Amanda Knox 'Extremely Happy' with Expert Panel's DNA Findings

Oli Scarff/Getty Images(PERUGIA, Italy) -- Amanda Knox, an American college student who is appealing her Italian murder conviction, was "extremely happy" Wednesday after hearing that a court-appointed panel of DNA experts concluded that key DNA evidence used to convict her may have been contaminated.

"She's extremely happy," said her father Curt Knox in an exclusive interview with ABC News.  "It's a weight off of her shoulders... She knew she was innocent, but having independent experts say that the DNA evidence is unreliable and potentially contaminated is a big step towards bringing her home."

Knox, 23, has been in an Italian prison since her arrest in November 2007 for the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher.  She and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 27, were convicted in 2009 and Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison.  Sollecito was given 25 years.

The report filed Wednesday in a Perugia court by court-appointed forensic experts, and obtained by ABC News, give credence to the defense lawyers of both Knox and Sollecito, who had argued that the evidence against their clients had been contaminated by police during their investigation.

"When I got the news today, you know, it was extraordinary," her father said.  "We're still very hopeful that the court will see all of these compounding things and free her in September."

"We are thrilled," Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, told ABC News from Italy where she is waiting to visit with her daughter in prison.  "This is what our experts said all along.  This is great news.  We've always known Amanda is innocent."

The forensic experts were charged with examining the two main pieces of evidence in the case, Kercher's bra clasp and a knife found at Sollecito's apartment.

"One cannot exclude that the results obtained could have derived from phenomena of environmental contamination and/or contamination, which could have taken place in any of the phases of the evidence gathering and/or manipulation" of the evidence, the experts wrote in their conclusion.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Amanda Knox Wins Big Legal Victory

TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images(PERUGIA, Italy) -- American college student Amanda Knox won a big legal victory in the appeal of her murder conviction Wednesday when an Italian judicial panel concluded that some of the DNA evidence used to convict her may have been contaminated.

Italian news agency ANSA reports that a report filed in a Perugia court by court-appointed forensic experts give credence to the defense lawyers of both Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who had argued that the evidence against their clients had been contaminated by police during their investigation.

Knox, 23, and Sollecito were convicted of murdering Knox's roommate Meredith Kercher.  Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison while Sollecito was given 25 years.

"We are thrilled," Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, told ABC News from Italy where she is waiting to visit with her daughter in prison.  "This is what our experts said all along.  This is great news.  We've always known Amanda is innocent."

Mellas said that she believes her daughter has heard the news from Italian TV in prison and that lawyer Luciano Ghirga will be going to see her Wednesday to explain the ruling to her.  Mellas won't get to see her daughter until Friday.

The forensic experts were charged with examining the two main pieces of evidence in the case, Kercher's bra clasp and a knife found at Sollecito's apartment.

"One cannot exclude that the results obtained could have derived from phenomena of environmental contamination and/or contamination, which could have taken place in any of the phases of the evidence gathering and/or manipulation" of the evidence, the experts write in their conclusion.

Prosecutors maintained in the trial that Knox's DNA was found on the handle of a kitchen knife they believe to be the murder weapon, and that the DNA of victim Meredith Kercher was found on the blade.  Prosecutors also argued that Sollecito's DNA was found on the clasp of Kercher's bra.

Defense lawyers argued that there was so little DNA on the knife that it couldn't be retested or be reliable.  They said the bra clasp wasn't collected by police until weeks after the murder and after it had been moved around Kercher's bedroom during their probe.

The two, court-appointed forensic experts -- Carla Vecchiotti and Stefano Conti, both from the Legal Medicine Institute of Rome's La Sapienza University -- initially were not able to retest the DNA on the bra clasp and the knife because there was not enough DNA to retest.

They were then assigned to judge "the degree of reliability of the tests carried out by the forensic police on the evidence based on court documents, specifically with reference to any possible contamination."

The 144-page report filed in court Wednesday will be discussed in court in Perugia on July 25.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Amanda Knox 'Shocked' by Witness Accusation

Oli Scarff/Getty Images(PERUGIA, Italy) -- Amanda Knox told an Italian court on Monday that she was "shocked" when a convicted murderer implicated her in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher, and said she was sorry she couldn't tell him to his face.

Knox was not allowed to speak until after Rudy Guede left the courtroom.  Guede, an Ivory Coast drifter, has been convicted along with Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in Kercher's murder.  His sentence was shortened to 16 years on appeal.

During Guede's appearance at Knox's appeal hearing of her 26-year prison sentence Monday, he refused to answer questions about Kercher's 2007 murder.  Guede insisted he was only in court to answer questions about former cellmate Mario Alessi, a convicted criminal who testified last week that Guede told him that Knox and Sollecito were not present at Kercher's murder.

The prosecutor however read a letter in which Guede denied Alessi's claims and indicated that Knox and Sollecito were tied to Kercher's death.

Knox, who is from Seattle, tried to speak, but was told by the judge she would have to wait until Guede finished.  Knox watched Guede steadily during his testimony.  Guede avoided looking at her.

After Guede left the stand and the courtroom, Knox, speaking in Italian, told the court that the only time she, Sollecito and Guede were in the same room was in a courtroom.

