Friday, September 27, 2013

Questions For Sollecito: Why So Many Contradictory Explanations Of How DNA Got On The Knife?

Posted by SomeAlibi





It is no secret (except seemingly to him) that Sollecito’s book and web postings will once again land him in court.

This trial will be separate from the main appeal though the prosecution office will be the same. It will be for alleged contempt of the court in serially mis-stating the evidence and accusing many officials of crimes in an attempt to get public opinion to lean heavily on the courts. 

The Amanda Knox brigade has been trying that too, and look at how well that is working out!

Here is one seemingly perfect example of how Sollecito (finally responding to the pressures and pleas of his discombobulated lawyers?) may be trying to wind things back. You will recall that news of the discovery of a large knife in his kitchen drawer with Meredith’s DNA on it was related to Sollecito while he was in his prison cell, just over two weeks after the murder.

As much as the news initially panicked him, shortly thereafter on November 18th, 2007, he seemed relieved to have realised how Meredith’s DNA could have come to be on his kitchen knife after a session of, in his written words, “thinking and remembering”. He wrote in his diary:

The fact that there is Meredithʹs DNA on the kitchen knife is because on one occasion, while we were cooking together, I, while moving around at home {and} handling the knife, pricked her hand, and I apologized at once but she was not hurt {lei non si era fatta niente}. So the only real explanation for that kitchen knife is this one.

And that was it: Raffaele had “fortunately” remembered how he had “pricked” Meredith’s hand and that explained the DNA. He remembered it in precise detail - thank heavens for that!

The problem for Raffaele was that he didn’t know at this stage that the DNA was in a microscopic groove on the blade and not on the tip. The story made no sense. Worse, he was also flatly contradicted by the flatmates, the friends and even Amanda: he had never been cooking with Meredith and his story was therefore impossible as well as implausible. And since he was a murder suspect, the memories and all their specificity which would have given him an alibi for the DNA, became highly suspicious.

Unfortunately, Raffaele chose to remain silent thereafter and never testified, as was his right, at his trials.

Subsequently there were many months of Team Knox-Sollecito denying that Raffaele meant Meredith, in contradiction of all plain logic when reading the simple words in his diary. No, said the online apologists, in fact he meant Amanda’s hand and in some way he had thought that maybe Meredith’s DNA had been on Amanda and could have transferred. It wasn’t his fault that his theory was wrong, it was just an honest memory of being with Amanda and nothing suspicious at all.

On Twitter on September 22nd, Raffaele decided, probably unwittingly as is his wont, to blow that theory up. He was asked about the diary entry by Twitter user MK @santamariaxx and responded thus:

He replied as in the image above.

So, he didn’t really mean Amanda at all (thank-you for all the wasted hours of excuse making for Raffaele to those protagonists of that particular theory), but now we learn it was a false memory about Meredith that never happened.

But let’s unpick this because it’s far from a single mis-remembered sentence or action. This was a contemporaneous diary entry made barely two or three weeks after such a cooking event could have happened and it was a multi-faceted event with multiple actions. He was clear and precise about what happened in detail. Now, he is quite clear the whole thing never happened:

    1. He said he was cooking together with Meredith - but that never happened

    2. He recalled himself “moving about” during the cooking session - but that never happened

    3. He remembered the location “at home” - but was never there in this context

    4. He remembered putting a knife that he was holding into / onto Meredith’s hand - but that never happened

    5. He remembered actively apologizing to Meredith for that clumsy act - but that never happened

    6. He remembered the act of them examining Meredith’s hand and mutually discovering that she had not been hurt - but that never happened

    7. He remembered that this was the real explanation of the kitchen knife - but it never happened

Sollecito was on his own in a cell, not under interrogation, and spending time “thinking and remembering” on November 18th. What he remembered, in detail, was a multi-part sequence of events with a girl who had been murdered barely two weeks before. He remembered the minutiae of what happened and its sequence when he believed he needed to provide an alibi for the identification of the DNA on his knife.

None of Amanda Knox’s vagueness about these memories - they were particular and specific in the finest detail. So fine and specific that when he was caught out that this could not have happened, those details looked highly like someone seeking to convince precisely because of the particularity of the details. It was in the time-honoured form: “no, no - it definitely happened, because I specifically remember”..... 7 distinct and separate memories and the sequence in which they occured.

But all those things never happened according to Raffaele Sollecito in 2013.

