Italy probe into UK student's death over

ROME — Prosecutors said today that an investigation into the slaying of a British student has concluded, paving the way for possible indictments of Amanda Knox of Seattle and two other suspects.

Knox, 20; her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito; and Ivory Coast citizen Rudy Hermann Guede have been jailed since Nov. 6 in connection with the death of Meredith Kercher.

Kercher, a 21-year-old student from Leeds University in England, was found dead in a pool of blood in house she shared with Knox in the Umbrian university town of Perugia.

Prosecutors say the three suspects strangled and stabbed Kercher, according to a court document officially notifying the defense that the investigation is over.

The document says Guede committed sexual violence on Kercher, with the help of Knox and Sollecito. It also says Knox and Sollecito tried to make it appear that an attempted robbery had taken place in the house.

All three suspects have denied any wrongdoing.

The defense now has 20 days to request further questioning or produce more documents before prosecutors either seek indictments or drop the accusations.

Both Knox, a student at the University of Washington, and Sollecito have given conflicting statements, saying they had smoked hashish the night of the slaying, according to other court documents.

Sollecito has said he was at his own apartment in Perugia, working at his computer. He said he does not remember if Knox spent the whole night with him.

Knox has insisted she was not at home during the slaying, although at one point in the investigation she accused a Congolese pub owner, Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, of killing Kercher. Lumumba was arrested but quickly released for lack of evidence. He was formally cleared last month.

Knox's DNA was found on the handle of a knife that prosecutors say might have been used in the slaying, while Kercher's DNA was found on the blade.

DNA testing has found that Guede, whose fingerprint was found in bloodstains on Kercher's pillow, had sex with Kercher the night she died. Guede, 21, has acknowledged being in the woman's room that night, but said he did not kill her — and that an Italian who is trying to frame him did. It is not clear who Guede accused.

Guede was arrested in Germany and extradited to Italy. He is believed to have fled shortly after the slaying.