Monday, November 24, 2014

Amanda Knox: Judge's Report

This is from the Digital Journal.  One may wonder how much information the United States public was fed by the public relations team hired by the Knox family, versus the ability to read about the crime itself.  Statement Analysis showed guilty knowledge of the crime, as well as the need to deceive.  She did not appear to kill the victim, instead being an early witness or participant, subsequently lying about it.

This has raised questions including:

Did Amanda Knox only lie to save her boyfriend?

This is something that some have defended:  The argument is that she was, in fact, deceptive, but not because she participated or even witnessed the crime, but because she spoke from the testimony of her boyfriend and lied to protect him.

The question is then raised:  If true, would she not have come out and said so, plainly, particularly during her time of imprisonment?

...and so on:  Would not her legal team have used this?  What about now, since they are no longer a couple?

Also...

Note the analysis after the article regarding one who's life was impacted by his defense of Amanda Knox.  This has been previously published here, and is added as one now considers just how much the public was influenced by Knox' looks, and the publicity professionals who were involved on behalf of the Knox family.  The need for the use of hyperbole is the principle followed in the analysis, though a profile of the subject appears to emerge. It is also a study in obfuscation in language, particularly by his use of tangents, which include repeated referrals to his own experience, resume, and passion, as well as his use of insults towards not only the investigators, but those who do not agree with him.  A profile that emerges here is interesting to note.

For us, Knox' deception and need to deceive gave us answers.  Analysis showed she did not kill the victim, that is, the fatal blow (s) inflicted.  See the report for detailed information on how the victim died.  It is interesting to compare this report to the "48 Hours" report.

Knox' language was the language of sexual violence.

The English Version of the Judge's Report is HERE as a PDF download.

Use the search feature here for analysis of the various statements of Amanda Knox that have been analyzed.



Op-Ed: Finally, is this the truth about Amanda Knox?

From Digitl jouranal dot com
Judge Alessandro Nencini upheld Amanda Knox’s guilty conviction this year, and his 350-page official report has just been translated from Italian into English. So what does it tell us? Is this, finally, the truth about Knox?
On March 25, 2015, the ongoing saga of the Meredith Kercher murder case will finally come to a close. Over seven years have passed since 21-year-old Kercher was found brutally stabbed in her bedroom in Perugia, Italy, and, after one trial and two appeals, the subject of whether her American roommate Amanda Knox is guilty is as hotly contested as ever.
Judge Alessandro Nencini upheld Knox’s guilty conviction this year, and his 350-page official report analyses the evidence, court testimony and legal arguments that led to his verdict. An English translation of the report was published last month, so what does it tell us? Despite the claims of “no evidence”, a cursory glance through the Nencini report informs us this is not the case. But is the evidence enough to prove guilt? Decide for yourself:
The staged burglary
At the very heart of this case lies the staged burglary. The prosecution have always claimed the break-in was simulated to point the finger elsewhere; staged break-ins are often attempts to divert attention from individuals who have access to the property concerned.
Aside from highlighting the near-impossible window entry point and the fact that nothing of any value was taken, one thing that is very striking about Nencini’s report is the placement of the broken glass. Four eyewitnesses stated that the glass was in fact ON TOP of the clothes and items within the ransacked “break-in” room.
Picking up the computer I noticed that I lifted some glass, in the sense that the glass was on top of things. I remember very well [the glass] on top of the computer bag because I was careful as it was all covered with glass. We mentioned this, saying, the burglar was an idiot, he did not take anything… the jewelry is here, the computer is here…and in addition to the fact that he didn’t take anything, the pieces of glass are all on top of the things.” – Filomena Romanelli, Amanda Knox’s roommate
The fact that the glass fragments from the window wound up on top of the strewn clothing and objects… is surely incompatible with a breaking of the glass in a phase preceding the ransacking inside the room of the apartment. The window glass evidently was broken after entry into the cottage, by someone who was already inside and had already arranged the disorder that was then seen by the witnesses.” – Judge Nencini
In addition to the many other red flags that have previously been raised with respect to the apparent burglary, as well as the fact that Knox’s boyfriend knew “nothing had been taken” before the roommates had even checked their possessions, this is surely definitive proof that the “break-in” was staged. So the real question is: who staged it?
The phone and computer records
The Nencini report places considerable weight on the circumstantial evidence, in particular the phone and computer records that prove Knox was, at the very least, untruthful. Despite Knox and Sollecito stating they slept through the night and didn’t wake until 10 am, this is not the case:
"What the Court finds proved is that at 6:02:59 am on 2 November 2007 they were not in fact asleep, as the defendants claim, but rather the occupants were well awake. At 5:32 am on 2 November 2007 the computer connected to a site for listening to music, remaining connected for around half an hour. Therefore, at 5:32 am someone in the house occupied by Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito sat in front of the computer and listened to music for around half an hour and then, at 6:02:59 am, switched on Raffaele Sollecito’s mobile phone…" 

According to Knox, after discovering the “break-in” the very first person she called was her roommate Romanelli, who urged her to call Kercher. Yet, Knox never mentioned the fact that just one minute before she called Romanelli she had already made a call to Kercher’s English phone.
I rang Filomena. She was worried so after her I rang Meredith three times. Once on her English cell telephone, once on her Italian cell telephone, once again on her English number. I didn’t get a reply.” – Amanda Knox, November 9th 2007
What is most conspicuous about the phone records is that they show Knox, apparently frantic with worry at not being able to reach her friend, only let Kercher’s phone ring for mere seconds. This is troubling and hard to find a reasonable innocent explanation for, as Judge Nencini explains:
“The telephone call made [by Knox] at 12:11:54 pm to the English service of the victim lasted 4 seconds. Perhaps not even the time to repeat the first ring. 
Knox should have been affected by a certain anxiety in calling Kercher’s telephone services. Filomena Romanelli let the defendant’s telephone ring for 36 seconds the first time, and the second for a good 65 seconds; an insistence which appears normal. But that did not happen when Knox called… these are two calls that barely registered [and this] has only one plausible explanation:
There was no concern at all in the mind of Amanda Knox when she made the two calls to the young English woman, simply because she knew very well that Meredith Kercher could not have answered the calls; calls which had to be made because Filomena Romanelli insisted, but which the defendant knew were useless. Nobody would have been able to answer those calls; let alone poor Meredith Kercher whom the accused knew was lifeless, locked in her own bedroom.”
The other untruths 
Why did Sollecito claim the reason Kercher’s DNA was on his knife was because “once when we were all cooking together I accidentally pricked her hand,”– only to later admit this was an utter fabrication and Kercher had never been to his house? Why did Knox lie about Kercher always locking her bedroom door? Why does Knox’s account of the morning of November 2nd make so little sense?
Why did Knox accuse her employer of Kercher’s rape and murder after only two hours of interview? Despite the idea of a long, torturous interrogation that many seem to entertain, this just simply isn’t the case; as soon as Knox learnt that Sollecito had withdrawn her alibi, she pointed the finger at a man she knew to be innocent, even voluntarily writing her account down. This was not something blurted out on impulse under duress and later retracted, as Nencini highlights:
"Amanda Knox repeated the allegations in front of the magistrate, allegations which she never retracted in all the following days, even when finally freed from the clutches of the police and the prosecuting magistrate, [with] the opportunity to talk with her lawyers and family. To make such a very damaging denunciation meant causing the detention for numerous days of a person she knew to be innocent, completely indifferent to the human suffering she caused him."
In her phone call to Romanelli, in addition to giving the impression that she had not yet called Kercher, Knox also lied about her whereabouts:
In the first telephone call the defendant made to Filomena Romanelli, she clearly said that she would go back to Raffaele’s place to tell him about the strange things discovered in the apartment, and then return with him to check the situation. This circumstance is clearly false, since when Amanda Knox made the first call to Romanelli at 12:08:44 pm on 2 November 2007 she was at already Raffaele Sollecito’s apartment and not at 7 Via Della Pergola.” 
The forensic evidence
The knife, with Kercher’s DNA on the blade and Knox’s on the handle, and the bra clasp containing Sollecito’s DNA, are strongly disputed by the defense as “contaminated”. Nencini says otherwise, pointing out that DNA traces on the knife were analyzed six days after last handling Kercher's DNA, ruling out lab contamination. Because Kercher had never even set foot in Sollecito’s apartment, transfer contamination can also be ruled out.
The bra clasp: "By the quantity of DNA analyzed and the analysis at 17 loci with unambiguous results, not to mention the fact that the results of the analysis were confirmed by the attribution of the Y haplotype to the defendant, it is possible to say that it has been judicially ascertained that Raffaele Sollecito’s DNA was present on the exhibit.”
The knife: “...the consultant also did a statistical calculation with the purpose of determining the probability that the profile could belong to someone other than the victim Meredith Kercher. The calculation of the Random Match Probability came to one chance in 300 million billion.”