Knox and Sollecito have never stopped the self-serving lies and flat contradictions of themselves. Not now, even after all this time, even after one them is permanently stained as, at a minimum, a convicted liar who criminally tried to frame a man for murder. Sollecito, “not hiding” in his secret location, can’t stop either. Little good it will do either of them. Finally, justice is coming and the lies will be at end. I’d almost feel sorry for him, if he wasn’t then and remains now, an inveterate liar without the honour to face justice in the country of his birth.

Comments

Great work SomeAlibi. Pleasure to read.

The laughable idea of “false memories under extreme pressure” also surfaced in spades in the misconceived work of grandstanding psychologist Saul Kassin for Amanda Knox.

In her own book, Knox even attempts to get out of jail free by grabbing hold of Kassin’s “theory” which was all based on the misconception that brutal police had interrogated her for hours and hours (they hadnt) and she confessed (she didnt).

Here is how we questioned Amanda Knox’s own new “false memories under extreme pressure” claim in her book. Warning! It is a very long post.

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/questions_for_knox_2_do_you_really_think_kassin_will_get_you_out_of_th/

Despite all of those hard facts which are not difficult to obtain, the grandstanding ex-FBI profiler John Douglas parroted this baseless theory almost word for word in a book, all over the net, and on TV.

http://womanonawire.blogspot.com/2011/09/unarresting-arrested-famed-fbi-profiler.html

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/27/13 at 07:16 PM | #

Thanks for this excellent post SomeAlibi. It’s an indisputable fact that Raffaele Sollecito is a bare-faced liar. Only a simpleton would think otherwise.

Posted by The Machine on 09/27/13 at 07:32 PM | #

The knife pricking episode together with Knox’s tale about blood and fish, for me, remain probably the most suspicious aspects of the case. Sollecito’s dairy as well, he continuously castes suspicion on her, why, if he is so sure they spent the night together. Yet these details were never brought up at trial. In fact, they are hardly mentioned at all. Why is that? Has it something to do with personal musing in a dairy can’t be used as circumstantial evidence?

Posted by John Forbes on 09/27/13 at 07:55 PM | #

Enjoy the sun and sand!

I look forward to justice being delivered.

Without your active participation, one young life would have been saved. Your share of the responsibility is more than 50%.

Lies cannot be stretched to cover everything!

Posted by chami on 09/27/13 at 08:00 PM | #

That boy Sollecito, what IS he like?

You never seem him with any look of concern on his face, just the same old impudent and habitual “untouchable” smirk. Speaks volumes about his well-to-do family upbringing, where no doubt special scorn was reserved for plebeian introspection,  self-honesty and the ethical codes that most “ordinary” (less well-off) people take for granted and live by. Spoilt, in a word.

The question now has to be whether justice can teach him he’s not as untouchable as he thought.

Watch out Raffaele, it’s not dark yet but it’s getting there…

Posted by Odysseus on 09/27/13 at 08:53 PM | #

@ SomeAlibi:

” ... when he believed he needed to provide an alibi for the identification of the DNA on his knife.”


Exactly ...  and only a “guilty” person would fabricate this sort of “fairy tale” that never happened.

Thank You, SomeAlibi, for this interesting post.

True Justice is just around the corner for Meredith !

Posted by MissMarple on 09/28/13 at 12:58 AM | #

In case it hadn’t been mentioned in earlier posts, Sollecito looks to be hiding out in the Dominican Republic.

I can’t find any more recent information, but in 2005 the Dominican Republic had no extradition treaty with Italy, only with the US and Spain.  “Bilateral extradition agreements between the Dominican Republic and Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are still “under study” “

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/business-guide/2005/8/6/3449/FOREIGNERS-UNDER-DOMINICAN-CRIMINAL-LAW

http://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be2a2c.htm

Posted by Spencer on 09/28/13 at 03:10 AM | #

Hi, Spencer, we here in Canada have been following the career of Mafia consigliere Rocco Sollecito, http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Kiss+death+Montreal+Rizzuto+clan/3059063/story.html who appears to be a cousin of Francesco Sollecito (shares familial resemblance and is also from Bari)

You’re right, the Dominican Republic does not have an extradition treaty with Italy, and the particular resort Raffaele is staying at is known as a hidey place resort for felons on the lam.

Posted by Ergon on 09/28/13 at 10:18 AM | #

The fantasy knife pricking has always been one of my top 5 howlers in this case.
It is such a blatant lie that it insults ones intelligence.
I remember I posted on the cooks spurious blog about it at the time and asked the cook if she (in all her cooking experience) had ever accidently pricked anyone with a knife while cooking. I also asked a global question - to see if anyone reading had pricked anyone with a carving knife accidently while cooking.

I was expecting a flood of answers from the loonies all saying they had and it was very common and that there are thousands of people who everyday prick people with knives while “moving around” cooking.

I was expecting this type of answer as the hysterical cook had previously stated her mother scrubs all her cutlery with bleach before they sit down for a meal and so therefore it is a perfectly normal thing to do.

I never received an answer as the cook deleted my post as it must have been against the official party line and too scary a question.
Thanks SA for highlighted this lie for what it is.
Good work.

Posted by DF2K on 09/28/13 at 10:42 AM | #

Well, I do not think the kid (or the boy or the man) is telling lies. He is just plain and simple confused under the effects of…

I think he really did prick her with the knife- but perhaps a few centimeters (or couple of inches) but he is confused about the date and time. Stuff happens. Please do not be fussy about these petty details. We know and we understand. He apologized in his book, but law is about logic and not emotions.

He gets panic attacks because of the toxic effects of the bleach. It has bleached out his brain. He could not clean the crime scene perfectly, but he tried his best to clean the knife. He also must have lost one from his precious collection, I suppose.

Posted by chami on 09/28/13 at 04:26 PM | #

Am leaving home for Florence and the Appeal trial. I remember the night the 3.10. 2011 when i heard the news that Amanda and Raffy were found not guilty. I was walking around in shock for a few days.

Nobody who read the trial documents and all the facts very carefully expected that. It was off the wall. Something was very twisted as even the Supreme Court thought also.

This hiding from the new trial is an outrage.

Posted by Mason2. on 09/28/13 at 08:22 PM | #

Raffaele lies. As DF2K calls the cooking injury that never took place: a howler. Maybe the subtle and devious little blunderbuss Raf is also taunting us with a hint of what he actually did to Meredith while using the obvious lie as well.

Now he is howling against being photographed at the beach while he swims with the fishes. He might have been using his Dominican Republic getaway as a litmus test of how easy he could disappear if he went fugitive. Whoops, didn’t work. The headline hunters found him fast, photos included.

He may be extra sensitive about being seen in his bare swimsuit because he was overweight when young. He overcame that with gym work and kickboxing and dropped many pounds. He certainly isn’t overweight now, but no sixpack abs.

His howler of a book title keeps taunting me. It’s not Duty Bound, Glory Bound, or Homeward Bound but Honour Bound. Certainly not Truth Bound, but some kind of bondage going on. I think he reveres honour which may be simply another word for Pride, false pride at that. He is too proud to break a promise to cover a crime, it’s his honour to hold back the truth. The truth wouldn’t improve his image. Some honour, huh? So he’s hidebound and pride-bound heading for a fall. Knox should be wading with him in the surf, wading for a herd.

Posted by Hopeful on 09/28/13 at 09:45 PM | #

@Mason2.

Totally agree with you. “Corruption” springs to mind.

The Knox entourage love to relate, in their xenophobic way, how Italian justice “stinks to high heaven”, or words to that effect. The rest of us know that any corruption really came above board with Hellmann-Zanetti, and the source was likely not a million miles away from Knox HQ in Seattle - or possibly near Bari; take your pick.

Those who love justice (and Italy) fully expect sanity to prevail, after all the sickening media appearances and the endless lies and manipulation we have been subjected to for far too long from the perpetrators. These were/are two very disturbed kids who committed a horrendous crime.
Why, when you drop the patriotism, the xenophobia and the sentimentality (not to mention the nit-picking over every item of solid evidence), is that so very hard to see, even for the Knoxiously inclined?

Of course the psychotic couple have been at ludicrous pains since their acquittal to appear anxious to get back to the kind of appearance of “normal life” that might be expected of the innocent(e.g. RS now cavorting nonchalantly in the surf - days away from a court charge of murder - and AK still working “selflessly” in a menial job while studying like the good girl she is, cough, and appearing as necessary “dolled-up” on fake-prop TV shows to complain about being misunderstood). Someone should have told them that the truly innocent would abhor and shun such display. This of course is all lost on the PR types the Knox family have recruited, who professionally must believe that image is essence.

It’s not just those who support this very solid prosecution case that should hope for the right verdict: so should anyone who values true justice.

Best wishes and hope we hear from you at the trial!

Posted by Odysseus on 09/28/13 at 10:06 PM | #

@Mason2, Thank you so much for attending the trial! I hope you have a truly rewarding experience for yourself as well as being a symbol of TJMK’s presence there. It might be good to listen to your 6th sense or gut instinct about what’s going on there, as well as the legal events of courtroom. Enjoy Florence as much as you possibly can, and many thanks. I remember the Pieta.

Posted by Hopeful on 09/29/13 at 01:20 AM | #

@Mason2

Thank you and take care and keep on reporting!

