Jailed Mobster Says He Can Prove That Knox Is Innocent
Posted: Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at 11:15 am
An Italian mobster who is currently serving 17 years in prison says he can provide the evidence to exonerate American student Amanda Knox in the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher.
Luciano Aviello, 41, who is incarcerated because of his connection with the Camorra crime family, claims that it was his brother, not Knox, who killed the 21-year-old Kercher and left her semi-naked in the Perugia, Italy house the girls shared. Kercher, who was British, was found with her throat slashed, multiple knife wounds to her neck and hands and multiple bruises. A coroner’s report also indicated that she had been sexually assaulted.
Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 25, are both serving sentences—of 26 and 25 years, respectively—for the murder of Kercher, which prosecutors said was the result of a sex game gone awry. Both Knox and Sollecito, who had only been dating for about two weeks at the time of the murder, have steadfastly maintained their innocence, although Knox was criticized for what many deemed inappropriate behavior after the murder, including turning cartwheels, cracking jokes and laughing. .
A third person, Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede, pleaded guilty to the murder and is serving 16 years in prison.
Aviello, who was not in prison in the fall of 2007 when Kercher was killed, attests that his brother came to his house, wearing a bloodstained jacket and carrying a knife, and told him that he had killed “the poor English girl” during a failed robbery attempt. He also said that he buried the knife and a set of keys under a wall behind his house, and could use that evidence to clear Knox’s name.
During the course of Knox’s trial, which concluded in December 2009 with her conviction, Allevio sent three letters to the court, attempting to refute the involvement of Knox, Sollecito and Guede. Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, however, says that Aviello’s claims are invalid, and that the court has already determined that the mobster isn’t credible.
Nevertheless, an investigation is ongoing. Aviello contacted Knox’s lawyers last March, who visited him in prison and videotaped interviews with him. One of those lawyers, Carlo Dalla Vedova, says that he hopes Aviello will be allowed to testify at an appeal hearing which will be held for the American woman next fall. While filing the appeal, Dalla Vedova cited the fact that Aviello’s letters were not presented during Knox’s trial as grounds for reopening the case.
Aviello did not reveal his brother’s name or whereabouts.
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