"I am shocked and anguished by these declarations...he knows we weren't there," she told the court.

Knox said she was sorry she couldn't say it to him in court, "that he should say the truth first."

Sollecito, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of the Kercher, an exchange student, also spoke to the court about Guede.

"I've never seen him, don't know him. ...don't know how he indicates me with Amanda Knox," Sollecito said.  Sollecito said that he and Knox have been fighting "these shadows" for four years.

Guede has "destroyed our lives," Sollecito said and asked, "What position am I meant to defend if this boy doesn't answer (questions)?"

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Witness Denies Amanda Knox Was Absent During Murder

TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images(ROME) -- A key witness in Amanda Knox's appeal trial denied claims Monday that he told fellow inmates that the U.S. exchange student and her boyfriend were not present at the time of her roommate's murder in 2007.

The testimony from Rudy Guede, who is now serving a reduced sentence of 16 years for the murder and sexual assault in Italy of British student Meredith Kercher, comes one week after his fellow inmates testified that he had told them Knox and her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were not present the night of the murder.

Guede said in court Monday their claims are not true.  Guede was called to be questioned specifically about what Mario Alessi, an inmate in the same jail as Guede and witness at last Saturday's hearing, said Guede had told him in jail; that a friend of Guede, not Knox or Sollecito, killed Kercher.

"Absolutely not," Guede said, answering a question from the prosecutor about whether he had discussed the murder with other inmates while in jail.  Guede did confirm that he does know the inmates in question.

This is likely to be the last hearing with witnesses in the appeal trial before the court moves onto debating the independent forensic experts' report, set for the end of July.

Guede himself has always admitted he was in the cottage that Knox shared with Kercher in Perugia, Italy the night she was killed, but did not participate in the crime.  Instead, he says, he was listening to his iPod while going to the bathroom when intruders murdered Kercher.  Nevertheless, his saliva was found on the victim, his hand prints in blood were on the bedroom wall, his fingerprints were in the room and his DNA was on the victim's bra and purse.

Guede, 24 was ultimately charged with murder, sexual assault and the theft of 300 euros, two credit cards and two cellphones that belonged to Kercher.  Knox, 23, has been sentenced to 26 years in an Italian prison for the November 2007 murder of Kercher; Sollecito was given 25 years after their conviction in 2009.

Another witness expected in court is Giacomo Benedetti, a friend of Guede's who spoke with him during a police recorded Skype conversation that occurred while he was on the run in Germany after Kercher's death.  Days after the murder, Benedetti said that Guede had told him that Knox and her boyfriend weren't there at the time of the killing.

Guede's testimony is one of the key elements of this proceeding.  The other major factor is an independent review of crucial DNA evidence that helped lead to the convictions.  This includes the victim's DNA found on a knife in Sollecito's apartment, and Sollecito's own DNA found on a piece of Kercher's bra clasp.

But defense lawyers have argued the bra clasp was not collected for six weeks, and was possibly contaminated by police or, in the case of the knife, that it was too weak for a test to begin with.

The defense also points out the complete absence of Knox's DNA in Kercher's bedroom, where there is plenty of Guede's, including his bloody handprints on the wall.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Amanda Knox Family Sees Hopeful Signs in Italian Murder Appeal

Oli Scarff/Getty Images(ROME) -- The family of Amanda Knox, sentenced to 26 years in an Italian prison, sees glimmers of hope as small victories in her appeal seem to cast doubt on the guilty verdict against her.

Three birthdays, four Christmases and one college graduation have passed with Knox, now 23, living in a grim Italian prison cell. Her family now is cautiously optimistic that the appeal of her murder conviction will go her way.

Knox, who was a 20-year-old student from Seattle, and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of the brutal November 2007 murder of Knox's roommate Meredith Kercher. Knox was sentenced to 26 years and Sollecito was given 25 years following their conviction in 2009.

In recent weeks, the Knox defense team has notched some small victories. It was delighted when the appeals panel cast doubt on the testimony of Antonio Curatolo, a 53-year-old drug addict who lived in a park near the murder scene. During the trial he testified that he saw Knox and Sollecito together on the night of the murder near the cottage where Kercher was killed.

But when he spoke with the appeals panel, Curatolo said he was sure of the moment because he remembered also seeing the buses that were used to take Halloween partiers to area bars that night. The murder, however, happened the night after Halloween and no party buses were runnng on the night of the murder.

The Knox team was also encouraged last week when 11 Italian legislators signed a petition calling for a review into whether the Knox criminal investigation was conducted properly.

The defense is most hopeful over signs that the appeals panel -- two judges and six jurors -- may be casting doubt on the crucial DNA evidence that was used to convict Knox and played an even more significant role in the conviction of Sollecito.

During the trial, Knox suffered a blow when her defense team's request for an independent review of the DNA evidence was denied. But when Knox's appeal began late last year, a new judge granted the request and assigned two renowned Italian independent experts to review the forensics.

For Knox and her family, there was finally a small win after years of legal setbacks.

