Book description
It was a brutal murder, and the trial of the decade. On 1 November
2007, 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher was slaughtered in
cold blood in the apartment in Perugia, Italy, that she shared with
three other girls. Two bright young people, Amanda Knox and her Italian
ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, stood accused of the killing in a
trial that lasted through 2009. They were found guilty and sentenced to
twenty-six and twenty-five years respectively on 4 December. A second
man, Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede, 22, had already been found guilty of
the sexual assault and murder of Meredith in a separate trial in 2008
and sentenced to thirty years, but the prosecution always stated that he
didn't act alone.
Kercher was a model student whilst American Knox acquired a
reputation that fuelled specualtion about her character. Her bizarre
behaviour just after Meredith's body was found, her false accusation
of an innocent man, her weak alibi and her DNA on the murder weapon -
a kitchen knife found to be scubbed with bleach - went against her.
TV producer Paul Russell and critically acclaimed crime writer
Graham Johnson have teamed up with leading Italian forensics expert
General Luciano Garofano to reveal the full truth behind this
sensational murder and its trial. They unravel all the details and
study all the personalities in this case that has stunned the world.
Complex, and some say controversial, DNA evidence is explained in
simple language and, bit by bit, a story emerges of brutality and
jealousy in a university town where all was not what it seemed. Their
findings make for gripping, sensational reading.
'...an even-handed account of a real crime which
reads like classic detective fiction''
Four stars, Mail on Sunday
10/1
'Delving under the skin of the case, this painstakingly
takes us through the forensic evidence upon which so much of this case
depended. Exploring in depth the peculiar character of American Knox,
this reveals the real personalities behind the headlines'
Four
stars, News of the World 17/1
TV producer and researcher based in Italy. Co-author with Graham
JOhnson of Darkness Descending - The Murder of Meredith Kercher.
Represented by Annabel Merullo.
Graham Johnson is an investigative journalist and author of the
highly acclaimed true crime titles Druglord and Powder Wars (both
published by Mainstream).
