Draft transcript of interview

ELIZABETH VARGAS on camera, Perugia.

Good evening from Perugia, Italy. John Stossel is off tonight. This quaint medieval town is the setting for a story that has made headlines around the world. The brutal murder of a young British woman, and the fresh faced American college student behind bars suspected in the killing, twenty-year-old Amanda Knox. Much has been said about Amanda and her six weeks here as a foreign exchange student. But how much of it is true? Is she capable of murder? Tonight for the first time Amanda's parents speak out exclusively to 20/20, about the little girl they raised, and the daughter they sent abroad for what was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime....

NARRATION:

OF ALL THE FEARS PARENTS HAVE WHEN A CHILD GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD, AMANDA KNOX'S MOTHER AND FATHER -- CURT KNOX AND EDDA MELLAS — COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED THEY'D BE VISITING HER IN AN ITALIAN PRISON, ABLE TO SEE HER ONLY AN HOUR, TWICE A WEEK

CURT KNOX

It's a very tough situation...you know, we have to go in with a strong front for her.

EDDA MELLAS

She's written in one of her letters. I can see ... see it in your eyes, that you're sad.

Elizabeth Vargas: How is she surviving there?

CURT KNOX

You know... you know she just doesn't understand why am I here when I didn't do anything.

NARRATION:

BY THEIR OWN DESCRIPTION, THE KNOX'S ARE A TYPICAL AMERICAN FAMILY...AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE CAUGHT IN A NIGHTMARE 6000 MILES FROM HOME. RAISED IN SEATTLE, AMANDA HAD THE KIND OF CHILDHOOD FILLED WITH COZY CHRISTMASSES, SOCCER TOURNAMENTS, AND HER YOUNGER SISTER DEANNA SAYS, LOTS OF LOVE.

DEANNA KNOX

Amanda's the kindest person I know...And she'll do anything to make people happy and she cares about everyone else before herself.

NARRATION:

JUDGING FROM THE LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS ON HER WEBSITE, AMANDA HELD A PRETTY INNOCENT VIEW OF THE WORLD.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Her favorite movies are the Princess Bride, the Lion King, Finding Nemo.

EDDA MELLAS

Mm-hmm.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Her hero was my mom.

NARRATION:

AMANDA'S MOTHER EDDA IS A MATH SPECIALIST AT A LOCAL SCHOOL...HER FATHER CURT AN EXECUTIVE AT MACY'S. THEY DIVORCED WHEN AMANDA WAS A TODDLER, BUT RAISED HER AND DEANNA TOGETHER.

THEY SHARED THE PRIDE WHEN AMANDA MADE THE DEAN'S LIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON...AND THE FINANCIAL CONCERNS WHEN SHE YEARNED TO SPEND HER JUNIOR YEAR ABROAD, STUDYING ITALIAN.

CURT KNOX

We basically told her that, you know, here's how much we have available...And she said, "Well, I can ... I can make up the difference" She worked.

NARRATION:

AMANDA WORKED AT A SEATTLE COFFEE HOUSE AND AS A RECEPTIONIST IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE...SAVING HER WAGES TO HELP FINANCE THE DREAM OF A YEAR IN ITALY.

DEANNA KNOX:

She never went out. She stayed at home, studied and worked, and that's all she did. Just so she could afford to go there.

NARRATION:

TWO YEARS AND SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER...AMANDA HAD SAVED ENOUGH TO TURN HER DREAM INTO REALITY. AND SO...LAST AUGUST, AMANDA WAS ON HER WAY TO PERUGIA WITH DEANNA ...WHO SHOT THIS VIDEO AS THEY MADE THEIR WAY THROUGH TO ITALY.

DEANNA KNOX

Are you excited?

AMANDA

I'm really looking forward to, um, actually getting a place to live. It's the big thing on my mind right now. It's actually kind of paranoid for me.

DEANNA KNOX

All she could talk about was like I can't wait to get to Perugia. I was like, relax, Amanda, you're in Germany. She was like, no, I want to go right now.

NARRATION:

PERUGIA IS NESTLED IN THE HILLS OF UMBRIA...TWO HOURS NORTH OF ROME...IT'S AN ANCIENT CITY ...KNOWN TODAY MOSTLY FOR ITS CHOCOLATES...AND ITS UNIVERSITIES...

WHICH ATTRACT 40,000 STUDENTS EACH YEAR FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

JUDY BACHRACH

It is a gorgeous town. Very, very friendly. Very open. Great food. With a huge student population that parties all night.

NARRATION:

JUDY BACHRACH — A CONTRIBUTING EDITOR FOR VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE -- HAS BEEN COVERING THE AMANDA KNOX STORY.

JUDY BACHRACH

There's the bourgeoisie there, and they're very sort of proper, and they go about their business, and then they have the students, and they can get wild.

NARRATION:

THE STEPS OF THE CATHEDRAL IN THE MEDIEVAL PIAZZA HAVE BECOME AN ALL NIGHT STUDENT HANG OUT SPOT, WHERE AT LEAST ONE LAW IS PERPETUALLY BROKEN.

JUDY BACHRACH

Of course, it's illegal to smoke marijuana, but that's what the kids do right on the steps in front of the cathedral in Perugia.

NARRATION:

INTO THIS ATMOSPHERE, RIFE WITH TEMPTATIONS OF ALL SORTS, STEPPED 20-YEAR OLD AMANDA KNOX....ON HER OWN IN THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME.

DEANNA KNOX

Amanda's very book smart. She can learn things very quickly like language. But not so street smart. Amanda sometimes can only se the good in people, and to be able to survive, I think you need to know the fact that there is some bad in people.