Amanda's father, Curt Knox, told ABC News, "It really appears [the judge] wants to get to the truth. And the truth is really going to set her free."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Amanda Knox Back in Italian Court for Slander Trial

TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images(ROME) -- Amanda Knox was back in an Italian courtroom for a brief appearance Tuesday in her new trial on charges that she slandered Italian police during her murder trial.

Looking at ease, wearing a white long-sleeve t-shirt, black slacks and a green band in her hair, Knox, 23, was escorted into the courtroom by jail guards.  She smiled as soon as she saw her father, Curt Knox, who just arrived from their home in Seattle Monday night from the U.S. and who she hasn't seen for a number of months.

Knox was in the Perugia courtroom for the first hearing of a new trial in which she is accused of slandering seven Perugia police officials and an interpreter.  The slander accusation stems from Knox's testimony that police were abusive towards her while she was being interrogated prior to her Nov. 6, 2007 arrest.

Knox has been imprisoned in Perugia since then and was sentenced to 26 years in prison last December following her murder conviction.  Her then-boyfriend of less than two weeks, Raffaele Sollecito, was sentenced to 25 years on the same charges.  Another defendant, Rudy Guede, was sentenced separately for the Kercher murder to a 30-year term which was reduced to 16 years on appeal.

Knox and Sollecito's appeal trial for the murder started last November and is still underway in Perugia.

Knox insists she is innocent in Kercher's death and denies the slander charges.  Her lawyers say she was just trying to defend herself in court and never meant to offend or slander the police.  If convicted of slander, any prison sentence imposed would be added to her current sentence.

Although Tuesday was the first trial hearing in the slander trial and was expected to be purely procedural, Knox showed up as she has done for every trial and pre-trial hearing in which she is the accused.

In a sparsely-attended hearing, Knox answered 'Si', yes in Italian, to the question from Judge Daniele Cenci if she understood Italian.  The 17-minute session was promptly adjourned until Nov. 15 after a number of procedural issues raised by the defense.

Knox's parents, Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, also face slander charges for repeating their daughter's claims during an interview with a London newspaper.  Their libel case is scheduled to begin July 4.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Romans Flee City Over Fears of Predicted Quake

Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Thinkstock(ROME) -- An urban legend about a devastating earthquake has scores of Romans heading for the eternal city's seven hills.

The panic stems from a purported prediction from deceased Italian seismologist Raffaele Bendandi, who said Rome would be totally destroyed by a tremor on May 11, 2011.

Even though officials have insisted that earthquakes cannot be predicted, many aren't taking any chances and are heading out of town.  According to some reports, close to one-in-five city employees are planning to call in sick.

State-run TV has also been calling for calm.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

U.S. Embassy Attacked in Libya

U.S. State Department(TRIPOLI, Libya) -- Violence in Libya continued on Sunday, with the United States Embassy in Tripoli coming under attack.

Three buildings on the U.S. Embassy compound were reportedly attacked by individuals who appeared to be Libyans loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. A senior U.S. official said that one of the buildings was set on fire; however, fire crews were reportedly able to respond and extinguish the blaze. It is not quite clear just how much damage was caused by the fire. The other two U.S. Embassy buildings attacked are now reportedly being occupied by Libyans.

No Americans were inside the buildings at the time of the attack, as the U.S. had pulled embassy employees out of Tripoli in February.

The attack comes a day after a NATO airstrike is reported to have killed Gadhafi’s son, Saif al-Arab, along with three of Moammar Gadhafi’s grandchildren.

Embassies belonging to the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Qatar, all located in Tripoli, were also attacked by Gadhafi loyalists. Following the attack on its embassy, the UK has ordered that Libya’s Ambassador to the UK, leave the country.

Offices of the United Nations were also attacked by violent mobs, prompting the UN to instruct its staff to leave Tripoli.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Bill to Shorten Trials Passes in One Branch of Italian Parliament

Governo dot it(ROME) -- Italian lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday that would reduce the length of trials, which may possibly bring an end to a bribery case against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the BBC reports.

Opposing politicians in the parliament's lower house called the law a "disgrace" made especially for Berlusconi.

The bill that will shorten the length of trials for people with no previous convictions still must be approved in the Italian senate, but it is likely to do so, since Berlusconi has a solid majority there.

The bill's passage will also likely end the trial accusing the Italian prime minister of bribing British lawyer David Mills.

Berlusconi has indicated he will not run for re-election in 2013.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio 

Italy, France Strike Deal to Handle North African Migrants

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(LONDON) -- France and Italy have reached a deal to launch sea and air patrols in efforts to put a stop to North African migrants bound for Europe, according to the BBC.

This week, Italy offered six-month visas to North Africans, many of them Tunisians fleeing the turmoil of the region, as a solution to the swelling numbers of migrants seeking solace in Europe. 

The decision to grant temporary visas allowing access to anywhere in the EU angered France causing French border patrol to turn the migrants away. Italy responded with a threat to oust France from the EU's passport-free travel zone.

But, according to the BBC, after a meeting of the interior ministers in Milan, Italy Friday, the two nations agreed that neither country should be responsible for the migrants and that they should voluntarily return to Tunisia.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio