The case was noted all over the world. After first being acquitted, then convicted again, Amanda Knox was completely cleared of charges.
Making the series has really shaken my faith in the judicial system. I could not have believed that it could go like this, says Grace van Patten to TT via zoom.
Contradictory information
The murder of Kercher took place in Perugia in Italy. Knox shared an apartment with her and what the police perceived as contradictory information made them suspect her and her boyfriend Raffaele. Even Knox's employer, a bar owner, was involved. All three were arrested by the police, but the bar owner had an alibi and was released.
During the highly publicized trial, Knox and Raffaele were sentenced to 26 years in prison. In 2011, they were acquitted, there was a new trial, they were convicted again to then be definitively acquitted. The police investigation has been heavily criticized.
Several films and TV series have been made about the case. Amanda Knox is herself an executive producer of the current series.
Now Amanda can take back her own story. It was an enormous asset to have her nearby, to be able to talk to her about what she had experienced. We trusted each other, she told me a lot about what had happened and what had not happened. It was a real collaboration.
”Enormously polarized”
When it all happened, Grace van Patten was young, she says she remembers the case, but no details. Before filming, she read as much as possible about the case and watched TV reports.
It was enormously polarized. Through our series, the audience can get an opportunity to see what really happened.
There was so much that went wrong, things that one chose to ignore and things that were highlighted, even though it was not true.
A known burglar, Rudy Guede, was later convicted of the murder. Amanda Knox is today a journalist, author, and lecturer. She is married and has two children.
”The twisted tale of Amanda Knox" will start streaming on Disney+ on August 20.
Born: 1987. Background: Was an exchange student in Italy when the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher occurred in 2007. Knox was then in her 20s. On November 6, Knox, her boyfriend, and her employer were arrested, suspected of murder. The employer had an alibi and was released soon. Later, a fourth person, Rudy Guede, was also arrested, who was later convicted of the murder.
In a lower instance in the judiciary, Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 26 years in prison. In 2011, the verdict was overturned by an appellate court and they were acquitted.
A new trial in 2014 resulted in a new verdict for Knox and her boyfriend, but in March 2015, they were acquitted by Italy's highest court. Knox was, however, convicted of defamation of her employer on a later occasion – but the sentence was considered to have been served during the time she was imprisoned for the murder.
Amanda Knox has written a book about her experiences and is involved in issues related to justice and legal security.