NARRATION:

DEANNA HELPED HER SISTER FIND THIS COTTAGE OVERLOOKING THE UMBRIAN HILLS.

IT WAS TO BE SHARED WITH THREE ROOMMATES -- INCLUDING MEREDITH KERCHER, A YOUNG BRITISH WOMAN FULFILLING HER DREAM OF A YEAR ABROAD.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

What did she tell you about the roommates, and in particular, Meredith (Overlap)...

EDDA MELLAS

Uh-huh.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

...If they were getting along.

EDDA MELLAS

Uh-huh.

CURT KNOX

Everything seemed to be meshing just fine...But they got along great.

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah, they got along great.

NARRATION:

AMANDA SEEMED TO BE SETTLING IN WELL, STUDYING ITALIAN AND WORKING AT A BAR CALLED LE CHIC. THE BOSS AND OWNER, PATRICK LUMUMBA WAS A FIXTURE ON THE PERUGIA SOCIAL SCENE....A SCENE IN WHICH SOME FRIENDS SAY MEREDITH THOUGHT AMANDA WAS GETTING TOO INVOLVED. FRIENDS SAY MEREDITH COMPLAINED THAT AMANDA PARTIED TOO MUCH AND BROUGHT HOME TOO MANY BOYS.

JUDY BACHMAN

There was some kind of tension between the two young women, the ... without a doubt. Uh, there was a feeling that Amanda was too open with those she met.

NARRATION:

IT DIDN'T SOUND AT ALL LIKE THE AMANDA HER FAMILY KNEW BACK IN SEATTLE.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

What was her ... experience when it came to dating?

EDDA MELLAS

She's a late bloomer.

CURT KNOX

Yeah.

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah, she's a late bloomer...I always worried, because she's just so trusting of ... of everybody.

CURT KNOX

Everybody.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

It would be natural if you've grown up and lived at home and had a very sheltered life.

DEANNA KNOX

Yes.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

-- To, when you're finally on your own abroad in Europe to go a little crazy maybe.

DEANNA KNOX

Go a little crazy, yeah.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Did Amanda do that?

DEANNA KNOX

I've seen a lot of people at college just lift a lid and just, I'm free, and go nuts....But Amanda definitely didn't do that. She did not go crazy with men in Italy at any time. I mean she's a normal girl and she found a guy there, but she did not go crazy.

NARRATION:

'THE GUY' WAS RAFAELE SOLLECITO; AN ENGINEERING STUDENT AMANDA MET AT A CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT.

EDDA MELLA

And she goes, "We just hit it off."

She said, "You know, we've been spending a lotta time together, I really like this guy."

DEANNA KNOX

She said he looked like Harry Potter and that's what she liked about him. She said she loved his apartment, stayed there a lot, and he stayed at the house too.

NARRATION:

RAFFAELE, THE SON OF A PROMINENT DOCTOR, WAS SMITTEN. BY ALL ACCOUNTS, AMANDA WAS HIS FIRST SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND-- AND THEY SPENT NEARLY EVERY NIGHT TOGETHER, AND SOMETIMES HUNG OUT WITH MEREDITH. BUT IN THE WANING DAYS OF OCTOBER LAST YEAR, MEREDITH WAS ON HER OWN. ON HALLOWEEN ...SHE WENT TO A PARTY DRESSED AS A VAMPIRE. THE NEXT DAY, ALL SAINTS DAY, A MAJOR ITALIAN HOLIDAY. THE OTHER ROOMMATES WERE AWAY. AND AMANDA PLANNED TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT RAFFAELE'S. THINGS WERE SLOW AT LE CHIC, AND OWNER PATRICK LUMUMBA TOLD AMANDA TO TAKE THE NIGHT OFF.

JUDY BACHRACH

And so she texted back, in Italian. She did Yamoo(?), buena sera. Which means, we'll see each other.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

She had the Italian right on that? Does that mean like, so long, or does it mean I will see you later on. It could be any time. It could be in the next minute. Or it could be in two days. And that's ambiguous.

NARRATION:

THAT AMBIGUITY WOULD LATER COME BACK TO HAUNT THEM. AS FOR MEREDITH...AROUND 8:30 THAT NIGHT SHE LEFT A FRIEND'S HOUSE, AND WALKED BACKED TO THE COTTAGE ALONE. THE NEXT MORNING...AMANDA CAME HOME FROM RAFFAELE'S. SHE SAYS SHE TOOK A SHOWER, BUT NOTICES THE APARTMENT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT...THE FRONT DOOR IS OPEN, MEREDITH'S DOOR IS LOCKED...AND THERE ARE BLOOD SPOTS ON THE BATHROOM SINK AND RUG. SHE GETS RAFFAELE... AND THEY RETURN TO THE HOUSE. IT'S FOUR A.M. IN SEATTLE AND AMANDA WAKES HER MOTHER WITH A PHONE CALL.

EDDA MELLAS

She goes, "I'm back at my house, and I want you ... first I know I'm okay." And I said, "Okay, you know, what's goin' on?" And she said, "Well, I was at Rafael's last night...and I've come home now and I think somebody's been in my house." ...And she told me, "We can't find Meredith. We can't get a hold of Meredith. And her room is locked."

And I said, "Hang up and call the police."

NARRATION:

PHONE RECORDS OBTAINED BY 20/20 CONFIRM AMANDA CALLED MEREDITH'S CELL PHONE THREE TIMES ...AND THEN HER MOTHER.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

When did you hear again from her?

EDDA MELLAS

She called me back. The police had come, they had broke down the door, um, so there was just ... chaos.

