Criminal Investigation Review: 1014CCJ Homicide, Amanda Knox Case

This report provides a comprehensive review of the Amanda Knox case, focusing on the murder of Meredith Kercher and the subsequent criminal investigation. It delves into the key elements of the case, including the timeline of events, the individuals involved, and the forensic evidence presented. The report critically examines the significant drawbacks and flaws in the police investigation, such as the contamination of the crime scene, unprofessional interrogation techniques, improper handling of forensic evidence, and a biased approach towards proving Knox's guilt. It highlights the impact of these flaws on the trial proceedings and the eventual overturning of the initial conviction. The report also addresses the role of the media in shaping public perception and influencing the case's outcome. Finally, the report suggests improvements to homicide investigation procedures, emphasizing the importance of meticulous evidence collection, unbiased investigations, and adherence to legal and ethical standards. The analysis concludes that a structured and objective approach to criminal investigations is essential for ensuring fair trials and accurate justice.

[criminal investigation Review ]
2020

Criminal Investigation Review
Introduction
Criminal investigation is a procedure including a detailed process of identification of
the hidden truth behind the mystery of any criminal incident. This investigation review is
based on a very famous mystery murder case, “The Amanda Knox case: Murder of Meredith
Kercher” This case was related to the crucial murder of a 21-year young girl, Meredith
Kercher. She was found dead in her room on the 2nd of November 2007, this case was highly
affected criminal justice process of Italy’s criminal justice system. This essay will explore a
detailed discussion about the main elements of the case and drawbacks of the police
investigation procedure of the case related to the trial procedure of Knox (Clifford, 2014).
This essay will major flaws and failures of the police investigation that affected the outcomes
of the cases and affected the representation of criminal justice system negatively with the
suggesting pints to avoid the previous flaws and weakness of the police investigation and the
trial procedure necessary to follow in a homicide case. To represent the fact of the case this
essay will discuss the role played by the media in the overall process of the case from the
initial to the ending state concluding the impact of this case on the criminal justice system of
Italy.
Summary
In the Perugia of Italy, after the day of celebration of 1st November, a half-naked
dead body of young women discovered on the floor in her bedroom, the room was locked
from inside. Police was informed on a call made by the parents of Knox, a roommate of the
murdered girl. A sharp knife murdered Kercher with a cutthroat and police with medical team
verified the signals of sexual assault with her. Amanda Knox, her then-boyfriend Raffaele
Sollecito and a drifter named Rudy Guede were detained for the investigation in the
suspicious, Knox in her statement told the police officer about her doubt on Patrick
Lumumba (Amanda Marie & Raffaele vs. Italian Republic, 2015). Lumumba was a bar
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owner, he detained by the police on the base of confession made by Knox, but released very
soon by proving him innocent. Here are the main elements of the case representing the facts
made the criminal justice system and police trial procedure a pint of serious discussion in the
media (GINA, 2019).
Main elements
November 2, 2007, Kercher murdered in her house in Perugia, Italy, she lived in a
share house with an American student naming Amanda Knox. After 3 days of the incident,
Knox and Sollecito detained for the questioning about the incident and other details. Knox
confessed in her questionnaire round purportedly admitted being at her house. She admitted
her doubt on Patrick Lumumba for Kercher’s murder. He was released from the prison, as he
proved that he was with a customer in his pub. On 22nd November Knox admitted, that she
was not able to admit her statement were right or wrong. She told the media that she gave her
statement in fear, harassment, stress, and mental torcher by the police officers in her trial (L,
2016).
In December 2007, a DNA sample of a male found in the body of Kercher matched
with Guede, and this proved that he had sexual intercourse with Kercher. In July 2018, Italian
prosecuting attorney charged Sollecito, Guede, and Knox for the murder. In an open fast-
track trial on 28 October 2008, Guede found guilty for the murder and sentenced to 30 years.
Trial of Knox and Sollecito for the charges begins on16 January 2009, and on 12 June 2009,
Knox recorded her statement in the open court, the media reporters covered this trial.
Jury found Sollecito and Knox guilty for the murder; Knox sentenced for 26 years and
Sollecito for 25 years. December 11, 2010, in official trial Knox admitted herself, Sollecito
were innocent, and the court was making mistake by punishing them for the murder. Forensic
experts from Rome’s La Sapienza University agreed for retest of the knife used for the
murder and for cutting the bra of Kercher (Russell, Johnson, & Garofano, 2010).
