Tuesday, February 4, 2014

911 Calls from Amanda Knox Case

Italian transcript

First call

POLICE:
Carabinieri Perugia
RS:
Pronto buongiorno senta ... qualcuno è praticamente entrato in casa sfondando la finestra e ha messo molto disordine c'è una porta chiusa .. la via è....
AK:
[In background] Via della Pergola.
RS:
Via della pergola 7.
POLICE:
Via...?
RS:
Della Pergola 7, a Perugia.
POLICE:
Via della Pergola 7. Abitazione signor?
RS:
Il ...ehmm... .. Amanda ..
POLICE:
Eh??
RS:
La...chi ci abita dentro ..ehmm .. sono un gruppo di studenti tra cui Amanda Knox.
POLICE:
Mi dia il nome ed il cellulare di uno degli affittuari.
RS:
OK. Amanda ...
POLICE:
Sì..
RS:
Eh..il cognome K, N...
POLICE:
Sì..
RS:
...O, X.
POLICE:
Sì..
RS:
Il numero di cellulare … ehhh.
POLICE:
Pronto?
RS:
Sì, sì. Sto prendendo il numero.
[Long pause]
RS:
348
POLICE:
Sì.
RS:
46
POLICE:
Sì.
RS:
73
POLICE:
Sì.
RS:
590
POLICE:
590?
RS:
Sì.
POLICE:
Furto in abitazione eh?
RS:
No, non ... non c'è il furto... hanno rotto la finestra... molto disordine... c'è pure una porta chiusa... pure disordine.
POLICE:
Un attimo, eh.
[Music plays for 5 seconds]
POLICE:
Pronto??
RS:
Sì.
POLICE:
Allora guardi, cioè praticamente sono entrati .. hanno rotto un vetro .. e come sa che sono entrati?
RS:
Si vede dai segni... che c'è gocce... ci sono pure macchie di sangue nel bagno.
POLICE:
Cioè, sono entrati e. .. perché ... sono rotti ... cioè, anzi si sono tagliati rompendo il vetro?
RS:
Ehmm...questo...
[Raffaele Sollecito hangs up the phone]
POLICE:
Pronto??

Second call

POLICE:
Carabinieri, Perugia.
RS:
Sì, salve. Ho chiamato due secondi fa praticamente.
POLICE:
Cualquno è entrato in casa, rotto il vetro?
RS:
Sì.
POLICE:
No? Poi è andato al bagno.
RS:
Ma non lo so, cioè... se vuole venire qui magari...
POLICE:
Cosa hanno asportato?
RS:
Eh non hanno portato via niente - il problema è che c'è la porta chiusa... ci sono macchie di sangue.
POLICE:
C'è una porta chiusa. Qual è la porta chiusa?
RS:
Di una delle coinquiline che non c'è e non sappiamo dove sia..
POLICE:
Ci sono fuori dalla porta di questa coinquilina che non c'è delle macchie di sangue?
RS:
Nel bagno ci sono le macchie di sangue.
POLICE:
Ah, nel bagno. E questa porta è chiusa. Questa ragazza... avete un cellulare, un...?
RS:
Sì sì abbiamo cercato di chiamarla ma non risponde da nessuna parte.
POLICE:
Va bene, adesso mando una pattuglia così verifichiamo la situazione.
RS:
OK.
POLICE:
Va bene?
RS:
OK.
POLICE:
Arrivederci.
RS:
Arrivederci.