NARRATION:

WHEN POLICE BREAK DOWN MEREDITH'S DOOR THEY FIND BLOOD EVERYWHERE, MEREDITH'S BODY UNDER A BLANKET...NAKED EXCEPT FOR HER SWEATER...HER BRA ON THE FLOOR. MEREDITH WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND HER THROAT, FIRST PUNCTURED WITH A KNIFE, WAS VICIOUSLY SLASHED.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WOULD ESTIMATE IT TOOK TEN MINUTES FOR HER TO DIE...CHOKING ON HER OWN BLOOD. IT WAS AN EXCRUCIATING END TO A PROMISING YOUNG LIFE.

SISTER

"She was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people that you could wish to

meet."

NARRATION:

POLICE HAVE NO EYEWITNESSES...THOUGH

A NEIGHBOR SAYS SHE HEARD SCREAMS AND THE SOUND OF SEVERAL PEOPLE FLEEING STUNNED, HER ROOMMATE DEAD, AMANDA SAYS SHE WANTS TO HELP FIND MEREDITH'S KILLER.

EDDA MELLAS

She said. I want to help the police and I understand you know, they've got to figure this out. They've got to find out, you know, who did this.

NARRATION:

THE URGENCY TO FIND WHOEVER DID IT WAS HEIGHTENED BY THE BRUTAL FEROCITY OF THE CRIME. MEREDITH'S MURDER LEFT EVERYONE CLOSE TO HER IN NEED OF WHATEVER CONSOLATION THEY COULD FIND... BUT THIS INTIMATE MOMENT BETWEEN AMANDA AND RAFFAELE WOULD COME TO BE SEEN IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT...AS MOUNTING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS TO POLICE THAT THE SEEMINGLY INNOCENT YOUNG LOVERS, WERE NOT SO INNOCENT AFTER ALL.

ACT 2 BEGINS

ELIZABETH VARGAS:

IT WAS TRAUMATIC ENOUGH WHEN AMERICAN STUDENT AMANDA KNOX CALLED HOME TO SAY MEREDITH KERCHER, HER ROOMMATE IN PERUGIA, ITALY HAD BEEN MURDERED. BUT FOR AMANDA'S FAMILY, WHAT SEEMED LIKE A VERY BAD DREAM WAS JUST BEGINNING. EDDA MELLAS, AMANDA'S MOTHER, COULD TELL HER DAUGHTER WAS DISTRAUGHT.

EDDA MELLAS

I guess I could just hear it in her voice. You know, she was ... still I think almost in shock. ...And I said, "You know what? I'm going to come out and just...

CURT KNOX

(Overlap) Come spend some time.

EDDA MELLAS

... Spend a week. // hopefully things will you know, calm down.

NARRATION:

...BUT THINGS DID NOT CALM DOWN. AND WHILE EDDA WAS MAKING HER WAY TO PERUGIA, THE CASE WAS HEADING IN A DRAMATIC NEW DIRECTION.

POLICE STARTED TO SCRUTINIZE THAT AMBIGUOUS TEXT MESSAGE AMANDA SENT TO HER BOSS PATRIK LUMUMBA SHORTLY BEFORE THE MURDER, SAYING, 'SEE YOU LATER.'

"They found something that they thought blazed a trail to the truth in this case....See you later."

NARRATION:

JOE TACOPINA IS A VETERAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER PROSECUTOR

JOE TACOPINA

That becomes A-ha! We found the link.

This, this, these three were involved! Okay--

ELIZABETH VARGAS

They were planning on meeting later...

JOE TACOPINA

They were planning on meeting later...Lumumba came over...

NARRATION:

AMANDA AND RAFFAELE ORIGINALLY TOLD POLICE THEY WERE TOGETHER AT RAFFAELE'S THE WHOLE NIGHT...

BUT ON NOVEMBER 5TH, THE TWO RETURN TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS. AND IN SEPARATE FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS, THEIR STORIES BEGIN TO CHANGE. THEY BOTH ADMIT TO SMOKING POT THAT NIGHT. AND AT ONE POINT, RAFFAELLE SAYS HE WASN'T EVEN WITH AMANDA...THAT HE WAS HOME ALONE MOST OF THE NIGHT UNTIL SHE CAME OVER AROUND 1 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

WITH AMANDA'S ALIBI APPPARENTLY CRUMBLING, HER INTERVIEW STRETCHES INTO A GRUELING ALL NIGHT INTERROGATION CONDUCTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND ITALIAN.

EDDA MELLAS

... it got ... really aggressive, really long, no lawyer..."

NARRATION:

ACCORDING TO THIS DOCUMENT, AMANDA ALSO CHANGES HER STORY ... NOW SHE TELLS POLICE SHE WAS AT THE SCENE AND VAGUELY REMEMBERS — THE KILLER WAS PATRIK LUMUMBA.

JUDY BACHRACH: Amanda did, in her interrogation say I do believe ... I have a confused memory, but I do think Lumumba killed Meredith.

NARRATION:

AMANDA TELLS POLICE SHE MAY HAVE HEARD MEREDITH SCREAM --BUT COVERED HER EARS.

JOE TACOPINA

If someone changes their story, puts themself at a crime scene//

ELIZABETH VARGAS

[OVERLAP] That's suspicious.

JOE TACOPINA

[OVERLAP]--a real--it's more than suspicious. That's damning evidence.

NARRATION:

THE NEXT MORNING — AMANDA, HER BOYFRIEND RAFFAELE AND PATRIK LUMUMBA ARE ALL ARRESTED... THE TRIO BECOME MEDIA GOLD -- PARTICULARLY THE BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN GIRL...

