Amanda Knox Re-Convicted of Slander in Italy over Roommate's 2007 Killing

Over a decade after charges of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, were overturned, Amanda Knox has been re-convicted of slander in Italy. The latest verdict comes as a surprise to Knox, who maintains her innocence in both cases.

Over a decade after the high-profile murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox has been re-convicted of slander in Italy. The Italian Supreme Court found Knox guilty on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, upholding a lower court's 2019 ruling.

Knox, a 20-year-old exchange student from Seattle at the time of the murder, was initially convicted of Kercher's murder in 2009 along with her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, and Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede. However, both Knox and Sollecito were acquitted in 2011, and their exoneration was confirmed in 2015.

In the slander case, Knox was accused of falsely accusing her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, of involvement in Kercher's murder. Knox has maintained that she was coerced into making the accusation by police during her interrogation in 2007.

In a statement released after the verdict, Knox expressed shock and disappointment. She said she felt "flabbergasted" by the ruling and that it "would be super, super meaningful to me to be recognized as innocent because this charge is what everyone points to say I got away with murder because they say an innocent person wouldn't have been found guilty of slander."

The slander case stems from a text message Knox sent to Lumumba on November 1, 2007, saying, "Ci vediamo piu tardi," which translates to "See you later" in Italian. However, police mistakenly interpreted the message as a plan to meet that night, linking Knox to the murder scene.

Knox has consistently denied meeting with Lumumba that night and has accused the police of bullying and coercing her into signing a statement implicating him. She has also stated that Guede was the only person involved in Kercher's murder.

Despite the slander conviction, Knox will not face any additional jail time due to time already served. She is currently living in Seattle with her husband and two children.

The Italian court's verdict has reignited the controversy surrounding the Kercher murder case, which has drawn international attention and scrutiny. Knox has maintained her innocence throughout the ordeal and has vowed to appeal the slander conviction.

The case has also raised concerns about wrongful convictions and the potential for coercion in police interrogations, particularly in cases involving young and vulnerable individuals like Amanda Knox.