Tuesday, March 13, 2012

In Desperation A Council Of War? All Of The Sollecito Family Suddenly Hop On Flights To Seattle

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What’s going on here?

Sollecito has been in Los Angeles working on a book with a shadow writer. His father has said very firmly several times that Sollecito and Amanda Knox are through. Finito.

But Italian media are suddenly reporting that Sollecito is hopping on a plane for Seattle. And that his family, seemingly in a panic, is high-tailing it after him.

Are both families really nervous that the two will get back together for better or (probably) worse? Or is this a council of war between the Sollecitos, Knoxes, and Mellases?

Actually, this meet-up is no surprise at all to the close case watchers in Italy. They were wondering how else the two families and their loose-cannon kids could make it through the minefields ahead.  They seem to be facing a five-problem agenda.

Problem One For Discussion

The most immediate problem for the two families is described in the box at the top of the page here. Curt Knox and Edda Mellas are headed for a civil trial brought by aggrieved police, seemingly without an ounce of proof on the family’s side other than any testimony from Amanda Knox herself under cross-examination (for the first time) on the witness stand. 

Almost simultaneously the Sollecitos (five of them) are headed for a CRIMINAL trial for illegal release of evidence and attempted political interference which could eventually land them in prison. The two charges against them seem pretty cut and dried with hard evidence on film and audio tape to which they have not so far offered even a sliver of a rebuttal.

Problem Two For Discussion

The second problem is that officialdom in Rome and Perugia seem to almost universally believe that the two families have all along known that both of their kids were somehow involved in Meredith’s murder. Some of the suggestive evidence is out there in broad daylight and we suspect that prosecutors may be holding back more.

Contrary to the claims of Amanda Knox’s supporters that prosecutors maliciously threw the book at the defendants and their tribes to somehow save face, the truth is that prosecutors stopped short of taking all of the possible actions open to them. 

For example they turned down an offer by Guede to testify fully at first trial (after which he was beaten up in prison and reduced to a jelly which must have pleased him no end) and they seem to know more than they are saying about hard drugs - Knox apparently had a cocaine dealer’s number in her mobile phone. Also they chose not to investigate any of the rumors and backstories in Seattle which US prosecutors might well have done.

In the Sollecito case they may have felt they had no choice but to proceed. The released evidence tape showing Meredith’s naked body was repeatedly broadcast nationally, and the Carabinieri and Rome police are both involved in the political meddling component. Bari prosecutors will of course be trying the case.

Problem Three For Discussion

The third problem is that Judge Hellman has done the families no favors. On the day after he issued his verdict he contradicted himself in an unhelpful way. Then he published an emotional report explaining the surprise outcome of the first appeal which is short on logic and correct law, and full of innuendo and bizarre intellectual leaps.

PMF and TJMK will be posting a careful translation of the Hellman report with a full analysis of its weaknesses soon.

Problem Four For Discussion

Chief Prosecutor Galati has already filed a formidable Supreme Court appeal against the first appeal outcome, which argues in part that (1) the scope of Hellman’s report was illegal overreach; and that (2) his appointing of the two independent DNA experts was more illegal overreach. 

As it has done in many other cases in the past, the Supreme Court might send the outcome of the first appeal back to Perugia to be corrected just as soon as it reads that.

And if it reads further, it cannot help but note that Judge Hellman has brushed right by hundreds of questions that still remain open. The Supreme Court has ALREADY rejected Judge Hellman’s hypothesis that Rudy Guede broke in and attacked Meredith all by himself. It has sided with Judges Massei and Micheli that there were actually three perpetrators. 

Problem Five For Discussion

The blockbuster book offers required to pay for all this new legal action seemed very short on due diligence in the context of the calunnia minefield that Italian law creates for writers and publishers. Did the writers and publishers even know about that? 

Past explanations and alibis from Knox and Sollecito have repeatedly contradicted one another’s.  At one point, each seemed to be accusing the other of the crime. At trial, Knox seemed to want to talk all the time, while Sollecito barely ever said a word. Now we are seeing the exact opposite. Sollecito seemingly cannot keep quiet to save himself, while Knox seems petrified and terminally tongue-tied.

Their books are going to need to be line-by-line supportive of one another, and they will be disasters if they rely on slamming Italian officials and moping (Knox’s apparent angle) or on denying all the hard evidence and moping (Sollecito’s apparent angle).

There will be cancellation clauses in the publishers’ fine print, and what they are we may all soon find out.  From the two families’ point of view, this entire landscape must look very nasty and foreboding. An ill-advised legal and PR strategy has led them into this minefield.