NAT SND...ARREST COVERAGE

EDDA CALLS CURT WITH WHAT SEEMS LIKE UNBELIEVABLE NEWS -- THEIR DAUGHTER HAS GONE FROM SHOCKED AND GRIEVING ROOMMATE...TO MURDER SUSPECT.

CURT KNOX

I just sat on the phone and I just said you've got to be kidding me.

ELIZABETH VARGAS:

"My little girl..."

CURT KNOX

She has never hurt a thing.

NARRATION:

WHEN EDDA FINALLY GETS TO SEE THE DAUGHTER THEY KNEW AS A GENTLE SPIRIT, IT IS IN PRISON.

EDDA MELLAS

She was scared. She was confused. Um, she was like I don't understand. I was trying to help them find out who killed Meredith. Why am I here?

CURT KNOX

Right.

EDDA MELLAS

In her world, in her naivety, the world is fair. People, people that do bad things get in jail. People that don't, don't.

NARRATION:

BUT INVESTIGATORS, LED BY PROSECUTOR GIULIANO MIGNINI, BELIEVE AMANDA HAS DONE SOME VERY BAD THINGS, AND THINK THEY CAN PROVE IT.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY'VE UNCOVERED COMPELLING FORENSIC EVIDENCE, INCLUDING A KNIFE FROM RAFFAELE'S KITCHEN WHICH HAS AMANDA'S DNA ON THE HANDLE AND MEREDITH'S DNA ON THE BLADE.

JOE TACOPINA:

Overwhelmingly powerful evidence.

NARRATION:

BOTH GIRLS' DNA ALSO SHOWS UP IN BLOOD FOUND IN ONE OF THE BATHROOMS AT THE CRIME SCENE.

JOE TACOPINA;

Not just her DNA but a mix of, of Amanda and Meredith's DNA and blood in three different locations in the bathroom

NARRATION:

AND INVESTIGATORS FIND A BLOODY SHOEPRINT IN MEREDITH'S BEDROOM THAT APPEARS TO MATCH RAFFAELE'S SNEAKER.

JOE TACOPINA: Um, you know when you start adding those things up, it looks like a pretty good case against the two of them.

NARRATION:

THE WORKING POLICE THEORY OF THE CRIME PUTS AMANDA AT THE CENTER OF A SCENE ETCHED IN SEX AND VIOLENCE.

JOE TACOPINA: "The prosecution argued that it was a sex game gone wrong and Patrick Lumumba was involved and Amanda and Raffaele and they all took turns holding her down, um, while they violated her sexually.

NARRATION:

THE MEDIA IS IN A FRENZY, REVELING IN ALLEGATIONS THAT BEHIND AMANDA'S BRIGHT SMILE LURKS A DARK SECRET.

JUDY BACHRACH: Amanda Knox, because she's very good looking, uh, has big blue eyes, always described as icy in the Italian press....Very pretty on the outside, very innocent-looking on the outside. But inside, a calculating murderer.

NARRATION:

THAT NOTION SPREADS AFTER THIS VIDEO IS LEAKED -- SHOWING AMANDA PURCHASING LINGERIE WITH RAFFAELE THE DAY RIGHT AFTER THE MURDER FOR WHAT THE TABLOIDS CALL A NIGHT OF WILD SEX.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

And what was the reaction to that snippet of tape?

JUDY BACHRACH

There was a great revulsion to that tape. In ... in Italy, they feel that that showed a certain callousness on the part of the young American girl, Amanda

NARRATION:

AMANDA'S MY SPACE PAGE PROVIDES MORE FODDER FOR THE TABLOIDS. HEADLINE WRITERS HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH AMANDA'S SUGGESTIVE MYSPACE HANDLE "FOXY KNOXY."

...THIS SEDUCTIVE LOOKING PHOTO PLAYS INTO THE THEORY SHE'S OBSESSED WITH SEX.

: ...AS DOES THE ON-LINE CELL PHONE VIDEO OF HER LOOKING TIPSY AFTER SHE'S HAD SHE'S HAD ONE AND A HALF SHOTS OF LIQUOR -- SEALING HER IMAGE AS A PARTY GIRL.

EDDA MELLAS

Immediately Amanda was painted in this, this horrible light, where she was unrecognizable from anybody who knew her.

CURT KNOX

At the end of the day, you're, you're sitting...there with your heart thumping in your chest ... and you have to call the attorneys to say what's real?

NARRATION:

IT IS A QUESTION EVERYONE IS ASKING -- THERE ARE TWO STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT PORTRAITS--WHICH ONE IS THE REAL AMANDA?

JUDY BACHRACH

It's a mystery. This girl is either a girl who's been thoroughly abused and wrongly accused, or she's a girl who's malicious, venomous and a murderer

ACT 3 BEGINS

NARRATION:

THE HORRIFIC MURDER OF MEREDITH KERCHER WAS THE FIRST IN MEMORY IN THE PICTURESQUE TOWN OF PERUGIA. INVESTIGATORS SAID THE 21-YEAR OLD BRITISH STUDENT WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND HER THROAT WAS SLASHED...AND THERE WAS MORE.

JOE TACOPINA

There were bruises on her body, um, on the low portion of her legs and inside her mouth...it indicates a violent struggle.

NARRATION:

COULD YOUNG AMERICAN STUDENT AMANDA KNOX HAVE TAKEN PART IN SUCH A BRUTAL CRIME? AND HOW STRONG IS THE CASE FOR HER DEFENSE?

NARRATION:

TO HELP UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY, 20/20 BROUGHT DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER PROSECUTOR JOE TACOPINA TO PERUGIA. TACOPINA HAS A LAW PRACTICE IN ITALY — AND HE HELPED US GAIN ACCESS TO ITALY'S TOP CRIME LAB---AND THE CASE FILES OF THE DEFENSE AND PROSECUTION.

FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE INVESTIGATION, PERUGIA'S POLICE CHIEF BELIEVED HE HAD THE THREE KILLERS BEHIND BARS. ...

...20-YEAR-OLD AMANDA ...HER

ITALIAN BOYFRIEND...RAFFAELE SOL-A-CHITO.

AND AMANDA'S BOSS, PATRICK LUMUMBA -- TO WHOM SHE'D, SENT AN AMBIGUOUS TEXT MESSAGE THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER SAYING, 'SEE YOU LATER.'

BUT AS THE INVESTIGATION PROCEEDED, AUTHORITIES COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE LINKING LUMUMBA TO THE CRIME. ...PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE EARLY POLICE THEORY.

JOE TACOPINA

It turns out to be absolutely false.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Well you don't--do you know that for sure that it's--

JOE TACOPINA

[OVERLAP] We know that for...sure [LAUGHS] because

Patrick Lumumba was not at that crime scene, the police released Patrick Lumumba.

NARRATION:

LUMUMBA'S RELEASED AFTER NEARLY A DOZEN PEOPLE COME FORWARD TO SAY THEY SAW HIM THAT NIGHT.

BUT EVEN THOUGH HE'S FREED, INVESTIGATORS HOLD FAST TO THE THEORY THAT AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE MURDER. BUT WHO?

POLICE HAD A CLUE -- A FAINT BLOODY HANDPRINT FOUND ON A PILLOW UNDER MEREDITH'S BODY. TESTS ON THE PRINT REVEAL A MATCH TO THIS MAN — RUDY GAEDE...A PERUGIA LOCAL WHO'D BEEN STOPPED BY POLICE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MURDER ON CHARGES THAT INCLUDED CARRYING A WEAPON.

GAEDE WAS NOW IN GERMANY --WHERE HE WAS CAPTURED AND ESCORTED BACK TO ITALY. SOON, FORENSIC TESTS REVEAL IT WASN'T JUST HIS HANDPRINT HE'D LEFT BEHIND AT THE CRIME SCENE...POLICE SAY HE LEFT HIS DNA INSIDE MEREDITH'S BODY AND IN HER BATHROOM. POLICE AGAIN HAD THEIR THIRD SUSPECT. GAEDE TRIED TO EXPLAIN.

JUDY BACHMAN

He claims that he was the who was at the house that night. What's known now as the House of Horrors. That's what it's called in Italy?...Yes. The House of Horrors. And he says, I was there. We had consensual ... kissing and whatever else and then he says he went to the john. He came back. Put his I-pod on. Put his I-pod on. Listened to a few songs. Heard the door ... doorbell ring. Comes back. And sees Meredith's body on the floor. And she is dying. He puts a washcloth on her neck. And he does not call the police. And he does not call an ambulance. He leaves.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

And he also manages to see an Italian man, running out of the house.

JUDY BACHMAN

The Italian man, whom he saw, he cannot describe.

JOE TACOPINA

You sort of hear that story and you laugh because it's just so incredible. Um, and if true, he is the unluckiest man in the world.

NARRATION:

GAEDE DENIES BEING INVOLVED, BUT POLICE FOUND HE WAS INVOLVED — AT LEAST CASUALLY, WITH THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY IN PERUGIA. HERE HE IS IN A HOME VIDEO SHOT BY AN AMERICAN STUDENT.

MIKEL

He was very interested in Americans, very interested in girls. Very, very interested in girls. Any girl that would give him attention.

NARRATION:

POLICE WONDER IF ONE OF THOSE GIRLS MAY HAVE BEEN MEREDITH KERCHER. THE NIGHT BEFORE SHE WAS KILLED, SHE AND RUDY WERE AT THE SAME HALLOWEEN PARTY. BUT DESPITE ALL THE EVIDENCE LINKING GAEDE TO THE CRIME -- AND THE FACT HE SAYS AMANDA AND RAFFAELE WEREN'T THERE THAT NIGHT — INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THE COUPLE WAS INVOLVED...AND SAY THEY HAVE THE DNA EVIDENCE TO PROVE IT. POLICE FOUND SAY THEY RAFFAELE'S KNIFE WITH AMANDA'S DNA ON THE HANDLE AND MEREDITH'S DNA ON THE BLADE. INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE, AT LEAST AT FIRST GLANCE.

JOE TACOPINA

That is the once piece of evidence that I believed was the smoking gun, linking...Amanda and Raffaele to this crime It, it turns out to be... almost certainly [CHUCKLES] not the murder weapon

ELIZABETH VARGAS

How do you know that?

JOE TACOPINA

We saw reports, um, that, that indicate that while the DNA on, on or near the handle is Amanda Knox's, her DNA was on other knives [CHUCKLES] in that apartment, she cooked in there.

NARRATION:

BUT WHAT ABOUT MEREDITH'S DNA ON THAT KNIFE? THE DEFENSE SAYS IT'S NOT BLOOD -- BUT TRACE ELEMENTS OF DNA... AND SOMETHING ELSE:

JOE TACOPINA:

There's only a twenty percent chance that's Meredith's. DNA. It turns out now that there's only a chance, they're not ruling out --

ELIZABETH VARGAS

It's only a twenty percent match?

JOE TACOPINA

Twenty percent match. and, to me, [CHUCKLES] that says one thing about this knife: That's not the murder weapon because if you use that knife as a murder weapon, and as bloody as that crime scene was, you're not going to be able to clean off all the blood, yet leave some other, DNA.