Moving on from the infamous knife and bra, what does the other physical evidence comprise of? What’s most revealing about Nencini’s findings is that in the bedroom of Filomena Romanelli – the “break-in” room – there’s not a single trace of Rudy Guede, whom the defense claim shimmied up the wall, smashed the window, pulled himself through and ransacked the room. There is, however, the mixed DNA of Knox and Kercher in a luminol-revealed bloodstain on the floor and in the corridor:
The analyses attributed the biological trace to a Knox–Kercher mix. The finding is of unquestionable importance in this trial, considering that the mixed trace of the victim and the defendant was found inside the room of Filomena Romanelli, in a place where – unlike the bathroom – there was no regular presence on the part either of Knox or Kercher. This room, furthermore, was the site of the simulated entry set up by the perpetrators of the murder in order to lead the investigations astray.” 
The mixed DNA of Kercher and Knox was also found in three blood stains in the bathroom: on the bidet, in the sink and on a cotton swab container. Knox’s own blood (that she testified was not there the day before the murder) was found on the faucet. There was no trace of Guede in the bathroom.
Luminol-revealed footprints were found in the corridor: one of these was compatible with Sollecito’s right foot, two others matched Knox’s right foot. None were compatible with Guede, whose footprints led straight out of Kercher’s bedroom and out of the cottage. Based on this evidence alone, it would have been impossible for Guede to have tracked Kercher’s blood into Romanelli’s room during the scene-staging later on – or to have left the blood-stained bare footprint in the bathroom, which incidentally matched the precise characteristics of Sollecito's foot.
As Judge Nencini says, the evidence has to be considered wholly. There is no smoking gun in this complex case; rather, there is a lengthy trail of untruths, unanswered questions and incriminatory evidence that, once put together, makes it difficult to come to a plausible explanation that doesn’t involve the guilt of all three defendants: Rudy Guede, Raffaele Sollecito, and Amanda Knox. The truth may, finally, be coming to light.


Amanda Knox has been ordered to stand trial, again for a homicide she had been found guilty of previously, then overturned.  Italy's highest court handed down its ruling today. 

Statement Analysis of the statements of Amanda Knox show guilty knowledge of a sexual homicide. Her statements are useful in seeing the correlation between references to water and sexual abuse. 

This is a reposting from our prior address, but it is useful in our study of Content Analysis, where we look beyond simple "truth versus deception" elements, into how the system of analysis developed by LSI reveals information to us.

Deception can be via the means of exaggeration and hyperbole:  is this the case here?

Amanda Knox was charged with, convicted, and then overturned, in the death of her former friend, while she was living in Italy.  Her statements showed that she had guilty knowledge of a sexual homicide according to Statement Analysis principles.  She was seen as deceptive in her statements, consistently, including her emails. 

She is now back in the United States and is free. 

This goes back several years in which a former agent from the FBI wrote a defense of Amanda Knox.  I began the analysis looking for content, not deception.  Note that some of the sentences are 'dated' in that they were written before she won her appeal. 


Analysis of a Defense of Amanda Knox

by Peter Hyatt

I was asked by a commentator to do an analysis of the handwritten statement of Amanda Knox. At the time of the request, I had heard of the case, but wasn't familiar with the details.

Statement Analysis is best done cold.

When investigators ask other investigators to analyze a statement, the request is made insomuch as the statement is sent, along with the accusation, but without evidence, opinion, analysis, background checks, etc. Only the allegation is given, and the analysis is done. This is so that the analyst is not influenced by anything but the statement.

Statement Analysis is also useful, even when much information is known, especially for teaching purposes.

For example, read Mark McClish's analysis of Casey Anthony in which he concludes that the mother knows what happened to the child and is withholding the information from investigators. Today, this sounds benign because we know that the alleged kidnapper never existed. But back then, Mark went on only the statement and none of the facts of the case which are so commonly known today.

Of course, doing the same statement knowing all that we know is useful in showing where sensitivity indicators popped up, which we know in retrospect, were lies. For the purpose of instruction, revisiting analysis of adjudicated cases, for instance, is useful.

Casey Anthony will be studied for a long time. Her lying is rare, but the principles we employ remain the same and pick up the deception in her statement.

When I began analysis of Amanda Knox's written statement, I stopped partially through due to the references (and details) to water (sexual connotation) and googled the case to familiarize myself with it. I returned and finished the analysis, but was surprised by the responses.

Since then, I have seen passionate debates online regarding guilt or innocence of Amanda Knox.   We now know that much of the information people went on came from the publicity professionals hired by the Knox family.

One commentator asked that I look at Steve Moore's defense of Amanda Knox. Given his credentials, I was initially excited about what he would say in her defense. Since then, I have learned that
he has made numerous appearances on the major networks on the Amanda Knox case, claiming that he once he thought her guilty, but now believes that she is innocent, and is actively engaged in seeking to help Knox.

In fact, it appears that Mr. Moore may have suffered personally due to his passionate stance on this case, as news reports say that he may have been terminated from his employment due to his involvement in defending Knox.

My own analysis of the case is strictly the wording of Amanda Knox; nothing else.  This is statement analysis only.

It can be found here:

In the analysis, Amanda Knox tests deceptive, repeatedly and consistently.

Mr. Moore's plea follows in italics, with Statement Analysis in bold type. Any additional bold type is mine, added for instructional emphasis. His resume is impressive and he writes with passion. We employ the same principles of analysis in an article as we do in a statement, with the exception of measurement of form (content percentage and subjective time; lines per hour) since it is not incident based. We may view the number of lines dedicated to a particular topic, but this is not the same as the measurement of form used to uncover deception. (see analysis on Time and Form). It is helpful to read "Statement Analysis 101" if you are not familiar with the principles, as well as the analysis of Amanda Knox' s handwritten statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Investigation of Violent Crimes is My Life; Not a Hobby
by Steve Moore

My name is Steve Moore; I retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2008 after 25 years as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent. My entire investigative experience was in the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, from murder to mass-murder and terrorism. In my last such assignment, I was the Supervisor of the Al Qaeda Investigations squad, following which I ran the FBI’s Los Angeles-based “Extra-Territorial Squad”, which was tasked with responding to any acts of terrorism against the United States in Asia and Pakistan. I have investigated murders throughout the United States and the world.