Also tell us sometimes about the mood of the people and the judges!

Take care and be safe and enjoy the beautiful city (I always wanted to visit Florence but have not yet got the chance).

Posted by chami on 09/29/13 at 04:27 AM | #

RS is continuing his BS.  Poor boy.  Reckoning is coming.

Posted by zinnia on 09/29/13 at 07:17 AM | #

RS keeps picking up his script from Amanda’s.  ‘Panic attacks’ - heard that before.

Posted by thundering on 09/29/13 at 09:59 AM | #

AK back on GMA Monday morning:

Twitter: Nikki Battiste
‏@NikkiBattiste
Tune in to @ABC @GMA tomorrow morning to see my interview with #AmandaKnox and her life in Seattle. Her new trial begins in Italy Monday.


This is going to be a permanent backdrop to this process. Surely this is a blatant attempt to pervert the course of justice?

The Italian judiciary should point this out to their Foreign Office and a formal complaint should be made to the US authorities.

Posted by thundering on 09/29/13 at 11:22 AM | #

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.  Before there was DNA testing and testimony, this case would have been open and shut, on corroborating circumstantial evidence.  We lean too much, now, on DNA testing—whether there’s enough to be accurate; whether its been corrupted; how would it be corrupted; can corruption be proved in the face of DNA existence? 
Its all very interesting—but also tends to distract from common sense, corroborating evidence. 
THIS is why the Italian Supreme Court called another trial… because the corroborating evidence is a tidal wave over the petty DNA arguments. 
Also:  If you are an American citizen and don’t agree w/ a U.S. Senator (Sen. Cantwell, WA.) interjecting herself into this case, email her, as I have done, letting her know that there is NO part of her job as a US Senator that pays for her personal interjection into this case.  In short,we are not paying her to put herself between a convicted felon and an ally country we have an extradition treaty with. 
Please, email her… I REALLY don’t want to see under-the-table US politics keep this criminal from being extradicted.  Thanks.

Posted by Hellinahandcart on 09/29/13 at 12:17 PM | #

JOURNALIST ANDREA VOGT WILL BE REPORTING LIVE UPDATES FROM COURT!

http://thefreelancedesk.com/front_featured/amanda-knox-appeal-2/

” Below you will find dated updates on Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito trial beginning Sept 30 in Florence, including live updates from court. Scroll down for info on dates, locations, links to documents, overviews, transcripts and other background.”

Posted by True North on 09/29/13 at 03:20 PM | #

Epic fail on GMA’s part. I quit watching them because of the fawning they did over a perverted killer. Why do they allow her air time? Shame on them. If they want to cater to her, splash her face on the screen at 10 pm and ask the hard questions, but don’t serve her up with My breakfast and My family.

Posted by mylady007 on 09/29/13 at 03:53 PM | #

Thank you True North

Here’s the direct link to the Florence Appeal Factsheet on
themurderofmeredithkerchercom

http://themurderofmeredithkercher.com/Florence_Appeal_Factsheet

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/29/13 at 03:54 PM | #

@ Hellinahandcart

“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.  Before there was DNA testing and testimony, this case would have been open and shut, on corroborating circumstantial evidence.  We lean too much, now, on DNA testing—whether there’s enough to be accurate; whether its been corrupted; how would it be corrupted; can corruption be proved in the face of DNA existence?  Its all very interesting—but also tends to distract from common sense, corroborating evidence.”


I totally agree ... JMO, but it seems that DNA evidence is now considered THE MOST important evidence in a case, therefore, everything else becomes “secondary” ...

I believe juries and judges should consider the “totality of the evidence” and not just the DNA evidence ...

Knox and Raf’s continuous lies, changing “stories,” cell and computer records, the staged break-in, the clean-up, their “odd behavior,” etc., etc.,  is just as compelling as the DNA evidence.

Sure, DNA evidence is important ... but it is not always the “smoking gun” ...

Posted by MissMarple on 09/29/13 at 04:26 PM | #

@ True North:

“JOURNALIST ANDREA VOGT WILL BE REPORTING LIVE UPDATES FROM COURT!”


Thank You for this link !

Posted by MissMarple on 09/29/13 at 04:31 PM | #

@ SeekingUnderstanding:

Thank you True North

Here’s the direct link to the Florence Appeal Factsheet on
themurderofmeredithkerchercom

http://themurderofmeredithkercher.com/Florence_Appeal_Factsheet

Thank You, SeekingUnderstanding for the link, which I just added to “My Favorites” along with TJMK and PMF !

Posted by MissMarple on 09/29/13 at 04:35 PM | #
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