Knox must remain in Italian jail

PERUGIA, Italy — A University of Washington student and her Italian ex-boyfriend — both held in connection with the slaying of a 21-year-old British student — must remain in jail, a court ruled Friday.

Amanda Knox, of Seattle, and Raffaele Sollecito have been jailed in this central Italian city since Nov. 6.

The two could face months in jail before prosecutors declare the investigation closed and move to either seek indictments or decide not to press charges. Both deny wrongdoing.

The decision by the three-judge panel was made hours after Knox, 20, and Sollecito, 23, also a student, appeared in the court at the closed hearing, lawyers said.

Meredith Kercher, a student from Leeds University in England and enrolled for a year of study in Perugia, was found dead Nov. 2 in the apartment she shared with Knox. She died from a stab wound to the neck, and prosecutors said she was killed resisting a sexual assault.

The judges did not release the reason for their ruling but are expected to do so in the next few days, said Marco Brusco, a lawyer for Sollecito.

The detention of Knox and Sollecito was upheld by a judge a few days after their arrest. The judge said there was enough evidence against them to hold them while the investigation continued. Lawyers appealed that decision.

Knox and Sollecito were not seen arriving at court Friday, but police and lawyers confirmed they were at the closed hearing.

"We are happy and confident because we were able to fully explain our point of view," said Knox's lawyer, Luciano Ghirga. "Amanda made a very brief statement proclaiming her innocence."

Knox has given conflicting statements since the killing, first saying she was not home the night of the slaying and later telling prosecutors she was in the apartment and had to cover her ears to block out Kercher's screams.

According to prosecutors, a drop of Knox's blood found on a bathroom faucet places her at the apartment on the night of the killing or the morning after, and DNA from Knox and Kercher was found on a knife that investigators believe may have been the weapon used to kill the student.

The knife was found in Sollecito's home, and a bloody footprint located near Kercher's body has been matched to his shoes, placing him at the crime scene, prosecutors say.

Lawyers maintain there is not enough evidence linking the knife to Kercher's wounds or the shoes to the footprint.