His first 10 lines are used to introduce himself, by his first and last name, with repeated mention of the FBI, indicating that this is a sensitive topic for him.

He also introduces "supervisor" in this introduction in capitalization, even though it is "the supervisor."  This should be considered important to the subject. 

In Statement Analysis, we look at the amount of words (or lines) assigned to various topics which can help us determine not only deception (see article on "Form") but for priority. Note that his "entire" experience was in investigations of violent crimes, excluding all other work.

Note his title includes "hobby" which is on contrast to his "life" and not his "employment", of which he was paid for.  Note rather than saying "I investigated murders around the world" it is "I have investigated..."

I do not know Amanda Knox. I have never met or spoken with anybody in the Knox or Mellas families. In my 25 years in the FBI, I had come to believe that if you were arrested, you were probably guilty. I never had a person I took to trial who wasn’t convicted.

I was especially tired of guilty persons claiming their innocence.

"I do not know Amanda Knox" is a strong statement and it is in the negative, making it sensitive for the subject. 

Our measurement for reliability and commitment is First Person singular, past tense and we note not only any deviation from this formula of commitment, but we note any additions. Here, by itself, it is strong. But then he adds to it the additional information: "I have never met or (sic) spoke with anybody in the Knox or Mellas families". 

He has introduced something to us here that will now put us on alert as we go through:  specifics. 

We would then ask, "have you emailed them? Have you had contact with them through another party?" since we note that he felt the need to add distance to the statement. 

This is similar to asking someone, "Did you talk to Tom?" of which the subject answers, "Did I talk to Tom?  No, I did not talk to Tom", leading the investigator to ask, "Well, did Tom talk to you?  Did you write Tom a letter?  Did you email Tom?  Did you communicate in any way, shape or form with Tom, including through a third party?" and so on, knowing that the subject may be 'wordsmithing' with us, that is, seeking to use a technicality to avoid straight communication. 

This is the first mention of Amanda Knox. In analysis, it is important to note all names mentioned, and in the order they are mentioned, and how they are addressed.Also note that he mentions "FBI" again, which repetition shows sensitivity. He then states that after 25 years experience, he holds to a prejudice that if someone is arrested, he is guilty. This presupposed guilt is noted, as he reveals how his own mind worked, even after 25 years experience and should be noted.

Notice that the prosecuctors did not take someone to trial, the subject, himself did.  This is unusual since the investigator's job is to uncover facts and allow the attorneys to do their work.  Here, he takes ownership of their work, outside the realm of his employment.  

The inclusion of him in the role of prosecutor along with the word "never" would cause me to want to know if this is a reliable statement.  "Never" by itself, is unreliable.  It may be true, but by itself, it is not reliable. 

Not only "tired" but "especially" tired is noted. 

I had heard snippets about the Knox case from the news, and believed that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were certainly guilty
.

Note the confirmation of his closed mindedness in the word "certainly". He concluded this because they had been arrested and it was a "certainty" for him. This leads to the question on how 25 years experience failed to make him open minded. We note this along with the repetition of experience as sensitive to the subject. Note that, within the prejudiced mind of guilt he heard "snippets" about the Knox case from the news. This would not be a study of a case file; but reduces the information he listened to to "snippets".


But then I began to hear statements from the press that contradicted known facts.

Note that when someone "began" something, they should conclude it and may indicate a withholding of information; otherwise what was began was not completed and continues.

Note also that he began to "hear statements" that came from the press that "contradicted known facts". 

We note the change in language, from "snippets" from the "news" to "statements" from the "press".  What caused this change?  What is the difference between "snippets" from the "news" but "statements" from the "press"?

When a change of language appears, it represents a change in reality. "I pulled out my gun, and fired my weapon, and then re holstered my gun." Here, the gun became a "weapon" when fired; but returned to being a "gun" when holstered. A change in language represents a change in reality. "My car started to sputter so I pulled over. I left the vehcile on the side of the road and walked."

Insurance investigators are often well trained (and in some regions, paid more than law enforcement) and recognize that the car was a "car" while being driven, but became a "vehicle" when it would no longer go. Therefore, the change of language is justified by the change in reality.

Statement Analysis principle: When there is a change in language, but not apparent change in reality, we may be looking at deception.  

Is there a change in reality?

Note also that the "statements" from the "press" are no longer "snippets" from the "news" and, he reports, are contradicting "known facts".We have another change in language. This leads us to conclude:  either there is a new source of information justifying the change of language, or there is possible deception here, and the information is coming from the same source; news media.  There does not appear anything in the context to differ "snippets" and "statements" and "media" and "press" cited.

In an interview, we would want to ask about "snippets", "news", "statements" and we would want to ask what "known" facts, are, versus, "unknown" facts. We would also need to know the source of the "known" facts. Without justification in reality, a change in language is flagged for possible deception.

Is the information coming from media outlets, which indicates deception, or does the subject have access to the case files in Italy, of which he can then compare the "known facts" to "statements and snippets" that came from media? Where did the "known facts" come from? Were they from the press? Note that he does not disclose where the "known" facts came from and he now causes us to ask about the difference between "facts" and "known facts"; ie, what this means to the subject himself.

Wanting to resolve the conflicts, I looked into the case out of curiosity.

Note the inclusion of the word "conflicts". Are these the "statements" from the press that "contradicted" the "known facts"? 

Note also that none are identified here. We would seek, in an interview, clarification on what is "known facts" versus unknown facts; and how they came into knowledge (ie, from the media?) This may indicate personal knowledge of the case, that is, reading the case files from Italy.

Note the motive here is mentioned:  "curiosity"

We wonder:  why the need to add motive?  Why would simple "curiosity" be a motive into an alleged sexual homicide case?

The more I looked, the more I was troubled by what I found. So I looked deeper, and I ended up examining every bit of information I could find (and there’s a lot of it).

Note that he "looked" and was "troubled" by what he found. He does not say where he "found" these things that troubled him.Note now we have new language introduced:He does not tell us where he looked (news, press) but he was able to examine "every bit of information" he was able to find.

An exaggeration is not necessarily deceptive within itself, as it is used to make a point. If we have, however, repeated (sensitive) exaggeration, we will then wish to revisit it for deception. It also raises the question of need. Why would repeated exaggeration be needed?

The subject does not tell us where he found "every bit" of information, leading us to more questions. This is why Statement Analysis is helpful in getting beyond attempts to persuade, and to seek truth. It is difficult for anyone to say that they examined "every" bit of information and not be questioned as to where it came from, but in this case, the files reside in another country, and not in the United States. Perhaps he had access to the case file if shared through his federal agency, but he does not say so.

The more I investigated, the more I realized that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito could not have had anything to do with the murder of Meredith Kercher. Moreover, one reason that they were falsely convicted was that every rule of good investigation was violated.

We have a change in language, from "looked" and "examined" to "investigated". This is no longer someone viewing snippets from the news. 

We have a change in language and it must be justified by a change in reality. What has changed that he has gone from "looking" even deeper, to "examine" and now to "investigate"?