English translation

First call

POLICE:
Carabinieri Perugia
RS:
Hello good morning, listen ... someone has entered our house breaking the window and he made a big mess...there is a locked door. The street is…
AK:
[Background] Via della Pergola.
RS:
Via della pergola 7.
POLICE:
Via..
RS:
Della Pergola 7, in Perugia.
POLICE:
Residence of mister...?
RS:
Ehmm... .. Amanda ..
POLICE:
Eh??
RS:
The...people...who live in ..ehmm .. they are a group of students.
POLICE:
Give me name and mobile number of one of the tenants.
RS:
Amanda.
POLICE:
Yes..
RS:
The last name K, N...
POLICE:
Yes...
RS:
O, X.
POLICE:
Yes
RS:
The mobile number ... ehhh.
POLICE:
Hello?
RS:
Yes, yes. I'm taking the number.
[Long pause]
RS:
348
POLICE:
Yes.
RS:
46
POLICE:
Yes.
RS:
73
POLICE:
Yes.
RS:
590
POLICE:
590?
RS:
Yes.
POLICE:
Theft [burglary] in the house eh?
RS:
No, there's no theft.. they broke the window ... there is a mess ... there is also a closed door ... a mess.
POLICE:
Just a moment please.
[Music plays for 5 seconds]
POLICE:
Hello?
RS:
Yes.
POLICE:
So listen, they entered .. they broke the window .. and how do you know they entered?
RS:
It can be seen by signs... that there are drops .... that there are blood stains in the bathroom.
POLICE:
So they entered. .. because the window's broken ... did they cut themselves breaking the window?
RS:
Ehmm...this ...
[Raffaele Sollecito hangs up the phone]
POLICE:
Hello??

Second call

POLICE:
Carabinieri, Perugia.
RS:
Yes hello, I called two seconds ago.
POLICE:
Someone's been in the house and broke the window?
RS:
Yes.
POLICE:
Then they went into the bathroom.
RS:
I don't know, if you come here perhaps ...
POLICE:
What did they take?
RS:
They didn't take anything, the problem is one of the doors is closed, there are bloodstains.
POLICE:
A door's closed? Which door's closed?
RS:
The door of one of the flatmates who isn't here. We don't know where she is.
POLICE:
Were these blood stains outside the door of this flatmate who's not there?
RS:
The blood stains are in the bathroom.
POLICE:
Oh in the bathroom. And there's this closed door. And this girl, do you have her mobile number, her ...?
RS:
Yes, yes, we tried to call her but she's not answering.
POLICE:
OK, I'll send you a patrol car now and we'll check the situation out.
RS:
OK.
POLICE:
OK?
RS:
OK.
POLICE:
Goodbye.
RS:
Goodbye.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, so this call makes it sound like RS is just trying to get the police to come over to "discover" the deceased roommate - obviously, blood on a bathroom floor isn't particularly worrisome, yet he felt the need to say it - trying to lead the police to believe someone broke into the house. Did this transcript/call get read in court? If so, it really sounds damning.
He seems to be making it up, as he goes along.

Anonymous said...

Yes, very damning. I was fascinated that I could tell even though I don't speak Italian. The greeting, and so forth... TY for the new perspective.

Anonymous said...

"Hello good morning, listen"

A greeting at the beginning of a 911 call. "good morning" after finding blood and a closed door, not to mention a broken window.

I have learned order is important.

1. "someone entered our house"
2. breaking the window
3. making a mess
4. there is a locked door
and then much later in the conversation...

finally there are drops of blood, blood in the bathroom and mention of one of the flatmates "who isn't there". Meredith is never mentioned by name.

There is mention of a "closed door" several times but I can't remember the significance of an open or closed door in a statement.

Flo

Anonymous said...

Also a couple of disconnected calls in this case and in JP's 911 call....

Flo

Anonymous said...

he for sure wants cops to "figure it out " and when they don't "get it" its frustrating to him. so logical to ask if blood stains are on locked door -- so scary for him to realize his plan doesn't make much sense if blood stains are only in bathroom.

Anonymous said...

Regarding my earlier comment "Also a couple of disconnected calls in this case and in JP's 911 call...."

It appears there was one disconnected call in this case not a couple, but still, it seems weird to me that the call disconnected after the Police ask " did they cut themselves breaking the window?".


Flo

Randie said...

There are a ton of red flags.

Here are a few I thought were strange:

RS greeting the police is bad right off the bat.

1. "house breaking the window and he made a big mess...there is a locked door. The street is…"

** "the window" He should have said "a window", is there only one window in the whole flat? If not, then marbles are falling out.

** "he made" who is HE?

2. No, there's no theft they broke the window..."

**If there is a door locked then they can't say for a certainty there is NO THEFT in that room.

** HE is changed to THEY

3, "there is also a closed door"

** Door went from (locked) now to (closed)

4. Window, mess, closed door.

** I would see a mess first, THEN a broken window. If I found a door locked I would get out of there, I would have thought who ever was in the house was STILL in the house!