NARRATION:

AS FOR AMANDA'S DNA IN THE BATHROOM? REMEMBER, WHEN SHE CAME HOME THE MORNING AFTER THE MURDER -- SHE SAYS SHE TOOK A SHOWER. THE DEFENSE NOW SAYS IT HAS PICTURES OF HER WET FOOTPRINTS IN THE BATHROOM -- WHICH COULD HELP PROVE HOW HER DNA COULD HAVE BECOME MIXED UP WITH MEREDITH'S.

JOE TACOPINA

She gets out of the shower, is dripping wet, obviously, and stands on this rug in front of the sink. Meredith's blood speck is on that rug. When Amanda steps on it with her wet feet, she's going to activate that blood and, and going to make it transferable.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

[OVERLAP] So that would explain why the three blood drops have both girls' DNA?

JOE TACOPINA

That's an absolutely plausible scientific explanation and, and that happens to be Amanda Knox's story.

NARRATION:

RAFFEALE IS NOW STICKING WITH HIS ORIGINAL STORY AS WELL --THAT HE AND AMANDA STAYED AT HIS HOUSE THAT NIGHT. THE PROSECUTION SAYS THAT A BLOODY SHOE PRINT NEAR MEREDITH'S BODY IS HIS.

BUT RAFFAELE'S LAWYER TOLD US HIS PICTURES WILL PROVE THAT THE PRINT IS NOT FROM RAFFAELE'S SHOE.

AND 20/20 HAS UNCOVERED WHAT AMANDA'S ATTORNEY IN PERUGIA SAYS COULD END UP BEING A SLAM DUNK FOR THE DEFENSE...

JOE TACOPINA

The defense attorneys showed me photos of the initial crime scene on the date they first took those photos. They came back two weeks later, to take additional crime scene photos and the apartment was rearranged--

ELIZABETH VARGAS

[OVERLAP] Rearranged?

JOE TACOPINA

[OVERLAP] The evidence was moved. The bed that, that Meredith was on was leaning up against the wall. Clothes of Meredith of Amanda that was in Meredith's closet was on the bed where they were looking for evidence. For a crime scene to be worth anything, forensically, it has to be pure and it can't be trampled on, it can't be moved''

NARRATION:

A TAINTED CRIME SCENE MEANS THE EVIDENCE COULD BE THROWN OUT OF COURT. THAT STILL LEAVES AMANDA'S OWN WORDS -- THE FACT THAT SHE CHANGED HER ORIGINAL STORY DURING THE INTENSE OVERNIGHT INTERROGATION. BUT WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT?

DEANNA KNOX:

Amanda was terrified...Amanda was saying that they told her that it was her fault that Meredith died, her friend.

And they were just treating her awful and saying you're gonna go to jail, you're gonna go to jail. I mean, after a certain amount of time -- the mind just cracks

JOE TACOPINA

After they had introduced Patrick Lumumba's name into this, uh, interrogation and were insisting that he was involved. I think what she thought was. These guys are not gonna let-ever let me out of here unless I say something. So she didn't say, I witnessed Patrick Lumumba commit the crime, she didn't say I was at the crime scene. She said I had a vision.

NARRATION:

A VISION SHE WAS AT THE HOUSE... HEARD SCREAMS AND COVERED HER EARS.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

There are a lot of people who say, you know what? I don't care how much you browbeat me, I'm not going to confess to a crime I didn't commit.

JOE TACOPINA

Okay--

ELIZABETH VARGAS

[OVERLAP] Why would Amanda say she was there that night [PAUSE] if she wasn't?

JOE TACOPINA

False confessions, Elizabeth, are a very real, very true phenomenon. People who are not put in that position can't really understand it.

EDDA MELLAS

Other than that time, when she was so ... like she says, the most scared she's ever been in her entire life, her story has not changed one iota.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Has there ever been a moment for either of you in this process where you have for one nanosecond thought maybe she's guilty.

CURT KNOX

Absolutely not.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Maybe she was involved?

EDDA MELLAS

Never.

CURT KNOX

Never.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

You've never wavered?

EDDA MELLAS

Never.

CURT KNOX

Never...Because it's not her...It's not who she is.

NARRATION:

WHO IS AMANDA KNOX?

WE SEPARATE FACT FROM THE FICTION...AS OUR STORY CONTINUES.

ACT 4 BEGINS

NARRATION:

THE MYSTERY OF WHO MURDERED BRITISH STUDENT MEREDITH KERCHER — AND WHY — IS IN ITS FOURTH MONTH. THE SUSPECTS — INCLUDING 20-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN STUDENT AMANDA KNOX -- AND HER BOYFRIEND, RAFFAELE SOLLECITO... SIT IN AN ITALIAN PRISON, YET TO BE CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME.

WHATEVER EVIDENCE THE PROSECUTION MAY HAVE AGAINST THEM, SOMETHING COMMON TO MOST MURDER CASES SEEMS TO BE MISSING HERE--A MOTIVE.

JUDY BACHRACH

What nobody explains here is the why. Why would they have done this if they did it.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

It's a pretty big question.

JUDY BACHMAN

It doesn't make sense. That is never answered, to my satisfaction at least. Why would Amanda want to kill her housemate? Yes, they had some arguments between the two. But hey, we've all had arguments with people we've lived with, and most of us aren't homicidal after them.

NARRATION:

BUT IN THE IMAGE CREATED BY THE EUROPEAN PRESS, AMANDA KNOX ISN'T LIKE MOST OF US...SHE'S BEEN PICTURED AS A SEDUCTIVE FEMME FATALE....WITH A PENCHANT FOR POT AND PARTYING...

ELIZABETH VARGAS

The European press has had a field day with Amanda, accusing her of being on sort of a sex and drugs binge.