He does not identify the source of information that he now investigated, but tells us that this investigation of unknown information caused him to "realize" that the two accused had "nothing to do" with it. In order for this not to be viewed as deceptive, the information that he went from looking at, then to examining, and on to investigating would have to be made known.

If it is from the press, is it "snippets" or "statements" or information that "every bit" he could locate contradicted "known" facts; leading us to ask:"known" by whom? If the subject is unable to identify what it is that the source of information that he called "known facts" we are likely looking at deception: only that he read the news and changed his mind; not that he was privy to case files in Italy.

In Statement analysis, repetition indicates sensitivity. One repeated theme has been "FBI" in this statement.

Another is the word "every", which is all inclusive. Each time "every" is used, it should be noted. The word "every" is repeated, indicating sensitivity. Since "every" excludes none, it is something that may only rarely be used in association with an investigation, since "everything" cannot ever be known. Note here that "every rule of good investigation" is mentioned.

What are these rules?

Was "every" rule violated?

This is the language of persuasion, not of report. It is also not true that "every" rule has been violated.  Why the need to add this?  Note also the additional word "good". This means that to the subject, there are investigations and there are "good" investigations, within his personal internal dictionary. What rules are referenced?This sensitivity again suggests deception regarding the case files, perhaps (or source of information) via exaggeration.

I spent years of my life working on cases in the federal courts, from simple murder to mass shootings to weapons of mass destruction.

Note the repetition of his life experience again.  This should be considered a very weak point, as, rather than rely on the "facts" of the case, he again (repeated) relies on his own life. Note also "federal" is repeated. The amount of repetition associated here with his work is highly sensitive to the subject. His work record, therefore, would likely need examination. He stated that he worked on cases, but did not say if he did so successfully. Since the subject has not said so, neither can we. We can say that his work is a highly sensitive topic to him, and that he has not overcome presuppositional judgementalism even though he worked at it for 25 years. Thus, he is failing to build the reader's confidence but is weakening it.

His view point of his work and career and that of his superiors is a highly sensitive and personal issue for him and should be examined.

In the U.S., the totality of the evidence and the hunches of the investigators in this matter would not have been sufficient to get a search warrant, much less take somebody to trial. The case is completely flawed in every way.


In Statement Analysis, the shortest sentence is best. Every additional word which can be removed from the sentence is called an "unnecessary" word, making it, in Statement Analysis, doubly important as it shows sensitivity.

For example, if I said, "I am happily married" it would be a straight forward statement. If I said I was "very happily" married the additional word "very" would indicate sensitivity. We do not know what causes the sensitivity; perhaps the subject didn't expect to be happy, or was previously unhappy. But if the subject said, "I am very, very happily married" and even on to "I am very, very very happily married" we might, along with Shakespeare, ask, "who are you trying to convince; you or me?" as the sensitivity is magnified by repetition.

Here, the subject uses additional words which cause us to flag the sensitivity:

1. The "totality" can only be known if the subject has access to all the case file information
.

2. "hunches" of the investigators is to know what is in their minds; meaning he is either being deceptive, or has interviewed every Italian investigator and has known their thoughts or "hunches".

The case is not only flawed but with the sensitive addition of "in every way" and in its entirety. The repeated exaggeration is used to persuade; not report, and indicates deception. He cannot conclude that it is in "totality" anything, flawed or otherwise.

Note that this is the language commonly found in deceptive statements. "Every" rule has been broken, and the case is flawed in "every" way. He also claims access to the "totality" of the evidence; something which causes the reader to question the truthfulness of such a bold claim.

The argument he presents needs exaggeration and deception to be made. Note that the deception that is judged by common sense (not having access to "every" thing about the case, is evidenced by the high level of sensitivity in the language). The physical evidence against Amanda and Raffaele is wrong, Note that evidence is neither wrong nor right; it is what it is and is neutral.

What one concludes from evidence may be wrong or right, but in Statement analysis we do not interpret his meaning for us; rather we look at the words he uses. This type of exaggerated and fabricated arguments may be why his career is something of high sensitivity; along with being unable to overcome presuppositional thinking that all arrested are guilty. It does not show an open-mindedness. This is something that may have become problematic within his career.

contrived, misinterpreted, and (to put it kindly) misstated. The other “evidence” is made up of (embarrassingly naïve) hunches and bias. The “DNA” evidence is particularly inaccurate.

It is as if constant insulting will persuade readers rather than pressing an argument.  

The alleged motive and modus operandi of Knox/Sollecito is so tortured (and constantly-changing) that it defies belief.

Thus far, Mr. Moore has used a great deal of his statement about his background and his work, and then upon debasing the evidence, but has not informed us what evidence he refers to, nor how he was able to obtain the evidence, nor what manner of examination he employed.

Note that in order to draw such opinions, he would have had access to all the above, including DNA evidence. He states to have studied the information, but does not identify the information investigated.

Note also the use of exaggerated language is used consistently throughout his statement, including coming to a contrary opinion "defying belief" which may also be related to the sensitivity in his career. If this is his method of presenting an argument, it is likely that co workers may have held a very different opinion of the subject than he appears to in this article.

FACTS DETERMINE CONCLUSIONS”—The universal truism of investigation. The instant that one’s conclusions determine or change the facts, you have corrupted the judicial system. I have been a young investigator, and I have supervised eager but inexperienced young investigators.

Note that he was a "young investigator" but that he has supervised "eager but inexperienced young investigators", excluding himself from being "eager" and "inexperienced" when he was young.

Note also the repetition sensitivity attached to "supervisor". Young or inexperienced investigators have a tendency to believe their own hunches. This is dangerous, because uneducated hunches are usually wrong. Hunches are not bad, they just need to be allowed to die a natural death when evidence proves them wrong. Note that the subject had 25 years experience but did not overcome presuppositional prejudice.

This appears to be a statement of his own projection. How he thinks, he projects upon Italian investigators.

Our words reveal us; they reveal our personalities and what we think of ourselves and others.

The sign of an investigation run amok is when an initial hunch is nurtured and kept on life support long after evidence should have killed it. Likely the belief that any arrested person is guilty should have died during his rookie year in law enforcement, as most mature away from such concrete thinking and move on to a mature abstract thinking. This likely reveals how he conducted his own investigations.

This case is just such a situation. In the Knox case, the investigator openly states:“We knew she was guilty of murder without physical evidence.” -- Edgardo Giobbi, Investigator.

This is the quote used by "48 Hours" but is not expanded upon. 

We do not know the full text of the statement, but it appears to match his own belief about those arrested being guilty. Perhaps it is that the investigators, before test results came in, concluded that they had the killers based upon their own words.  We also do not know how much interaction existed between the Knox' hired publicists and the editorial team at "48 Hours" or CBS.  

It is likely due to his employment, that at some point, the subject was either trained or offered training in Statement Analysis, meaning that he would have an understanding of the words chosen by Amanda Knox in her original interview, or even in her subsequent media interviews.

He would also know that a prisoner who gives a false confession due to coercion will test out "deceptive" because their statement of confession is, de facto, deceptive, as it was false and it was coerced by the interrogators.

The language would not come from Experiential Memory and would appear deceptive.  This is the nature of false confessions:  they do not come from experiential memory but are a fabrication.  