5. "It can be seen by signs"

** signs? What a strange word usage.

6. "there are blood stains in the bathroom"

** How does he KNOW they are stains??

7. The words "door" and "bathroom" are used!

8. He hangs up the phone. Panic? Phone call isn't going the way he needs it to??

9. "They didn't take anything, the problem is one of the doors is closed, there are bloodstains."

** He lists the closed door being a problem BEFORE he lists bloodstains.

** "there are bloodstains" has dropped pronouns.

** How does he know THEY didn't take anything. How does he know how many broke in?

10. POLICE: "A door's closed? Which door's closed?"

** Good reaction !!!!

11. There is no shock or urgency in his voice. He is alibi building. The words door and bathroom, blood are constantly used. With John Ramsey we understand what "door" and "bathroom" mean.






Anonymous said...

"The marbles are falling our"LMFAOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO HAHAHA THERE FALLING OUT!!! LOL

~mj said...

Assuming the pronouns are translated properly, he does go from the intruder being a "he" to being "they". He also states someone broke into "our" apartment and then states the residents of the apartment are college students and does not list himself but rather he gives them Amanda's name. Obviously, we now know that it wasn't his apartment. But then why did he take ownership of it with her straight away?

Something that doesn't rely so much on how literal or accurate the translation is, is that he is certain nothing was taken, yet cannot gain access to the locked room. He also states that Meredith is not there, accept the door is locked. He gives limited information and directs the conversation to the blood stains in the bathroom and the closed/locked door and away from whether something was stolen or someone was hurt upon breaking the window.

Also, not sure if this is due to something lost in translation or not, but it would seem he never says there was an intruder or that this person(s) came through the window. He says that there has been someone that came in, that there is a broken window and that there are blood stains. Everything else would be inferred to go from what he said, to an intruder coming through the window.

local anon in the Ha l ey Dunn cSe said...

I apologize for off topic. My friend in Terlinguu txt was found dead most likely murderer. My heart is broken and my husband and are are so sad, crying. I know some o be here gets that. I am so sad now so so sad.

MsCabinFever said...

In other words;
excuse me Officer, could you come on over here so we can discover this body together? Amanda & I are super busy so would you be so kind and make this quick so we can move along ...

MsCabinFever said...

Anonymous local anon in the Ha l ey Dunn cSe said...
February 4, 2014 at 10:46 PM

That is terrible news. I am sorry. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Sus said...

WTH!?!
Police: "...did they cut themselves breaking the window?"

Best question ever! Are Italian dispatchers trained in interrogation?

It threw Raf for such a loop, he hung up. I wish he had answered.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

First up, he issues 2 greetings to the police dispatcher: "Hello", followed with "Good morning". If someone breaks into your house, are you going to be so polite? Moreover, someone breaking into your residence is never a good morning!

Then, he instructs the dispatcher to "listen"...isn't that exactly what dispatchers do all the time? RS needs to be sure the dispatcher is listening because he's going to tell him a controlled version of the events. RS has already determined what he's going to say. The problem is that dispatcher keeps asking unexpected questions, instead of listening to his scripted story. We see this when RS immediately tries to give the street address before being asked. He awkwardly tries to avoid giving Amanda's identifying info when the dispatcher asks for it. The dispatcher has to ask repeatedly.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

RS's story is obviously rehearsed because he repeatedly tells the dispatcher "window", "mess", "door" -in that order, like lines from a script. His primary reason for calling is to establish the intruder theory. It's necessary to explain Meredith's murder. Concern for "the flatmate" doesn't show up until far into the call. In fact, RS himself delays help in locating Meredith by stonewalling on the street name, who lives in the house, Amanda's name, Amanda's telephone number, etc.

I've made numerous 911 calls for chronically ill people and it only took me seconds to locate unfamiliar phone numbers and address information. Then again, I wanted a Rescue Squad/Ambulance/First Responder because it was actually an emergency. RS and AK knew it was not, in my opinion.