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Criminal Investigation Review
A jury containing six citizens and two judges heard the appeal filed by the Knox.
Forensic reported supported the arguments of Knox; in test of the murder weapon, they found
no signs of Knox fingers. Opposition prosecutor refused to accept that the knife was cleaned
and it was small evidence hence they cannot rely on the suspicious evidence.
In the mid of 2011 court-appointed investigation team identify the proper method used in the
investigation, did the police officers and forensic diagnosis team were lacking on any point.
Teams supported the court statement by describing careless, improper investigation resulted
in lack of proper collection of evidence, and team did not investigate properly to gain the real
evidence of the incident (Annunziato, 2011).
After the final trial held in the year 2013, based on the missing investigation and
charging Knox and Sollecito accused without any forensic proof, the court accepts the
wrongful act with Knox without any proof was wrong. In the year of 2015, May 27, supreme
Court of Italy set free to the both and stated that the investigation from the initial point was
improper hence failed to prove the real accused behind the crime.
Drawbacks of the police investigation
Many flaws, mistakes, and miss-guided investigation made the case trial very
controversial. This case faced investigation flaws from the beginning point. Major flaws and
drawbacks in the police investigation that helped to prove Knox and Sollecito innocent and
raised question on the trial proceedings of the criminal justice system are discussed below;
First flaw in the homicide investigation of murder was related to the disturbance created at
the crime scene, many people entered in the room and touched the objects and tried to open
the door of Kercher’s room. This made the investigation problematic and challenging for the
police officers and forensic science investigators (Battaglia, 2012).
A proper investigation requires careful collection of every small evidence related to
the murder, but in case of the Kercher entrance of many people, and lack of pope resources to
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collect the evidence from the spot made the investigation weak. A trail procedure followed
with the Knox, cross-examination method used by the police officers with her was unfamiliar
and unprofessional, beating her, and threatening her for 30 years in police custody made her
admit crime unwillingly. She was denied to have a lawyer for the legal guidance ad security
during the police custody (Bennett, 2012).
Impolite behaviour of the police inspectors based on a psychological perception to
prove the Knox guilty in any condition lead the investigation in a weak direction.
Collection of forensic evidence was not made on the spot, evidence touched by the
team without wearing the gloves like removing the duvet from the body, unlocking the
handle of the door, collection of un-wear clothes and bed sheet and murder weapons made the
evidence less worthy for the investigation (Clifford, 2014).
Hence forensic department faced issues to identify the DNA available on the handle
of the knife and the blade of the knife with the DNA of Knox and Sollecito.
Obsession with proving Knox and Sollecito as guilty was another flaw in the
investigation. Burglary recorded at the prima facie but later Napoleoni and Mignini staged
that Knox and Sollecito were acting weirdly. After trial, Knox admitted she was treated in
extreme coercive situation (GINA, 2019).
Two important weapons, knife and bra clasp were collected improperly, the knife was
stored in an envelope and bra clasp collected after 45-48 days of murder, this made the
evidence improper for investigation.
Investigation Suggestions
Investigation is a very important procedure in a criminal homicide case, a careful
investigation leads the finding of accused easily and facilities the jurists to make right and
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favourable decisions in the procedure. Investigation needs to follow the collection of relevant
evidence in a proper manner, and within the right time (Gill, 2016).
First role of the investigator is to seize the place restrict the entrance of any outsider,
in case of Kercher murder, investigators failed to do the same hence faced issues in finding
the real culprit. Investigators and police officers have duties to identify the accused person by
interviewing and examination but they have no right to treat a person as the culprit by their
mindset but the court and judiciary have only right to decide on the basis of evidence one is
the culprit or not. In this case, Mignini argued to prove the Knox guilty for the murder
without collecting the supportive evidence for the proof (L, 2016).
Identification of motive behind criminal homicide is very essential; a murder without
intention is not included in the boundaries of homicide. Investigation working in a proper
direction to base on motive behind the actions represents a structured investigation.