Not surprising that they now find a sudden need to chat.

Comments

Different take on this article.
Whatever the reason it should be enough to give the good people of Seattle nightmares!

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2012/03/12/news/amanda-knox-former-italian-boyfriend-expected-s-0

Posted by Miriam on 03/13/12 at 11:24 PM | #

Hi Miriam. Not so much a different take as a bit out of date. That was posted yesterday (remarkably subdued for Steve Shay, who may finally be waking up) when RS was known to be sloping up to Seattle from LA for “job offers”.

It was only today that the Italian media reported that Francesco and Vanessa were all of a sudden headed for Seattle too. We also got our own direct report.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/13/12 at 11:40 PM | #

Maybe these Italian trials are designed to elicit retractions & formal apologies—& maybe fairly heavy fines—instead of jailing.

Surely the Knox & Sollecito clans meet also to get the story straight, or reasonably straight, between Amanda & Raffaele. That pair won’t have risked exposure by any long-distance collaboration before now.

I still think Amanda & family come out ahead in this, financially. What counts now is the decision of the supreme court on the verdict of the first appeal.

FinnMacCool’s very nicely assembled trial testimony & analysis are worth looking up because it shows how poorly Amanda’s version of things stands up. Click on Peter’s underlined ‘broad daylight’ for that & thanks also to Miriam for a Seattle reference.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 03/14/12 at 03:50 AM | #

Everything the killers do is ultimately about PR. But they will find it harder and harder to hold the mainstream media’s attention with these stunts. Even now, on a national level, only the perpetually smitten Nikki Battiste covered the trip (in her typical amateurish fashion).

There will probably be a paid photo shoot of some type. What is most interesting to me is Papa Sollecito doesn’t trust his “children” to travel alone, lest someone stick a microphone in their faces. The man is 27 years old for crying out loud!

Posted by brmull on 03/14/12 at 10:25 AM | #

Sorry, brmull, but in that family the “man” is 35 years old ….

And … for all:

Here is the fresh (March 2nd, 2012) verdict of “Consiglio di Stato - Roma”: Vanessa Sollecito failed her appeal and will no longer be lieutenant of Carabinieri.

http://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/DocumentiGA/Consiglio%20di%20Stato/Sezione%204/2010/201002552/Provvedimenti/201201204_11.XML

Amen.

Posted by ncountryside on 03/14/12 at 01:29 PM | #

Hi Ernest. Very true, the Italian justice and penal systems were designed, perhaps more than any other, to encourage confession and repentance, especially in young people.

An aspect of Italy I hadn’t known about prior to hearing about Meredith’s murder mid-2008 was the very low crime rate, murders included, and the fact that most towns went years without a single major crime. This really was a country where many people left their houses unlocked all of the time.

There have been several unfortunate trends away from this which we have tried to highlight. Further softening of the system by corrupt politicians. More crime, much of it drug driven and much of it by illegal immigrants from north Africa. Overcrowding of the very small prison system leading now to some building of more. Victims families having to live through nightmare situations for years and years, and even then seeing their loved one receive no true justice.

Polls show a majority in Italy would like the system tightened, and prosecutors and most judges have proved incorruptible and unflinching and immune to politics, but the Rome parliament (at least under Berlusconi) has been taking things the other way.

The system can now be gamed by unscrupulous elements with resources, just as the post above describes. I think they will mostly lose from here on out, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath for any repentance by any of them soon.

I personally believe that Amanda Knox, after her initial flippant giggly phase, and after Patrick was released, did start to accept she had done something seriously wrong (her Berlin story shows how she does that - not hard wired for repentance, but eager to fit in so she mimics it) and she might have quasi-confessed.

Unfortunately her parents shushed her at their first meeting in Capanne and took full control, with an appalling money-driven media campaign the likes of which I hope we will never have to live through again.

If the Supreme Court overturns the appeal verdict, and a new appeal trial concludes that AK and RS must be put back in prison, it is true they may escape the long arm of the law by refusing extradition with political help if they are both in the US.

But financially they will NOT come out ahead. None of them will. Any publishing proceeds would be owed to Meredith’s family under the Italian law, and they could sue for those proceeds anywhere in the world.

And RS and AK would remain essentially unemployable for life and unable to do any foreign travel, ever. The whole PR thing has been ill thought out and crazed, and ironically has put not only the perps but their families in a cage. .

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/14/12 at 01:50 PM | #

Hi brmull. Photoshoots are in the cards for sure. But I also suspect that keeping RS on a short string is part of what is going on. How long do you give it before one or other makes the move that blows their mainstream image once and for all?