When your house is broken into, you really don't process that they left a "mess". That comes later. You're too busy fighting panic and a paralyzing fear that a stranger forced his way into your home.

As someone else wisely pointed out, how could RS definitely know that nothing was taken when they allegedly couldn't get into Meredith's room because of the locked/closed door? If the door was simply closed as RS stated later in the call, why couldn't/didn't they open it to check?

Anonymous said...

so sorry about your loss!!! sometimes the worse things happen. I want to say them on these places i post anonyously as much as anywhere too, I understand and so sorry!

Anonymous said...

Raffe can not bring himself to say somebody came on through the window. he can say somebody came in and he can say the window is broken but he can not say they came in through the window -- because he knows its not true and the rest of what he's saying is true -- with a great deal of ommision -- and the one direct lie that they don't know where meredith is.

Randie said...

Foolsfeedonfolly ....very good points!! Other people had some awesome ideas...however, when they are only anonamis (spelling) then I can't tell them "good job!!!"

Randie said...

If you all would pick a name.....then we can single you out to tell you how awesome you are!

ima.grandma said...

 local anon in the Ha l ey Dunn cSe said...
I apologize for off topic. My friend in Terlinguu txt was found dead most likely murderer. My heart is broken and my husband and are are so sad, crying. I know some o be here gets that. I am so sad now so so sad.

February 4, 2014 at 10:46 PM

I am sorry you have lost someone close to you. Sudden tragedies are so difficult to bear. The first few days are full of shock and emotional pain. I can understand you wanting to share your grief on this blog. I know you are a long time contributor and I always pay attention to your comments. I hope you find comfort by leaning on your husband. Let him be your strength. I will pray for you.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

local anon in the Ha l ey Dunn cSe said...
I apologize for off topic. My friend in Terlinguu txt was found dead most likely murderer. My heart is broken and my husband and are are so sad, crying. I know some o be here gets that. I am so sad now so so sad.
February 4, 2014 at 10:46 PM

this is awful. I am sorry.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Very suspicious 911 call.

I am still eager to read a Statement Analysis of Amanda Knox's Diane Sawyer interview. I've seen a few things evaluating her body language, but I haven't seen a Statement Analysis of that (fairly long) interview yet. Even though I'm sure she was rehearsed and prepped and well-practiced, I imagine that a few marbles must have leaked out!

Anonymous said...

The police are on the lack of logic straight away and refusing to join the dots the murderous couple lay out for them. The police saw that the break in room was staged - the broken glass lay on top of the strewn around clothes.

This is a perfect example of someone giving themselves away. Mess indeed.

Anonymous said...

May 13th interview
First refers to Meredith as 'her'. never introduces Meredith! Her only reference to Meredith is Meredith
s corpse/ She's learnt from reading here and Perugia Murder file but still... marbles will out. Sje's an inhuman monster, deeply chilling

Local anon in the Hailey Dunn case said...

Thank you all for your kind words. And I apologize for my incoherant post. Apparently I tried to ease the pain with too much wine. Not a good plan. My heart is broken but at least an arrest has been made. My friend touched so many people's lives and hearts.

Anonymous said...

However, RS does not know Meredith, does not have a relationship with her [he had just met Amanda], he is not a housemate, there is no emotional connection there to give him the urgency that a person calling about their own home/family would have. Likewise, Meredith and Amanda were not close. So I can understand that there is detachment. They were strangers who were coming and going as they pleased. Not very connected at all.

TopixNutt said...

Even if not "connected" there would still be a sense of urgency. If you walked into a break in to your home, your girlfriend's home or even a stranger's home you'd be upset IMO.
Especially with a locked door.

Unknown said...

Local Anon,

I'm so sorry for your loss. I will say a prayer for your friend, and for you. Hugs, Jen

C5H11ONO said...

I don't know Italian, but I do know that he mentioned first about the apartment being in disarray/

Then, right before he hangs up, he decides to mention about the blood in the bathroom. Anyone that saw the picture would have seen how barbaric it looked. I am surprised this was not the first thing he mentioned to the 911 operator.

I guess this is when you take the expected and find the unexpected.