Then, when physical evidence came in that did not support their story, they simply changed their story. And their suspects. And their murder weapons. And the motives. (If there was ever a ‘smoking gun’ in this case; that statement was it.)

The subject tells us that the physical evidence "came in" but does not tell us where it came into, nor how he was able to obtain it. If he did not obtain the evidence as he attempts to persuade above, he is being deceptive to his readers, thus the need for hyperbole and exaggeration.

Note sentences that being with "And" have missing information.  These are short and choppy. 

I will only say of the interrogation,

Note: future tense verbnote also "only" meaning exclusion of other things to say. Future tense violates the principle of First Person Singular Past Tense as establishing commitment. He does not establish commitment so neither can we.

that if any FBI Agents I supervised had conducted that interrogation in the U.S., I would have had them indicted.

Note again the repetition of "FBI" and "supervision" (supervise)as the sensitivity continues. This calls attention back to his work record and would cause us to want to interview those he supervised.  Note the narcissistic tendency back to his own supervision. He would not have corrected them, nor written them up, but would have had them "indicted"; that is, accused of criminal behavior.  It would be interesting to hear from those he did supervise.  Even if this is only hyperbole to make a point, he reveals a high mindedness that would have troubled those who worked under him, as well as those who worked with him.  

I am not surprised that Amanda made incriminating and conflicting statements in such a horrible situation. I am more surprised that under that duress, she didn’t make more incriminating (but ultimately false) statements.

Note that he is not surprised that she incriminated herself, but he is surprised that she did not do so more so.  Note that "incriminating" statements are those in which the subject links herself to the crime.  Even false statements have genesis in truth:  lies do not come from a vacuum, but from somewhere. 

Note that Statement Analysis done of false confessions shows deception.  Statement Analysis of Amanda Knox shows:

missing information;
guilty knowledge of the crime
involvement in sexual abuse
deception

Note that he acknowledges that she made incriminating statements; would her statements, which showed deception, be considered unreliable when they were made to a journalist last summer?

Those statements also incriminated her and showed guilt (see analysis)

Hypothetically, any trained investigator operating for many hours without rules, in a foreign language, slapping and threatening a naïve, frightened girl just out of her teens and in a foreign country, (denying her food, sleep and the right to an attorney and Consular advice) can get her to say just about anything. If this was the medical profession, one might deem such activities “intentional malpractice”.

Note that this is reduced to "hypothetically" and it is not something he asserts with commitment. 

He does not say it happened.  If it did happen, why add it? This is an attempt to enflame rather than report.  

The lack of commitment shows attempt at persuasion, rather than report. 

Report is the honest recall of past tense facts, such as gaining all the evidence and case files from Italy, reading it, examing it, and reporting back upon it. This type of work does not need persuasion nor exaggeration. It would not show such high and repeated sensitivity.

Hypothetical than moves on to claims made by Knox.  Which is it?  Is it "hypothetical" or is he referencing what Amanda Knox claimed?  Is she now to be believed, but her incriminating statements not to be believed?  If so, what tool of analysis is used? Where is the reference point? 

Note that the subject does not tell us that he obtained evidence.

Note that the subject does not tell us that he obtained the case files. Note that the subject does not tell us that he spoke to the investigators and uncovered all their hunches (every one of them). His statement is reported as if he did, but since he does not tell us he did, we cannot say that he did. This is where the sensitivity of deception comes in: allowing his readers to believe that he obtained every bit of evidence from the case, including interviews, files, DNA, physical evidence, etc, as well as being able to interview and access the thoughts and hunches of all the investigators involved, and now is able to accurately report these things to his readers. The language employed shows deception, but the possibility of the subject having obtained all of this information regarding the case itself suggests deception. It is deceptively written.

The investigators in this matter appeared to have decided upon a conclusion, and repeatedly changed their story so that the evidence would suit their conclusions.

Note the inclusion of the word "appeared", which makes this statement honest. He claims that it "appears" to be a certain way to him, which is different than claiming to have examined all the evidence and to have known all the thoughts of those involved.

After the evidence came back that Rudy Guede sexually assaulted Meredith, did it not occur to the investigators that they had a simple rape/murder? The simplest answer is usually the correct answer. Crimes are only this complicated in James Bond movies.

The complexity of crimes is why hard work, education, and lots of training is needed. Note the reduction and minimization of hard work and training found within his theory.

Note "the evidence" came back, but he does not identify where it came back from, nor if he examined the evidence.  To dismiss complexity in crime is to say we don't need complex training for investigators.  This is a rather embarrassing statement. 

Amanda would not even have been a suspect in any US investigation.

Note again the use of exaggeration with "any" US investigation; a point that can not be proven nor disproven. When a subject needs to rely upon exaggeration, it is the subject that is causing the reader to question veractity.  

One present for a murder who lies would not be considered a suspect in "any" US investigation is not only deception by assumption and exaggeration, it is an insult to Italy. 

also note: the use of the name, Amanda. 

Recall the sensitivity in the opening part of his statement that was noted. Since he "never" met anyone in the family, it is unusual for him to simply use her first name. I would question the family to learn if anyone has communicated with him via letters or exchanged emails but in person.  It is possible for one to become infatuated with another by letter and/or photo.  This was seen in America in the number of marriages that took place during and shortly after World War II where millions of letters were exchanged.  The power of the written word should not be underestimated, when it comes to human emotions. 

It is impossible to say the above sentence truthfully, unless one has sought the opinion of "every United States investigatory agency", in every county in every state.  Therefore, the sentence is not truthful.  This is not, however, our question.  Our question is to ask:

Why the need to use something untruthful in his defense of Amanda Knox?

A sex murder occurs and your prime suspect is the female roommate?

He poses this as a question.  Note that in an open statement, it is possible that a question is the subject asking himself.

Note "your" is 2nd person, distancing language.  He does not write, "and the prime suspect..."  The distancing language is due to his personal opinion; therefore, appropriate. 

Experienced, or simply competent investigators would have known that statistically, 90% of murders are committed by men.

Note that he classifies investigators as "experienced" or "simply competent". We have another word that has repeated sensitivity: experience.  In a sexual homicide committed by a man, can he think of any examples where a female was part of the sexual homicide?  

Note the need to insult, rather than report. This is a theme in his statement that is repeated. 

When women commit murder, only 16% use a knife, and close examination might show that the vast majority of those are gang-related. Any conclusion that involves a woman stabbing another woman is statistically so rare, that it should be looked at with great suspicion.

Note that in his statistics "only" 16% use a knife. This indicates that 84% use something else. Note that he writes that it should be looked at with "great suspicion" but does not claim that investigators did not look at it with "great suspicion".  Why "might" a close examination show gang relation?  Why not tell us what percentage of these murders with knives, by females, be gang related?

Again, this is a suggestion, that is, a dropping in of a word that is used to persuade, rather than report.  It is also an instrument commonly used in deception.  

There is also a thing called “leakage”. Leakage is the tendency of homicidal or mentally ill people to ‘leak’ behavior that would indicate their true nature.

If one is to believe that Amanda Knox was the drug-crazed, homicidal Svengali that she was made out to be, there is absolutely NO way that such sociopathic behavior would not be leaked in some significant way prior to this crime.

In her interview analyzed, note what is leaked out by Amanda Knox. The association of her wording is found with sexual activity; generally sexual crime (LSI).

Note that not only does she reference water but note how often it is repeated as well as the details given (see analysis). Even if she is only 16% likely according to Mr. Moore's statistic, it is not proof of innocence.

