Friday, April 03, 2009

Trial: Agenda Is Closed Court For The Autopsy Report, And Maybe Testimony From Guede

Posted by Nicki



What We May Expect In Court

Part of the Friday court hearing will be closed for the autopsy evidence.

A just decision on the part of the Italian Court, and a due act of respect for Meredith and her grieving family.

The murderers didn’t “simply” stab her. She was sadistically tortured before she was left to die, in a locked-up room, without her mobile phones, and thus robbed of even the slightest chance to call for help.

The medical findings that I have actually been able to get through in Judge Micheli’s report (itself toned down from the autopsy report) are truly shocking.

Multiple bruises were found on the face and jaw-line - at least eight - in a clear attempt to muffle her screams. There were more bruises on her elbow and arm, all ranging from 1 to over 4 cm diameter (up to a bit less than two inches).

The genital area was also bruised, as well as her leg and her hip. Multiple bruises and scratches were found on her neck, plus four cuts on her hand. Someone DESPERATELY fighting not to be raped - and then for her life.

I can only pray that the medical examiner evidence on Friday will not reveal additional horrific details that we are not aware of from the Micheli report.

All of the above is very far from suggesting a “consensual” intercourse, as the Guede defence tries to claim.

And by the same logic, the medical findings unequivocally indicate that the murder was committed by multiple aggressors.

So, unless Rudy Guede is a four-armed God Vhisnu, and therefore able to silence Meredith’s screams with one hand, wave a knife to stab her neck with the other, and at the same time try to rape her, the logical conclusion is that the attack was carried out by more than one aggressor.

Perhaps the other attackers were not Mr Sollecito and Ms Knox, and if they are able to prove that in Court, good for them. But so far, there are two unassailable truths: Meredith had been savagely raped and killed, and Guede sure didn’t do it alone.

The smiling portion of the trial will probably be behind us now, after this demonstration of just how depraved Meredith’s death really was.

The court will be re-opened to the public when Carlo Maria Scotto di Rinaldi, who owns an underwear store where Knox was seen buying lingerie with Sollecito shortly after Meredith was killed, takes the stand.

Point is to describe even more of what was apparently a cold and uncaring demeanor on the part of the defendants.

Posted by Nicki on 04/03/09 at 01:12 PM in Evidence & WitnessesDNA and luminolOther physicalTrials 2008 & 2009

Comments

Italian media are reporting that Sollecito occasionally lifted his gaze to look at the photographs from the autopsy. Amanda Knox was apparently looking elsewhere at all times.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/03/09 at 02:24 PM | #

This report has hit it home to me in a profound way and I am in state of shock.. poor Meredith…..

May the guilty be punished and at least this will once and for all make people realise that this was not a lone wolf but a group of sick depraved individuals

RIP Meredith

Posted by Love Wolf on 04/03/09 at 03:05 PM | #

For all those having a good laugh and messing around on Franks blog, this brings home what an awful attack this was.
As you say hopefully the smiles will now be gone out of court, I can’t see anyone finding any reason to smile hearing even what has been detailed here.
My heart aches to think of Meredith’s suffering, whoever did this deserves severe punishment. I hope justice is served and Meredith and her family can have peace.

Posted by Ginny on 04/03/09 at 03:25 PM | #

Ciao Nicki,
I must respectfully disagree that “the medical findings unequivocally indicate that the murder was committed by multiple aggressors”. Based on what we have seen thus far from the prosecution that seems to be the case. But we have yet to see that the defense have equally convincing, and more detailed, medical interpretations to the contrary. There has been a lot of prosecutorial information presented and leaked out thus far. The defense has yet to be heard, and there is much less “leaked” info in circulating around. From what I have privately seen with attorneys involved in the case, there is a strong defense, particularly in this area and other on-site evidence details. So much so, that it may explain Amanda’s demeanor, and Ghirga’s seemingly laissez-faire attitude. I cannot repeat enough the words of our friends at PMF, very few things are conclusive, and this is no “slam dunk” for either side.

Posted by stewarthome2000 on 04/03/09 at 03:26 PM | #

My general comment is; why does Ghirga not advice Amanda how to behave in court?  Does he imagine to save Amanda by critizing the Italian law! Amanda is a perfect inmate in a psychiatric ward.


Why?

Amandas mother destroyed Amanda´s life when Amanda was a young vulnerable girl.

Marrying Doughboy, when Amanda only needed Curt Knox her own father, who seems to care. Doughboy, why did you escape Perugia?

Sollecito belongs to the same ward, he again becomes a nut case, when his mother died.

Posted by Sansrivale on 04/03/09 at 04:18 PM | #

Sorry Stewart, but I don’t buy the lone wolf theory. Perhaps “unequivocably” is too strong of a word when referred only to the medical findings, although I find it very hard to believe that Rudy Guede was able to inflict all those wounds all by himself - unless he drugged or tied Meredith up, which I am not aware of.

But the amount and nature of the medical findings that I have been able to read, together with the other evidence, make me believe that the attackers were more than one. Of course I base my judgment on what information is available; should these facts not be correct or only partially true, I would be ready to revise my judgment

Posted by Nicki on 04/03/09 at 08:33 PM | #

I’m the one (but not the only one) who has said that this will not be a slam dunk and that there is no smoking gun. Obviously, the defense will fight tooth and nail over the interpretation of the forensic evidence; after all, that’s what it is being paid to do—defend the client against the evidence that will matter at the end of the day.

We can expect to see a parade of experts testifying for the defense, presenting an alternative scenario based on the same evidence or contesting the quality of that evidence (the stage has been set for this). If the most recent report on MSNBC is true, the prosecution may have more hard evidence to unveil than we have seen to date.

In any case, it will come down to forensics.

However, I think that the parade of witnesses for the prosecution could have an important role to play as well: in the event that the forensics battle comes down to who has possession of the ball with 3 seconds to go and the chance to get in scoring position, then the edge may go to the side that has marshalled the best circumstantial case. For this reason alone, it would behoove Ghirga to be a little more aggressive.

Posted by Skeptical Bystander on 04/03/09 at 08:49 PM | #

Nicki wrote: “Sorry Stewart, but I don’t buy the lone wolf theory.”

Nicki, who is an expert in relevant fields, went back and forth over Judge Micheli’s report for weeks in the original Italian.

Like all the others we know of who have read all of the Micheli report (Brian in particular who posted here on this) she could see absolutely no way to make the lone-wold theory fly.

If there really is a way to make it fly, this will be something to watch.

Unless all of this becomes moot, when Rudy Guede testifies tomorrow.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/03/09 at 10:11 PM | #

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