TopixNutt said...

I never followed this case too much. Just saw some pictures from the crime scene, and the picture of the bathroom shows quite a lot of blood.
Enough to make the 911 call appear suspicious.

CG said...

I would love to hear someone who speaks Italian and knows Perugia culture comment on this. It is hard for me to get a grasp on this because what we do when we report something to police may be different than what Italians do and because some of the words people are saying are odd may not seem odd in their original language and context.

Anonymous said...

those photos that show the blood all over the bathroom are not what it looked like when police arrived - fyi. you can find the right photos on line they have dripps of blood on faucet and few other tingsw,. the pics where its red all over is taken after some product was put on the walls to show where blood HAD been. so those picks show that there was a clean up. but not what it actually looked like when raffie was making call.

still guilty.

Anonymous said...

I would also like to read input from someone who is a native Italian speaker. Though I think that RS and AK would involved in Meredith's murder, it is possible that colloquialisms in this call explain some of things that RS says.
Italian is very similar to Spanish. In Spanish, it is very common for people to begin a conversation or make a point with "Mira," which means "look," but it would be rude to say that in English. For example, if I was having a conversation in English with someone and said, "Look, you should do _______," depending on the context, that would be rude or confrontational. It might be common in Italian to begin a conversation with a greeting even in an emergency.

shelley said...

I am not sure I agreee that the greeting is wrong. its a "possible" break in and drops of blood. it coukd also just be something innocent.

I dont see how this would instill fear and apply as an emergency.


I once called 911 to report that I "thought" a child was being abused. it was awkward because I was not sure if I was right. I greeted the operator. because I was not sure..

does that change anything? if its not ur own home and your not sure what happened?

I think it's different with Justin calling. it was his child and she was gone (I almost said missing but I dont beleive that).

curious peters views

Anonymous said...

Shelley,

You make a good point about a greeting at the beginning of a call if you don't know for sure what the circumstances are. I didn't think of that. The thing that surprised me most is the order of what was said in the call considering that blood was found and the caller says there is a locked door and a flatmate who "isn't there". I also didn't consider the translation and what is a common greeting in that particular culture.

Flo

Tania Cadogan said...

Local Anon

My condolences of the loss of your friend. If there is anything we can do please ask and we will do our damdest for you. Hugs you tight my friend xx

Local anon in the Hailey Dunn case said...

Thank you all for your kind words. It really helps and fortunately my husband and I have each other and good friends to lean on. An arrest has been made, no statement relesaed as of yet.

shelley said...

I jurst watched the latest amanda knox video. still cant say "I did not kill meridith".

I also keep expecting to here her say they have the murderer. rudy. but this one... while she has clearly been coached on her body language (she hardly moves)...she still issues no denials.

not even attepmts.

I was accused of sharing confidential info at work once. my initial immediate response was ""I did not share that information her her karen". I repeated that over and over cause i was telling the truth. SA really does show when u really pay attention.


Anonymous said...

A few small points:

1. "Sente" ("Listen") is common in Italian speech. It is very much like the example of the poster who mentions Spanish. It is not incriminating.

2. The bathroom photo referred to by some commenters is pink/red all over because that is where the testing material was applied, and after time the material itself turns pink/red.

One VERY BIG point:

The translation is inaccurate. The dispatcher asked Sollecito to confirm a "break-in" (not a theft or a burglary) so for him to reply that nothing was taken is certainly incriminating. Along these lines, Amanda Knox later admitted she didn't even check her own drawer to see if money had been taken. She knew it had not been. She and Sollecito had staged the burglary.

--Chris

Anonymous said...

I speak Italian and I can confirm that RS used a typical, formal greeting at the start of the phone call. "Senta" is used by Italians frequently before they share information, start a conversation, or want to emphasize a specific point.
Also, someone said it was strange that he said "the window" (la finestra) instead of "a window" but in the Italian language, the definitive articles are used more frequently so it isn't abnormal for him to have said it in this way.
Another thing lost in translation is that in Italian the verb (chiudere) means both "to close" and "to lock". So in this situation "c'è una porta chiusa" means there is a locked door.