No, instead we see a girl on the Dean’s list working several jobs to attend a university program in Italy. A girl who had not even had a scrape with law enforcement.

Note that Amanda Knox is described as a "girl" and not a "woman".  Note her innocence because she had good grades and a job. Is this the argument he wishes to press here?

A good auto mechanic who lacks scruples, can take a car out of a junk yard, bolt on a couple of new fenders, drop in new carpets and slap on tires and a $100 coat of paint. Once he cleans up the interior and rolls back the odometer, he could sell it as a near new car to 99% of the population. It appears new, the mileage says it’s new, and only a trained mechanic would know the difference.

He dedicates 6 lines to auto mechanics. Note the inclusion of "99% of the population". This leaves only 1 % population remaining to know better. This, coupled with the high level of sensitivity about his background and experience may show leakage of his thought process here: how he views his opinion and how he views the opinions of those he disagrees with.

But bring in a trained mechanic, and he might notice that the brake pedal, for instance, is worn almost to the metal. That’s a sure sign of 100,000 miles of use or more. The hint of blue smoke out of the exhaust would be a dead give-away of a worn-out motor. He would warn you that all is not as pretty and new as it seems.


Another 5 lines dedicated to auto mechanics and not to specific evidence. 

He has not presented:evidence, nor where he obtained the evidence, nor how he spoke to the investigators, but claims to know their thoughts; hunches. We have the repeated employment of exaggerations, meaning that repeated exaggerations themselves indicate sensitivity. The sensitivity suggests that the subject is deceptively representing himself as an investigator who accessed the evidence, the files, and knows the thoughts of the investigators, and was able to get information outside of media, because he found media to be contradictory to "known" facts.

The sensitivity of his statement, however, is mostly associated with his career and work.

He appears deceptive about his relationship with the case files and investigators in Italy, and that his reason for declaring Amanda Knox as innocent is associated with his own work and career performance, which would need careful examination including interviews with his superiors and the people he claimed to have supervised.

Note his thinking as presented in his writing: he is 25 years FBI; therefore, Amanda Knox is wrongfully convicted.

For an article written about Amanda Knox, he dedicates much time to his career, repeating that he was FBI, supervisor, and that he, himself, is the basis for his audience to believe his claim about Amanda Knox.

Note carefully his own words: Take my word for this.

This is something that is likely problematic.

When someone tells others to take their word for something, in particular, if the subject is in a position of authority, it would likely be problematic in career and personal life, leaking an insecurity shown in a desire to control what others think.

It is likely difficult to be supervised by someone that holds to this mentality, and the subtle ridicule is something more used in bullying rather than the factual presentation of ideas or the free exchange in debate.

Rather than being able to think for oneself, the "take my word for it" mentality can cause interpersonal problems in marriage, work place, friendships, and in business.

In investigations, complexity demands an input of conflicting ideas.

Investigation of violent crimes is my life; not a hobby.

He refers back to himself again as his reference point of his premise: that Amanda Knox is innocent. It also presupposes that for others, investigations of violent crimes is reduced to status of "hobby". This is a subtle insult upon readers who may not share his view.

Note that "hobby" may be seen as an insult to those who do not make "violent crimes" their "life" or profession.

This type of subtle insult is found throughout, including at Italian investigators:

The case the Italian prosecutors are trying to sell you is not the beautiful thing it appears to some to be. It’s a junker all cleaned-up and waiting to be purchased by naïve people. And the jury in Perugia bought it.

Note the unusual word "beautiful" in describing the case presented by Italian prosecutors. This would prompt more questioning of how he views the case, and why "beauty" is attached to a murder investigation.  This may be due to the many headlines of "Foxy Knoxy" regarding her physical beauty.  

He then insults them by calling their work "junk" and insults the public (hobbyists?) as "naive". Well thought out arguments do not need deception, exaggeration, nor insult and ridicule. He refers to their investigation work as "junk". It would be interesting to hear what Italian investigators think of his presented argument in defense of Amanda Knox.  As far as Statement Analysis is concerned, we have deception via hyperbole and exaggeration as well as a self centered claim of knowledge, and a high level of sensitivity associated with his ability to supervise others.  

Obfuscation.


The volume of this work dedicated to tangent (self references, resume, insults)  topics as well as the need to persuade rather than report, as well as passivity in language, all come together in a conclusion that suggests itself.  

The subject was terminated from employment over his refusal to be silent about this case during employment. 

 Was the subject, at the time of this writing, obsessed or infatuated with Amanda Knox?  Was the subject, at the time of this writing, simply following what was reported by CBS, or what was given to the public by the Knox team?  It is difficult to discern, in reading media reports, what was truthful and what was publicity.  

We now have the Judge's report. 

Taking the statements of Amanda Knox, over the years, and now with the judge's report published, allows us to draw a conclusion for ourselves, outside of the 'war' that appeared to exist between media outlets.  

Passions ran high in this case.  For one to be told to "stop" speaking about a case he was not involved in, by his employer, suggests that his campaign was interfering with his job and had become acute.  That he refused to stop and was terminated for it suggests how deep his commitment to "Amanda" was.  

Can someone with such a passionate stance, upon finding evidence to the contrary, admit being wrong?  

18 comments:

John Mc Gowan said...

I spent years of my life working on cases in the federal courts, from simple murder to mass shootings to weapons of mass destruction.

Note he reduces murder to "simple" This is an insult to not only the victim, but to the family, relatives and friends of the victim.

mass shootings to weapons of mass destruction.

Are these not murders too ? Yes, they are on a grander scale, but "murder is "murder" This is narcissism personified. His self importance and grandiosity is sickening to say the least.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

good point, John.

His subordinates likely have strong opinion on what it was like working for him.

I also wonder if time has softened his harsh stance. Would he possess the humility to say he was wrong, if, for example, he were to learn that 48 Hours got their info filtered through the PR machinations?

He may also have become stronger in his opinion.

Yet his writing is a good example of deception via "clouding" the issue with a good deal of tangents.

Peter

Tania Cadogan said...

i remember way way back when Peter first posted this on his ld blog, the 'fbi' guy claimed she was innocent and her statements proved it, i countered and said her statements indicated deception and involvement.
peter wondered if we had seen the same statements since our opinions were so different.
I said the difference was, i was independant, i was not being paid by anyone and i had no ulterior motive, whilst steve turned out to have been working for knox's family and thus was not independant. :)

Tania Cadogan said...

BBM

In light of Raffaele Sollecito changing his tactics as he prepares his own appeals case for the murder of Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox is rumored to be considering a new approach for her case as well.

Raffaele Sollecito Changes His Appeal?

According to a July 10 article on Ground Report, Knox, 26, is now considering a change in her case where she blames the entire murder on Sollecito, saying he committed the actual murder, but she did witness the events--and tried to help him cover up his crimes.

Citing unnamed sources, the article claims that Knox has opened up to her lawyers and PR team, saying on the night of the murder, she had gone back to the villa she was sharing with Kercher in Perugia, Italy, to purchase drugs from Rudy Guede. However, when she arrived, Meredith became angry with her over money that had been stolen from her room, forcing a scared Knox to leave and return with Sollecito 30 minutes later.

Raffaele Sollecito Claims He Is 'Guilty By Association?'