EDDA MELLAS

Mm-hm, mm-hm.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Does any part of that story ring true to you?

CURT KNOX

While we may not know what happens daily, hourly in her life...it is 180 degrees opposite of anything that we've ever known her to be as. So all, all of the sudden, the turn of the switch, that doesn't happen.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

You've never for a moment thought mm; maybe she got caught up with the wrong -- crowd of people?

DEANNA KNOX

No. Amanda couldn't do that. Even if she was caught up with the wrong people, Amanda could never hurt someone

EDDA MELLAS

She wouldn't take kick boxing with her friends because it was too violent.... You know, she's ... we found an injured crow just before she left on the street, and she insisted we had to pack it up and get it in a box, and call the Humane Society, and wait for them to come pick it up.

NARRATION:

AFTER REMAINING SILENT FOR MONTHS, AMANDA'S FAMILY, WHO CAN'T DISCUSS SPECIFIC EVIDENCE IN THE CASE, ARE EAGER TO CLARIFY WHAT THEY SAY ARE MISPERCEPTIONS CREATED BY THE MEDIA....STARTING WITH THAT

HEADLINE READY NICKNAME... GRABBED FROM HER OWN WEBSITE.

DEANNA KNOX

Foxy Knoxy [LAUGHS] -- that is the lovely nickname that she got from her soccer team when she was eight years old

...she crouches like a fox. She was a defender, set herself, prepare herself to take on the person that was coming down the field.

DEANNA KNOX

It's not Foxy Knoxy, like ooh-hoo, I'm Foxy Knoxy, I'm gonna go get guys.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

When you look at the pictures of her, she's fresh-faced.

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

No makeup?

EDDA MELLAS

No makeup.

DEANNA KNOX:

Never, unless it's some occasion and I try to force her into it

NARRATION:

ONE OF THOSE OCCASIONS LED TO THIS PHOTO OF AMANDA, POSTED ON HER MYSPACE PAGE. ITS BEEN READ AS FURTHER PROOF SHE'S A VAMP. ...FAR FROM IT SAYS HER SISTER.

DEANNA KNOX

I took photography for four years in high school and I had to do a modern portrait of someone. I did the entire thing. And this is exactly the total opposite of Amanda.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

How did she feel in that?

DEANNA KNOX

She felt awkward. She said, I, I want to take it off.

CURT KNOX

They created a person out of her MySpace page by taking everything totally out of context.

NARRATION:

AMANDA'S PARENTS SAY ANOTHER THING BEING TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT WAS THIS SHOT OF AMANDA AND RAFFAELE KISSING AT THE CRIME SCENE THE DAY AFTER MEREDITH'S MURDER. IT MAKD THEM LOOK CALLOUS, EVEN GUILTY. THAT'S NOT WHAT HER FAMILY SAW.

CURT KNOX

She looked like she was in shock.

EDDA MELLAS

Shock, yeah.

EDDA MELLAS

I almost saw them as kind of clinging to each other for support. It was almost like...

CURT KNOX

It was more comforting...

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah.

CURT KNOX

Rather than, what might be construed as racy, the way people are portraying it.

NARRATION:

AND THESE IMAGES OF AMANDA AND RAFAELLE BUYING SO-CALLED "SEXY LINGERIE" JUST A DAY AFTER THE MURDER, TURN OUT TO BE TAKING PLACE AT A DISCOUNT CLOTHING STORE...WHERE, AMANDA'S PARENTS SAY THEY HAD GOOD REASON TO BE SHOPPING.

CURT KNOX

There's crime tape around and her house is basically seized, she has to go buy some clothes. Part of that is underwear.

EDDA MELLAS

And it was one of the first things she felt she needed.

NARRATION:

BUT DESPITE ALL THE EXPLANATIONS FOR AMANDA'S BEHAVIOR, SO FAR THE ITALIAN COURTS HAVE SHOWN LITTLE LENIENCE.

CURT KNOX

And they've opted for the harshest, mechanism that they have to detain somebody, especially a ... a 20-year-old naive kid,

NARRATION:

AMANDA'S LIFE BEHIND BARS... WHEN WE COME BACK.

ACT 5 BEGINS

NARRATION:

BEHIND THE WALLS OF HER ITALIAN PRISON, AMANDA KNOX'S LIFE IS AS LONELY AS IT IS MONOTONOUS...

CURT KNOX

She's a, a young girl that has been put into prison, that gets to go out, outside an hour an day, the other 23 hours she's, she's forced to stay in her cell

EDDA MELLAS

She does her exercises every day. She does sit ups, she runs. She wants to keep in shape. She says she's tired a lot. Um, jail's not easy.

NARRATION:

EDDA MELLAS SAYS HER DAUGHTER FINDS SOME COMFORT IN MUSIC.

EDDA MELLAS

: She's a big Beatles fan right now, and so she sings "Let It Be." Yeah.

NARRATION:

AT THIS POINT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S ALL SHE CAN

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah.

DEANNA KNOX

On New Year's she sang songs to the other inmates there because — that's her way of helping herself feel better

NARRATION:

OVER THE HOLIDAYS, THE BOREDOM WAS BROKEN, HOWEVER BRIEFLY, WHEN AMANDA GOT A VISIT FROM HER SISTER DEANNA.

DEANNA KNOX

I would just hug her and then they'd say we have to take her out, we have to take her out, and like I didn't want to let go. I wanted to just take her home with me.

NARRATION:

THAT'S NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN SOON -- IN ITALY, SUSPECTS CAN BE HELD FOR A FULL YEAR -- BEFORE CHARGES ARE EVEN FILED.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Does she understand she can be there for a year?

