Friday, February 27, 2009

Trial: Lot Of Evidence Introduced In First Pass In Afternoon Session

Posted by Peter Quennell


This was testimony from the crime-scene investigators who searched Meredith’s and Sollecito’s apartments on the day after the crime.

The UK press and the Associated Press (the main source for reports in American media) have not yet updated their stories beyond those linked-to below.

But the Italian press is reporting testimony from the officers who found the knife in Sollecito’s apartment which may have Knox’s and Meredith’s DNA on it (see Nicki’s post Monday on the knife and other DNA below).

Also there was testimony on the phone records which seems to indicate Knox’s and Sollecito’s mobile phones were turned off almost together around mid-evening on the night of the murder. There is a record of Sollecito’s being turned on again at daybreak the next morning, but apparently no record of when Knox’s phone was turned back on.

Also introduced this afternoon was the first of the testimony on the finding of Meredith on the floor of her bedroom (see Brian’s post Wednesday on this sad and apparently very telling scene).

There was crime-scene-officer testimony also on the finding of the large rock in Filomena’s bedroom. The defenses are reported to have put on a spirited show here, and to have again argued the possibility that an intruder could have got in via Filomena’s window.

Crime scene officers testified that a ready-made much-easier break-in route existed, by way of the balcony and the windows and balcony door out back.

On Sunday, our poster Kermit will be putting up new Powerpoints showing why this route is so viable. And again but even more-so how absurd Filomena’s window looks as a preferred point-of-entry.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 02/27/09 at 07:47 PM in The officially involved,  Police and CSI,  Evidence & Witnesses,  Cellphone activity,  Trials 2008 & 2009

Comments

The headline news in tomorrows papers will surely be that AK performed cartwheels at the police station, ..... another example of her inexplicable behaviour, but the real news seems to be about the withdrawal of 20 euros, from a bancomat, made with Meredith’s credit card, after the crime?.

The Kercher lawyer said that this was a withdrawal made by Meredith, but incorrectly recorded by the banks computer system.

Bongiorno, RS’s lawyer says that the police should have followed this up, since anyone making the withdrawal could have had their image captured on the bancomat’s CCTV.

She seems to have a point?.

However, having worked on banking systems for 10 years in Italy, I know that they malfunction often, especially at weekends and holidays, also there can be problems with the interface to the UK bank.  Not sure whether all Italian bancomats have CCTV these days, anybody know?.

The amount withdrawn, 20 euros, suggests a student on a budget, rather than a murderer ?. Surely a murderer would have withdrawn the maximum?.

I hope that it can be shown that Meredith made the withdrawal, and that her PIN number was not given at the point of a knife.

Two credit cards were taken, we have not hear about any other transactions or attempted transactions.

Posted by Kevin on 02/27/09 at 11:41 PM | #

Just a question, how do they know when a cellphone is turned off or out of battery?

Any idea on what the two (AK,RS)may have spent money on, other than drugs & possibly bleach in the days leading up to the crime?

Posted by tjcchamp on 02/27/09 at 11:54 PM | #

Appreciated, Kevin. We read several write-ups of the 20 Euros withdrawal and it seemed unclear whether it was a real action (with a PIN number) or a wrong interpretation. Precise timing seemed in doubt too. But one way or another, news was made. The defenses jumped on it.

TJCChamp, cellphones (mobiles) when switched on constantly seek out nearby transmission towers for incoming messages, and this is recorded. If the ping is picked up by three towers, the precise location of the phone can be worked out.

When only one cellphone is switched off, if does not necessarily suggest that something nefarious is about to go down, and that therefore the owner does not want his or her location known and later proven in court.

But two cellphones being switched off, simultaneously, at Raffaele’s house? A kilometer away from Meredith’s? When the two owners seem to have been down at Meredith’s place within minutes? Hmmmmm. Very fishy.

Cellphones feature a lot in this case. Meredith had two cellphones switched on all the time (one registered in the name of Filomena) because her mother in London was not well, and Meredith was talking with her a lot and alert to calls. These phones were removed from Meredith (probably while she was dying, a truly depraved act if true) and dumped in a garden a kilometer away.

They were not switched off. It was one of these phones ringing in the garden at mid-morning the next day that alerted the owner of the house, and she involved the communication police, who then headed to Meredith’s house where the defendants were found outside, apparently surprised and taken aback, apparently lacking in sleep, and apparently with a mop and a pail.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 02/28/09 at 01:25 AM | #

“But the Italian press is reporting testimony from the officers who found the knife in Sollecito’s apartment”

have these officers stipulated that the knife was found in RS appartment and where??

Posted by mojo on 02/28/09 at 09:51 AM | #

One little piece of news on the recent breakin at the crime scene. La Nazione is reporting that it was a visiting card that was left in Laura’s room.
Laura doesn’t recognise it.

It had on it the name of someone, who will be questioned by the judge as soon as practical. However, it could have been left as a false trail, not much is expected to be learnt from it.

The defense, and Amanda’s father, are making a great deal about the number of investigators involved. Personally, I think they should be thanked for their work.

Posted by Kevin on 02/28/09 at 02:11 PM | #
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