenario would have fallen anywhere near the windowsill. Instead, the "stager" would have had to pick some of the larger pieces of glass up from the bedroom floor and place them onto the sill.

All-in-all, the "staging" hypothesis just doesn't stand up. More than that, it's a classic piece of circular reasoning. Add in some stunningly poor logical deduction (e.g. an intruder can't have been standing below the window at any time because the police didn't find any evidence of such a presence), and it all adds up to a completely unsupportable theory. The truth is that the evidence is entirely consistent with a real break-in.

There are many other errors in this article, but I'd like to pick out just one more. Maundy repeats the myth that describes Filomena's window as "in full view of the road" and the balcony as "at the rear of the cottage". In fact, Filomena's window and the balcony were both clearly visible from the road - Filomena's window to people travelling west-east, and the balcony to people travelling east-west. But these are the only two possible points of entry (all the other windows have iron grills, and there is also a very steep drop off at the rear of the cottage). As I've argued before, I think it's reasonable to suggest that a burglar would sacrifice the marginal privacy gain associated with the balcony in return for a far quicker, easier and safer escape route in the event of detection.