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah.

CURT KNOX

We've tried to shorten the horizons for her. To not look at it as if it's a year, as if it's (sobs) a couple of weeks.

NARRATION:

FOR AN AMERICAN FAMILY CAUGHT UP IN IT, THE ITALIAN LEGAL SYSTEM CAN SEEM PARTICULARLY HARSH.

JUDY BACHRACH

You are gonna be put in jail if you're considered a suspect. And you're gonna be considered a suspect if the prosecutor says you are. Never mind the evidence.

NARRATION:

THE FAMILY HAS MADE AN APPEAL TO ITALY'S SUPREME COURT ASKING FOR AMANDA'S RELEASE. BUT THE HEARING ON THAT IS NOT UNTIL APRIL, A LONG TIME AWAY WHEN YOUR'RE SPENDING IT IN PRISON.

AMANDA AND RAFFAELE HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO SPEAK SINCE THEIR ARREST. BUT THEIR FATHERS CROSSED PATHS DURING VISITING HOURS... IN A POTENTIALLY TENSE MOMENT.

CURT KNOX

The other day he [RAFFAELE'S FATHER] and I ended up essentially one, two in line...it was the first time that we actually spoke words, which was...a simple buon giorno.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Have you had the opportunity, with Meredith's family at all?

CURT KNOX

We haven't reached out uh, to them. It's, it's a very tragic situation they've lost their daughter. You know, we still have a chance.

NARRATION:

THE EMOTIONAL COST OF THIS ORDEAL IS EASY TO READ ON EDDA'S FACE.

AND, THE FINANCIAL COST IS SOARING TOO AS BOTH PARENTS MAKE CONSTANT TRIPS TO ITALY.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

How are you affording this? You are not a wealthy family.

EDDA MELLAS

No.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Either of you.

CURT KNOX

We'll figure that part out after.

EDDA MELLAS

My mom has helped me out. Um ...

CURT KNOX

Same with my parents.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

How much do you think you've spent so far?

CURT KNOX

Let me just put it to you this way.

EDDA MELLAS

It's going to be (Inaudible).

CURT KNOX

Between the two of us it would be a very nice house.

NARRATION:

STILL — THE PARENTS MAINTAIN THEIR MELANCHOLY RITUAL. ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN IN ITALY EVERY DAY SINCE AMANDA'S ARREST, VISITING THE PRISON FOR THE MAXIMUM TIME ALLOWED... ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK.

EDDA MELLAS

When they come and say it's time and she says "Noo"...

CURT KNOX

Her back is always to the door and whenever they come in, she just cringes.

NARRATION:

WHEN THEY ARE APART, AMANDA HAS ONLY ONE OTHER WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH, QUAINTLY OLD-FASHIONED FOR SOMEONE OF THE TEXT AND EAMIL GENERATION.... SHE WRITES HER PARENTS LETTERS.

EDDA MELLAS READING LETTER:

When I see you as I walk into the door with your smile,

Your arms wide open and your sad sad eyes, you are like a reflection (STARTS CRY) of how I feel...

NARRATION:

AMANDA KNOX...IN HER OWN WORDS...PROCLAIMING HER INNOCENCE...WHEN WE COME BACK...

ACT 6 BEGINS

NARRATION:

CURT KNOX HAS NOT BEEN BACK HOME TO SEATTLE FOR A MONTH...

LAST WEEK HE RETURNED TO BE WITH HIS WIFE ON HER BIRTHDAY, AND TO SEE THEIR DAUGHTERS ASHLEY AND DELANEY -- AMANDA'S HALF-SISTERS.

CURT KNOX

Ashley um ... has followed it since (sobs) day one.

CURT KNOX

And uh (Clears Throat) my nine year old, Delaney(?), just knows that her big sister is gone.

NARRATION:

WHEN EDDA IS HOME, SHE RECEIVES A STEADY STREAM OF LETTERS FROM AMANDA.

Dear Mom, its always so good to see you, amazing I would say. You are my angel throughout all of this. // and you are also most importantly the one person who gives me the most hope.

NARRATION:

THE NOTES CAN BE BOTH UPLIFTING...AND PAINFUL.

EDDA READING LETTER

It's really hard not being believed but you know I think about you struggling to be okay as well...

EDDA MELLAS

Yeah. She's worried about ... (sobs) less about how she's doing and more about how this is affecting me. Um ... yeah.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Something in an experience like this is bound to change a person. How has it changed Amanda?

CURT KNOX

(Sighs)

EDDA MELLAS

I don't know.

CURT KNOX

I, I haven't ... I, I think probably what will end up happening out of this is her trust in people will probably change.

NARRATION:

THAT LOSS OF INNOCENCE MAY HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED. IN PAGES FROM HER PRISON DIARY OBTAINED BY 20/20, AMANDA HAS WRITTEN:

"I'M NOT WALKING OUT OF HERE THE SAME PERSON....

"I may be in prison for a crime I didn't commit, but the truth is out there and I wait day by day for it to be discovered" ... "

I am innocent and so I will be free.

...LIFE AND THE WORLD CAN BE CONFUSED AND SOMETIMES WITHOUT SENSE."

NARRATION:

CONFUSING? ABSOLUTELY. BUT EDDA AND CURT STILL CLING TO THE BELIEF THAT EVENTUALLY THEIR WORLD WILL MAKE SENSE AGAIN.

ELIZABETH VARGAS

Have you allowed yourself to worse case scenario this?

CURT KNOX

No. Because you have to believe in the system...

EDDA MELLAS

And that they wouldn't put an innocent 20-year-old girl in jail for something she didn't do. You just have to believe that.