Unstructured investigation made no use of collected evidence. Knox got profit from lack of
motive in the investigation of Kercher murder (GINA, 2019). Migini firstly staged motive of
rape behind the murder and then robbery and theft but both motives proved irrelevant to the
case in the end.
Polite and professional behaviour with the suspected person is a legal and ethical duty
of a police officer. Investigation round and cross-examination of witnesses must have a
proper structure, a suspected person have some legal rights and police officer need to follow
the rule of investigation like fundamental attribution properly (Nadeau, 2010).
Role of media
Media including print, digital, social networking, and personal campaigns played a
very important role in the entire journey of the case of the murder of Kercher, favourable in
the end for the Knox and Sollecito. Conservative news media play helpful role in three ways;
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it facilitates the reasonability of the specialist legal advisors, able to make a proper difference
in the facts and outcomes (Russell, Johnson, & Garofano, 2010). Secondly, it gives publicity
to the issues to aware the locals about the issue as well as international and lastly it allows
media to investigate the hidden facts. Campaigns arranged by the public relations specialist to
arrange public attention on the behaviour of cruelty with Knox, this repeatedly plugged
statement “Amanda will get out, it’s a done deal.”
Media played a vital role in the case to gain the attention of public, many news
channels recorded and presented interviews, court procedure, articles and other information
related to the case of Knox. Printed books, articles, slogans, and efforts at the social media
advertising helped to gain international attention towards the case and this acted as beneficial
for the case for Knox and her then-boyfriend (Clifford, 2014).
Conclusion
This investigation review has discussed the case study of a famous criminal homicide
investigation naming “The Amanda Knox Case: Murder of Meredith Kercher.” This incident
had a great media and international attention that revealed the importance of proper
investigation in the criminal homicide. Final judgment of this case for setting free to the two
out of three accused due to unavailability of sufficient evidence against them and a number of
flaws in the process of investigation at the murder place. This report concludes that a small
evidence of a case has great value in the criminal trial hence investigation process needs to be
clear, fair, and full of attentive behaviour. This essay discusses the main elements of the case
by their sequence and happening of the incident, and suggest some basic rules and points
necessary to be followed by the forensic scientist and investing police officers during
investigation because a structured investigation is a foundation of fair trial in the judiciary to
find the real accused person in a case.
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References
Amanda Marie & Raffaele vs. Italian Republic, R.G.N. 32598 / 2014 (THE SUPREME
COURT OF CASSATION September 24, 2015).
Annunziato, S. (2011). The Amanda Knox case: The representation of Italy in American
media coverage. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 61-78.
Battaglia, N. A. (2012). The Casey Anthony Trial and Wrongful Exonerations: HowTrial by
Media” Cases Diminish Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System’,. Albany
Law Review, 1579-1611.
Bennett, W. L. (2012). The Personalization of Politics: Political Identity, Social Media, and
Changing Patterns of Participation. The Annals of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science, 20-39.
Clifford, K. (2014). Amanda Knox: A picture of innocence. Celebrity Studies , 504-507.
Gies, L., & Bortoluzzi, M. (2014). Purity and contamination in online popular forensics:
Amateur-expert readings of the Meredith Kercher murder case. Continuum, 532-544.
Gill, P. (2016). Analysis and implications of the miscarriages of justice of Amanda Knox and
Raffaele Sollecito. Forensic Science International: Genetics, 9-18.
GINA, T. (2019, March 26). From 'Foxy Knoxy' To 'Scarlet Letter' Activist: What Amanda
Knox's Life Is Like Today. Retrieved January 10, 2020, from True Crime Buzz:
https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/where-is-amanda-knox-now-what-does-
she-do-2019
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L, G. (2016). My Name Is Raffaele Sollecito and Not Amanda Marie Knox’: Marginalisation
and Media Justice. In G. L., & B. M, Transmedia Crime Stories. Palgrave Studies in
Crime, Media and Culture (pp. 6-10). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nadeau, B. L. (2010). Angel face: the true story of student killer Amanda Knox. Retrieved
from ReadHowYouWant. com.
Russell, P., Johnson, G., & Garofano, L. (2010). Darkness Descending-The Murder of
Meredith Kercher. Simon and Schuster.
Smith, J., & Roberts, R. (2015). Legal and Ethical Principles. Vital Signs for Nurses: An
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