Here you will find a translation of the report submitted by Profs. Carla Vecchiotti and Stefano Conti of the University of Rome — La Sapienza to the Corte di Assise di Appello (Court of Appeals) of Perugia, Italy, regarding DNA evidence in the case against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. Vecchiotti and Conti were appointed by the presiding judge in Knox and Sollecito’s appeal trial, Claudio Pratillo Hellmann, to conduct an independent review of this evidence, which (like most of the evidence in the case) had long been seriously questioned by Knox and Sollecito’s defense teams and by outside observers.
The conclusions reached by Conti and Vecchiotti constitute a damning indictment of the investigation conducted by Italy’s Scientific Police, and in particular of the methods employed by the prosecution’s main forensic scientist, Dr. Patrizia Stefanoni. They lend official support to the already-widespread perception that Knox and Sollecito have been the victims of a scandalous miscarriage of justice
Two translators worked on this project: komponisto (pages 1-30 and 106-145) and katy_did (pages 31-105). Anyone with questions, comments, or corrections is invited to contact komponisto via private message on the Injustice in Perugia forum, JREF, or Less Wrong.
The English translation of the report can be downloaded in pdf format (Italian page numbers are indicated in square brackets).
The original Italian version can be downloaded here.
(Update: On October 3, 2011, Knox and Sollecito were acquitted at the appeal trial, and in December 2011, the motivation document, the Hellmann-Zanetti report, was released! That 144-page report gives the judges’ explanation for the verdict, and in particular shows how the work of Conti and Vecchiotti played a key role in securing Knox and Sollecito’s exoneration.)
Contents of the report:
Description of Item 36 (Knife)
Laboratory Analysis of Item 36
Description of Item 165B (Bra Clasps)
Laboratory Analysis of Item 165B
Extraction of DNA from Item 36 (Knife) and Item 165B (Bra Clasps)
Quantification of DNA by “Real-Time PCR” Technique
Preparation of Samples for Real-Time PCR
Analysis of Individual DNA Extracts (Samples A-M)
Cytocentrifugation to Detect Cellular Material
Notes on Inspection and Collection Techniques
Notes on Forensic Laboratory Tests
Examination of the Technical Report on the Forensic Genetic Tests by Dr. Patrizia Stefanoni
Laboratory Analyses Reported in the RTIGF Regarding Item 36 (Knife)
Extraction of DNA (knife)
Quantification of DNA (knife)
Amplification (knife)
Capillary Electrophoresis (knife)
Low Copy Number (LCN) or Low Template DNA (LT-DNA)
Assessment of the Forensic Genetic Tests Conducted by the Scientific Police on Item 36 (Knife)
Laboratory Analyses Reported in the RTIGF Regarding Item 165B
Extraction of DNA (clasp)
Quantification of DNA (clasp)
Capillary Electrophoresis: Autosomic STRs
Amplification of the Y Chromosome
Capillary Electrophoresis [Ychromosome]
For more information on the wrongful prosecution of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, and the terrible crime which led to it, see the website Injustice in Perugia.
July 4th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Hi. Thank you for all of this work you are doing. I’m wondering who is doing the translation? Thanks, Michelle
July 8th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
komponisto is doing his own translation, Michele. He has also helped me with translations of some of my documents. This is a very important report and I appreciate the effort he is putting into this.
July 11th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
I wanted to add that it seems katy_did is also helping with the translation effort. Both of these people deserve our thanks.
July 15th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Thank you both for all of your hard work!
-PDigirolamo
August 9th, 2011 at 9:20 am
Congratulations and huge thanks for the work!
komponisto, katy_did, you are heroes!
September 26th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Have no fear, friends of Amanda! This girl is spending her last days in jail and about to be set free. It is difficult to explain how I do it but usually when I hear about certain crimes I am able to say who was or wasn’t the murderer and so far I’ve got my cases right. When I heard about Meredith murder I knew it wasn’t her or her boyfriend, and I don’t mean falling for her looks or just “omg, I just can’t believe that this pretty girl can do it, so I won’t”. It is a strange knowing that I have and so far it always proves being true. I guess in a way it is like Nicolas Cage’s character in “Next”, when he just knows what will happen without having a clue where this knowledge comes from. As for now, I know that in a couple of weeks Amanda will be on plane back home to close this very, very sad case of miscariage of Italian justice. Hang on for a few more days, Amanda! xxx
October 3rd, 2011 at 8:02 pm
SHE is free to come home… Prayers have been answered but again let us not forget the poor girl who lost her life that dreadful night and keep her parents and family in our prays to that the real killer is found.
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I don’t know Amanda and I don’t know her family but I cried today with the overturning of the verdict. I was happy as if she were my daughter! Godspeed Amanda! May you get home to be with your family, have peace and a full life! It was Douglas Preston who made me aware of your case and I have followed it since.
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend Meredith Kercher and for the suffering you have endured. Thank God justice has been served for you. I pray for the Kercher family.
October 4th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Poça, amiga, que sina a tua…és linda de morrer…beijos grande de Portugal
October 4th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Amanda was held captive simply because she is an American. The prosecutor gained political capital by tormenting an American. His last effort to increase Amanda’s sentence was simply an effort to increase her anxiety.
Amanda is an intelligent young woman that needs to convert her defeat to victory and proceed to assist others in this type of dilemma.