The report claims Knox now says upon her and Sollecito returning to the home, he tried to calm Kercher down without success, and when she became violent and tried attacking Knox and Sollecito with a knife, he managed to wrestle it away from her and lost control in the struggle, accidentally slashing Kercher's throat in the process. Knox reportedly now claims she witnessed the entire thing from the kitchen of the home, covering her ears because of the screams.

Knox reportedly does admit to helping Sollecito stage a scene that would set Guede up for murder and burglary, but she has only come clean now because she had been in love with Sollecito, and felt betrayed by his recently changed story.

In a press conference with his attorneys in Rome on July 1, Sollecito added new claims that his former girlfriend was not with him the entire night of Kercher's murder, destroying her alibi that she had been at his apartment the entire time--whereas he never left his home.

"Only a madman or a criminal would change versions, and I'm neither mad nor criminal," he said at the conference. "There's proof that I was at my place and I was watching Japanese cartoons."

However, though he has amended the one-time shared alibi, Sollecito did maintain he believed Knox was innocent, despite anomalies with how she acted the night of the murder.

"I always believed, and still believe, that Amanda Marie Knox is innocent," he said.

Tania Cadogan said...


Knox, Sollecito and Guede were all arrested in connection to Kercher's murder back in 2007. Guede has been serving a 16-year prison sentence in Italy, though Knox and Sollecito both pleaded not guilty and were later acquitted in 2011.

However, a new trial reportedly focused on DNA evidence concluded this January with a second guilty verdict for the pair. Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while Knox received 28.

The two are currently preparing their final chances to appeal, with cases scheduled to be heard either later this year or in early 2015.

If the report is true and Knox is now changing the story to implicate her ex-boyfriend as the sole criminal in the case, it would be a radical change from her past defenses of him, where she insisted he was innocent, and only dragged into the case because he had been dating her at the time.

Mere weeks after their reconvictions earlier this year, Knox took to her personal blog to maintain her stance that while she also was not guilty of Kercher's murder, it was wrong for prosecutors to drag her ex-boyfriend's name into the case as well.

"As tenuous as the case is against me, it is illogical and unfair that Raffaele should be held legally answerable for it," she wrote in February. "...The only reason that he has been dragged into this is because he happens to be my alibi. He is collateral damage in the unreasonable, irresponsible, and unrelenting scapegoating of the prosecution's grotesque caricature that is 'Foxy Knoxy.'"

http://www.enstarz.com/articles/41248/20140711/amanda-knox-murder-trial-update-meredith-kercher-roommate-changing-tactic-in-appeals-trial-and-blaming-entire-crime-on-ex-boyfriend-raffaele-sollecito-video.htm

MsCabinFever said...

Amanda Knox:
"I did not kill my friend," she said. "I did not wield a knife, I had no reason to. In the month that we were living together, we were becoming friends. A week before the murder occurred we went out to a classical music concert together. We never fought."

"There is no trace of us. If Rudy Guede committed this crime, which he did, we know that because his DNA's there, on Meredith's body, around Meredith's body, his handprints and footprints in her blood," she said. "None of that exists for me, and if I were there, I would have had traces of Meredith's broken body on me, and I would have left traces of myself around Meredith's corpse, and I am not there, and that proves my innocence."

http://www.enstarz.com/articles/40065/20140623/amanda-knox-case-update-meredith-kercher-roommate-s-ex-boyfriend-requests-separate-appeals-trial-says-he-is-guilty-by-association-video.htm

Meredith's "broken body"? I would assume reading that that Meredith was beaten to death and not stabbed (and drowned on her own blood). That whole last run-on sentence is very strange!

It's hard for me to believe sometimes that english is her native language.

Anonymous said...

Um- they don't have Guede in the bathroom. Yet I thought they had a bowel movement ( and thus DNA) left in the bowl...

trustmeigetit said...

Anon above in regards to the bathroom DNA...there were 2 bathrooms in the apartment. guede was in one, Ananda and Meredith in the other.

trustmeigetit said...

The thing that I have always noticed is when people talk and talk and talk but don't actually provide facts and details.

It's something that for years I would witness in meetings.

One in particular was with a former boss. We had a meeting with our auditors. I knew he didn't know much about the topic and that was why he had me sit in on the meeting.

Yet with every question they asked, he would ramble on and on. Yet never actually answered the questions.
What amazed me was that both of them sat there listening intently, taking notes and smiling. Even ending the meeting with telling him how helpful he was.
It was right before I found this little blog of yours.... I already noticed this stuff, but didn't really understand why I was the only one.
I could not understand how they felt that was successful as they had gotten no answers. And this was a situation where they had to have answers as they were creating processes.

Needless to say a few days later, they came back from clarification on many areas. Most he had to direct to me which I was able to actually give them details.
I still see this all the time.

I see that type of "fluff" in this guy's comments. Lots of talking about the case, but there is not one ounce of fact included.
Just as I can sit here and state I think she is guilty, it doesn't prove a thing.
But when it is stated that she called Meredith but the call lasted only 4 seconds. That is a clear fact and is important and tells us something.
There is a lot of facts here but he didn't bother to focus on any of that.
Instead, he talks of himself and he talks around the case.
If you are defending her, use facts.


trustmeigetit said...

AMANDA: "He is collateral damage in the unreasonable, irresponsible, and unrelenting scapegoating of the prosecution's grotesque caricature that is 'Foxy Knoxy.'
Sure does have a lot of extra words here.
Again, no facts but just lots of big pretty words.
If I was innocent of a crime I was being linked to, I would focus on facts. I was not there. I did not kill Meredith. She was my friend.
Amanda fails to do this over and over and over.
Such as....
AMANDA: "and I am not there, and that proves my innocence"
Funny how lack of DNA to her "PROVES" her innocence. Sorry, that is not proof.
Many cases have little DNA or they are not able to match the DNA. It does not mean the guilty party is innocent. It just means the DNA connection was just not found or is not there.

Anonymous said...

To trustmeigetit

That is the exact way I feel about Obama. He does a lot of talking, a lot! But there's never any meat in there.

MsCabinFever said...

"I did not kill my friend," she said. "I did not wield a knife, I had no reason to. In the month that we were living together, we were becoming friends.."

^^^^Amanda says that she & Meredith were "becoming" friends, as if they were on the road to being friends, but not quite there.

I haven't seen her use Meredith's name when trying to say she did not kill her. She only says "I did not kill my friend".

Amanda also states that Rudy is guilty because his DNA was found on and around Meredith's body, but hers was not. But, according to the Court and Judge's summary, Amanda's DNA and Meredith's DNA were mixed together in the blood droplets on the sink and in the watered down footprints on the bathroom floor. So she did have her DNA there, it was just not on or directly under Meredith.

Amanda says, "None of that exists for me, and if I were there, I would have had traces of Meredith's broken body on me, and I would have left traces of myself around Meredith's corpse, and I am not there, and that proves my innocence."

^^^ this is stated in future tense, not past tense.

Peter,
She says, "if I were there" ---would this be considered leakage, is she placing herself there?

trustmeigetit said...

Also Bonnie Blue.... When she says "I did not kill my friend"...

The thing that crossed my mind was she didn't consider Meredith her friend YET and thus... She is being honest there.

She did not kill her "friend"

But who is her friend she is speaking of?

Tania Cadogan said...

"I did not kill my friend," she said. "I did not wield a knife, I had no reason to. In the month that we were living together, we were becoming friends.."

