Convicts Testify That Amanda Knox Is Innocent, Can't Agree On Much Else

Amanda Knox, who was convicted of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher in Italy, has several new allies in her appeal. However, they aren’t exactly ideal witnesses. Five prison inmates were brought into an Italian court on Saturday to testify that Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito didn’t commit the crime. However, while one says Rudy Guede, who’s serving a 16 year sentence for the student’s murder, is responsible, another accused his own estranged brother.

First up, we have convict Luciano Aviello. From CNN:

Aviello said that on the night of the killing, his brother came home with scratches and other wounds. As Aviello tended to the wounds, his brother confessed to him that he had killed Kercher, he said.

According to Aviello, his brother said that he and an Albanian man entered the residence to steal a painting, and in the act ended up killing the girl. Aviello said he hasn’t seen his brother in three years.

Supposedly Aviello came forward with this information because he feels a “miscarriage of justice” has taken place. His version of events is fairly far fetched, and the fact that he’s been convicted of defamation seven times doesn’t help.

Mario Alessi came forward with a somewhat more believable tale — though, it’s coming from a man serving a life sentence for kidnapping an killing an 18-month-old boy:

According to Alessi, Guede said that he and an unnamed friend visited Kercher to try to get her to participate in sexual acts. When Kercher denied them, Guede’s friend forced himself on her, and Guede also participated, Alessi said. At one point, the friend pulled out a knife, and then Guede, who was holding Kercher at the time, noticed she had started bleeding, Alessi testified. Alessi told the court that Guede tried to stop the bleeding, but that his friend urged him to leave.

“We need to finish her otherwise she will tell on us,” Alessi quoted the friend as telling Guede. The friend then proceeded to inflict another wound on her, Alessi testified.
Alessi said Guede remained by himself with Kercher for a while, but eventually left her injured.

This shady crew was rounded out by Mafia member Marco Castelluccio, who testified from behind a privacy screen that Guede said Knox didn’t commit the murder. The defense also called an inmate who was supposed to corroborate Alessi’s story, but then testified that he didn’t know anything about Kercher’s murder. Sometimes it’s just nice to get out of your cell and toy with people trying to sort out a horrific murder case! Guede denies Alessi’s account, and is expected to testify at the next hearing on June 27.