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/14/12 at 02:07 PM | #

http://www.ilgiornale.it/interni/sollecito_scrittore_tour_usa_incontrera_amanda/14-03-2012/articolo-id=577248-page=0-comments=1

Posted by Miriam on 03/14/12 at 03:09 PM | #

” .... La famiglia della povera Meredith assiste attonita. E noi con lei. .... “

Posted by ncountryside on 03/14/12 at 04:12 PM | #

Peter, thanks for your comments. As to publishing proceeds due to Meredith’s family under Italian law—good!  And good to know that.

I like your take on Amanda’s coming to realize that she had done something seriously wrong, followed at once by parental hush-up.

There are people of intelligence who can believe that Amanda by now has convinced herself of her innocence, in effect, has bought her own version. The intelligent old gal with whom & whose dogs I walk my dog with, granddaughter of a math prof at Cornell & other ranking family members—believes this.

But I don’t & can’t. For this very reason I will gladly read her book (if it ever comes out) to examine carefully the web she weaves in an effort, predictably, to evade acknowledgement.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 03/14/12 at 06:11 PM | #

If the clans meet to ‘get the story straight’ immediately would there not be a significant risk of contradicting statements already admitted as evidence ? That would assume they can remember what was said in the first place.

Posted by Smacker on 03/14/12 at 09:30 PM | #

Nice point about them not having the full transcript. It is a well known fact that the general public do not like to be fooled and have the wool pulled over their eyes. When this occurs of course people who previously were convinced of AK innocence will turn into an angry bunch yelling for retribution. Here’s hoping.

There have been some who could not understand why all the noise. I mean in some peoples minds Meredith was just one murder among many. The answer is simple. When someone of little intelligence robs the human race of a superior human being then that is cause for a tremendous outcry.

Anyone who loves and understands how rare superior intelligence is in the human race is appalled when one of our brightest is taken from us so cruelly by someone who at best is considered nothing more than a slack mouthed bottom feeder who pray upon society while contributing nothing at all to it.

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 03/15/12 at 01:17 AM | #

Today thursday we are seeing a number of new media reports on RS’s exciting trip to Seattle. Most have nothing new to say, and only one or two have picked up that RS’s father and sister are suddenly to be there too.

One report says that Francesco and Vanessa Sollecito plan to be there for the rest of this month. Two full weeks?! Yeah that seems a realistic time horizon given all that has to be discussed. Maybe even they are thinking of changing residences.

Comments are running maybe 10 to 1 against under those reports that allow them. This Daily Mail report adds two non-surprises:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114979/Raffaele-Sollecito-visits-Seattle-Amanda-Knox.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

“The first few days [of RS in the US] were sightseeing and holiday in California - he lives by the sea so he was really excited at seeing the ocean and now he is in Seattle where he will have the job interview and where he will meet up with Amanda but everything is being kept very secret. They don’t want any details to come out.

And this. “Despite being vindicated by the Italian courts, many in Italy still view Sollecito as a murderer.”

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/15/12 at 05:24 PM | #

The translation of the Hellman Sentencing Report is finished and has been published, along with our other translations at:

http://www.perugiamurderfile.org/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=516

Also, as of today (Thursday), the Sollecito book deal has been finalized. A few details of the deal have been published by the Associated Press here:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/15/apnewsbreak-raffaele-sollecito-has-book-deal/print/

Posted by Fly By Night on 03/15/12 at 10:22 PM | #

All these media releases by the Sollecito family are simply a feeble distraction to the forthcoming storm of very damaging media headlines against them involving the prosecution appeal, the Sollecito family trial and Amanda Knox’s and Curt & Edda’s calunnia trials.

Posted by True North on 03/16/12 at 04:59 AM | #

Hi Ernest. You recommended that readers click on the broad daylight link above.

Perhaps no need to spell this out, but it implies that Edda Mellas may have committed at least two crimes. Not passing on that she knew that Patrick was being framed, and committing perjury on the witness stand.

The prosecution are full aware that they could charge Edda Mellas and she could even end up in prison alongside AK. That is two of various examples of the prosecutors’ (present) constraint. Others concern Curt Knox.

Let the Knox useful idiots David Anderson and Bruce Fischer and Steve Moore continue to make nasty things up about the Perugia police and prosecutors (David Anderson is posting rants almost every day) and the families might be wondering why they didnt just do a deal way back, instead of hiring the equally hotheaded useful idiot David Marriott.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/16/12 at 11:15 PM | #

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