This is a weak statement and an unreliable denial, since she does not say she didn't kill Meredith Kercher. Note the extra words after she says i did not kill my friend. All these weaken the statement.

I did not wield a knife
This sounds strong until you note she weakens it by saying In the month that we were living together, we were becoming friends.."

note also she says she did not kill her friend, but then goes on to say we were becoming friends, not that they were friends

CaliDeeva said...

tania cadogan said...
November 24, 2014 at 12:31 PM

Knox, Sollecito and Guede were all arrested in connection to Kercher's murder back in 2007. Guede has been serving a 16-year prison sentence in Italy, though Knox and Sollecito both pleaded not guilty and were later acquitted in 2011.
**************

Hi Tania, good comment! You're right that all 3 suspects were arrested as accomplices in Meredith's murder in 2007. Rudy Guede chose a fast-track trial (exchanging some rights for more lenience if found guilty) but Knox and Sollecito rejected that option. The Judge remanded the two of them to be held in prison throughout the trial process.

Although the U.S. press reports the Knox case as a series of new trials, it's actually a single process in Italy. She and Sollecito were found guilty at the first-instance trial, appealed, winning the acquittal in 2011 granted by Judge Claudio Hellman -- under questionable circumstances. Knox's PR firm was busy trying to influence the outcome of that appeal (per David Marriott's press interview October 2011).

The Italian Supreme Court, which ratifies or rejects all rulings of the lower criminal courts (not just Amanda Knox's verdict) found so many irregularities and flawed logic in the report of the presiding Judge Hellman that it annulled the acquittal.

Knox filed another appeal which is her right but chose not to bother attending her own appeal which took place in Florence, presiding Judge Alessandro Nencini. Defendants are not required to attend, one of the major differences between Italian and U.S. law. The judge was not pleased when Knox pulled a stunt by sending an email to the court late in the process, pleading her case in lieu of her physical presence and testimony.

As we now know, Nencini upheld the guilty verdict of the first court trial. It's his report that was recently translated into English.

Knox and Sollecito have filed their final appeal to the Supreme Court of Italy. Similar to the U.S. appellate process, the court will only review points of law in the appellate court's ruling. It will not be a new trial with evidence re-presented. (On social media, Amanda Knox's fans seem unable to grasp that concept as they continue their attack on existing evidence, either dismissing it entirely ("there is no evidence") or "all the evidence is flawed and the Italians are corrupt."

The Supreme Court has set the date of March 25, 2015 to either grant the appeal or to uphold Judge Nencini's appellate court's guilty ruling.

It's widely anticipated that the SC will uphold the guilty verdict because of Judge Nencini's masterful job of outlining all relevant points of law in his sentencing report.

If the guilty verdict is upheld by the Supreme Court next March, Italy may -- and probably will -- request her extradition to serve out her 28 years and 6 months sentence. She also owes thousands in court-ordered damages to the man she deliberately and wrongly accused of murdering Meredith. She could have paid the mandated amount with the millions received for her book advance, but she has no intention of paying him, even stooping to calling him greedy and attention-seeking.

This man, her former boss who kindly offered her part-time work to fund her Perugia adventure, lost his business and his reputation after being jailed for two weeks pending forensic testing results and confirmation of his alibi.

She owes Meredith's family a multi-million dollar judgment as well as facing pending calunnnia charges.

Personally, I believe the State Dept. will cooperate by processing her extradition as quickly as possible. There's no valid reason for John Kerry to offend one of our most loyal allies and partner in the war on terror.

Unknown said...

Funny
Has Mr Hyatt considered applying his awesome Statement Analysis skills to some other witnesses in this case?
Start with this one:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-494740/Merediths-boyfriend-reveals-moment-suspected-Foxy-Knoxy-killed-lover.html
Filomena Romanelli offers a happy hunting ground also

Tania Cadogan said...

Hi CaliDeeva
The americans ( at the behest of knox and her family and lawyers and PR are being spun a story that this is a whole new trial and that she is facing double jeopardy, which is not the case.

Italian law goes through 3 courts and only in the supreme court is the sentence ratified and enforced ( even ex pm berlusconi had the same privilege)


the second appeal which they won and allowed her to scarper post haste back to the States was anuuled, in effect the appeal and verdict never happened so she and sollecition have, in effect, been found guilty twice.
All that is left is their appeal to the supreme court which will look only at technicalities such as inept counsel, legal loopholes and the like.
Their guilty verdict stands and cannot be appealed.

Since the verdict has yet to be ratified, the defendants can use this to try and reduce their sentence by admitting their role in the crime, what exactly happened and hoping they will get a reduced sentence for their cooperation.
This is where the first to talk wins the prize by minimizing their own role and throwing the other under the bus.

Sollecito is stuck in Italy so cannot fight his arrest and jail.
Knox is in the States and will use every legal shenanigan she can to escape extradition.

Since they are no longer a couple, there is no reason for either to protect the other, it is every man for themselves.

I do wonder how knox will repay her debts to her family who almost bankrupted themselves paying for her defence and PR, how she will pay her fines and compensation and, if she will have to repay the publisher of her book for what is now proven to be lies ( would this count as profiting from her crimes and come under the son of sam laws?)

CaliDeeva said...

tania cadogan said...
Hi CaliDeeva

...Sollecito is stuck in Italy so cannot fight his arrest and jail.
Knox is in the States and will use every legal shenanigan she can to escape extradition.

Since they are no longer a couple, there is no reason for either to protect the other, it is every man for themselves.

I do wonder how knox will repay her debts to her family who almost bankrupted themselves paying for her defence and PR, how she will pay her fines and compensation and, if she will have to repay the publisher of her book for what is now proven to be lies ( would this count as profiting from her crimes and come under the son of sam laws?)

November 26, 2014 at 11:53 AM
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Hi Tania:

Sollecito is distancing himself from Knox. Most likely due to family pressure, he has done a series of interviews and a press conference with his lawyer. Falling short of a direct statement that Amanda Knox is responsible for Meredith's murder, he is walking back support of her alibi that she was with him at his apartment the entire night. Of course, he has a series of lies himself, and did not support her alibi throughout the trial.

IMHO, based upon their giddy behavior in the days following Meredith's murder, their "secret" united them. They'd only known met a week prior, an intense week of sex and drugs. Sollecito has an addiction to Japanese manga magazines depicting sexual degradation and murder. Investigators who found the manga in his flat were struck by the similarities to Meredith's murder.

The two of them together were toxic and together they could do what probably neither could do individually. Murder. Testimony of others consistently described behavior that shocked and appalled those who witnessed it.

Whereas everyone else was deeply shocked, shaken, at times crying, the two lovers were laughing, kissing, whispering, making silly faces at each other while waiting at the police department. Amanda Knox was quoted by friends of Meredith as making offensive remarks and bragging about details of the murder scene that only the perpetrator would know.

My opinion is that these two bonded from the shared "extreme" experience, a phrase used by Sollecito on his myspace page. His book is titled "Honor Bound..."

As for her parents she claims to have repaid them from the $4 million book advance. She states that after repaying everyone, the money is gone. So she says.

Many people surrounding this convicted killer, including her publisher, could face legal charges and penalties. Her book was published while Knox's case works its way through the Italian justice system. I have only read excerpts from the book, but I do know it defames the prosecutor Giuliani Mignini. There are numerous libelous comments about the police, court officials, lawyers, expert witnesses.