Whatever Happened To Amanda Knox?
Amanda Marie Knox is best known for her conviction, and later acquittal, in the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Although she has spent the last 14 years trying to move forward with her life and leave her troubled past behind, Knox is still haunted by accusations and rumors that persist to this day.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Knox graduated from Seattle Preparatory High School in 2005 and began attending the University of Washington later that same year. As reported by Biography, she studied linguistics and planned to spend one year studying abroad to further her language skills and education.
Famous-Trials reports Knox moved to Italy in July 2007 and planned to attend the University for Foreigners that fall. On September 20, 2007, she moved into the upstairs apartment of a cottage in Perugia with Kercher and two young Italian women. As reported by Biography, locals described the area surrounding the cottage as a "bad neighborhood," which was frequented by drug dealers. Shortly after arriving in Perugia, Knox met and fell in love with an Italian computer science student named Raffaele Sollecito.
On the evening of November 1, 2007, Knox and Sollecito spent the night together at Sollecito's apartment. As reported by Biography, Knox returned to the cottage the following morning to discover the front door open, several windows broken, and the bathroom covered in blood. When she attempted to check on Kercher, she discovered her roommate's bedroom door was locked.
Charged with murder
Although Amanda Knox also tried to reach Meredith Kercher by phone, the call went directly to voicemail. Biography reports Knox contacted authorities, who broke down Kercher's bedroom door and found her unresponsive on the floor.
The officers pronounced Kercher dead and quickly determined she was murdered. As reported by the Daily Mail, medical examiner Dr. Luca Lalli determined Kercher's cause of death was "hemorrhage from a neck wound after the blow of a sharp and pointed weapon." Lalli also noted there was bruising on her neck, suggesting she may have been strangled. The medical examiner established the time of death to be approximately 11 p.m. on November 1, 2007.
Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were immediately identified as suspects and subsequently interrogated for five days. As reported by Biography, Knox said she was "bullied and beaten" during the interrogation and was not provided an interpreter. Amid the interrogations, Sollecito eventually admitted Knox could have left his apartment and returned without his knowledge while he was asleep.
Sollecito's damning statement essentially broke Knox down and led her to sign a confession. Biography reports the Knox's confessions stated she returned to the apartment on the evening of November 1. It also stated that Knox witnessed her boss, Patrick Lumumba, killing her roommate.
Knox and Sollecito were ultimately arrested and charged with murder. However, Lumumba was not arrested, as authorities were able to verify he was working on the night Kercher was killed.
Knox was convicted, but later acquitted
Two weeks after Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were arrested, authorities arrested Rudy Guede for the same crime based on DNA evidence found at the scene. Biography reports Rudy Guede was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison in October 2008. Knox and Sollecito, who were tried together, were also found guilty in December 2009. Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years and Knox received 26 years.
Knox's trial and subsequent conviction gained worldwide attention, and led to harsh criticism of the Italian law enforcement and judicial systems. In 2010, Knox's attorneys began filing appeals of her criminal conviction based on accusations of discrimination, questionable witnesses, and unreliable physical evidence.
In October 2011, Knox was acquitted, released from prison, and allowed to travel back home to the United States. As reported by Biography, she returned to Seattle, where she re-enrolled at the University of Washington and majored in creative writing. Unfortunately, her legal woes were not over.
Biography reports the Italian Supreme Court ordered Knox and Sollecito, who was also acquitted, to return for a new trial as their acquittals were both overturned by Italy's Court of Cassation. Although Knox did not return to Italy for the new trial, it proceeded without her. After 12 hours of deliberation, a jury found Knox and Sollecito guilty once again in February 2014. Knox, who was also convicted of slander for accusing Patrick Lumumba of murder, was sentenced to 28.5 years.
Amanda Knox remains in the United States
Amanda Knox remained in the United States as her attorneys appealed the decision. Biography reports Italy's Supreme Court overturned the conviction in March 2015, and the court's verdict was deemed to be the final decision in the case.
Although she faced tremendous pressure amid another trial, conviction, and appeal, Knox completed college and earned a degree in creative writing. She went on to become a freelance journalist and the author of the bestselling book, "Waiting to be Heard: A Memoir," which was published in 2013. As reported by Biography, she also appeared in a Netflix documentary about her experience, which was titled "Amanda Knox."
In January 2019, Knox was awarded a settlement of $20,000 by the European Court of Human Rights for the Italian authorities' failure to provide her with legal assistance or an interpreter during her 2007 interrogation.
In the years following her return to the United States, Biography reports Knox became involved in the Innocence Project. In addition to advocating for those who are wrongly accused and imprisoned, Knox appears at events, where she shares her own experience. She also traveled to Italy in July 2019 to speak at the Criminal Justice Festival in Modena.
On February 29, 2020, Knox married Christopher Robinson. As reported by Biography, the wedding had two central themes, which were the Renaissance and "Star Wars."
In December 2020, Rudy Guede was released from prison after serving 12 years. ABC News reports Guede will serve the remainder of his sentence by performing community service.
Amanda Knox is using what she learned to help others
After learning about Guede's release, Amanda Knox said she is still disturbed by the fact that he was "convicted of a lesser crime and does not have to live with the burden of being forever associated with Meredith's death." As reported by ABC News, Knox said she is "the one who has been condemned to live with his infamy," despite the fact that Guede is the only one who remains convicted of Meredith Kercher's murder.
During an interview with OK Magazine, Knox said her arrest and subsequent trials were "the worst experience of [her] life." However, she admitted she learned "how unjust the criminal justice system can be" and has used her experience to help others who have been wrongfully convicted.
In recent years, Knox and her husband, who is also an author, have produced two podcasts. In addition to "The Truth About True Crime with Amanda Knox," Press Bolt News reports they currently co-host "Labyrinths: Getting Lost with Amanda Knox," which is about personal struggles and triumphs.
Although being in the spotlight has been difficult at times, Knox has been surprisingly open about her experience and continues to share highlights about her life via social media sites, including an active Instagram account.
The birth of their first child
In a July 2021 interview with The List, Amanda Knox revealed she experienced what is known as a "missed" miscarriage. Although miscarriages are often immediately apparent, that is not always the case. Miscarriages can occur without any symptoms.
Knox said she became pregnant within weeks of having an IUD removed, and she and her husband surprised their families with the news on Mother's Day 2021. Unfortunately, the doctor noticed something was wrong during a follow-up appointment. One week later, the doctor confirmed the fetus was not growing, and they could not detect a heartbeat. During her interview with The List, Knox said she was devastated and confused because it was as though her "body didn't even know" the fetus was no longer viable.
In October 2021, Knox announced the birth of her daughter, Eureka Muse Knox-Robinson. As reported by The New York Times, she and her husband shared updates throughout her pregnancy. However, they did not immediately announce the birth to protect their privacy.
According to the New York Times, Knox and Robinson currently live outside Seattle, "with enough distance from the mainland that they feel comfortable putting their name on the mailbox." Knox said she and her husband love the "woodsy enclave," where they like to spend time in the woods and simply enjoying the peace and quiet. The doormat on their front porch, which Knox received at a public defender's conference, reads, "Come Back with a Warrant."