Amanda Knox, the convicted killer of Meredith Kercher, is actually a “loving young woman” rather like the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit, a defense lawyer claimed today.
Just a day after another lawyer told her appeal hearing in Italy that Amanda Knox was a “a lying, sex-loving she-devil”, lawyer Giulia Bongiorno said Amanda Knox, the American student found guilty of killing British roommate Meredith Kercher, was not a bad person.
The lawyer said Amanda Knox was not the “femme fatale” her accusers describe and compared her to Jessica Rabbit, saying she was faithful like the “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” character.
Amanda Knox was convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher, a fellow student in Perugia, and sentenced to 26 years in prison, while co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.
Giulia Bongiorno, Raffaele Sollecito’s lawyer, paraphrased a famous line from the movie saying Amanda Knox “is not bad, she’s just drawn that way”.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito deny killing Meredith Kercher and the verdict in the appeals case is expected by next week.
A female supporter of Amanda Knox has been questioned by police after she shouted “You are evil” at one of the main prosecutors in the appeal case of the American student.
Michelle Moore sought out prosecutor Giuliano Mignini during a break in proceedings in the case, which is nearing its conclusion and with tension beginning to rise significantly.
Witnesses said Michelle Moore marched over to the prosecutor during a break in the long running proceedings and shouted to him:
“You are evil, you have no conscience,” while others said she told him: “You have no heart.”
Giuliano Mignini asked paramilitary carabinieri police to identify the woman and she was asked to show her American passport and provide her details to officers before being taken away but she was not arrested.
In the same day, a lawyer for bar owner Patrick Lumumba, wrongly identified by Amanda Knox as the killer had described her as a “diabolical, demonic, Satanic, she Devil”.
Michelle Moore, the wife of a former FBI agent called Steve Moore, who has been one of the most vociferous pro Amanda Knox campaigners in the court – was giving interviews dismissing the original Italian police investigation into the murder.
Today Michelle Moore was not in the court in Perugia as the case resumed with lawyers for Amanda Knox’s coaccused Raffaele Sollecito starting their summing up, but her husband said:
“She didn’t mean to show any disrespect to the court.”
Steve Moore then added that his wife had made the outburst because she was angry at graphic pictures of Meredith Kercher’s mutilated body during an earlier hearing.
Steve Moore said: “We have a daughter the same age and someone tried to strangle my wife when she was 20 so it was a reaction to all that, she was just shocked.
“She thought it was Mignini who had showed the photographs – she just got a bit emotional.”
But one witness who asked not to be named said: “That sounds a bit far fetched to me. She has been in court the last few days and would know who Mignini was and who Maresca was.
“It was a very strong attack on Mignini and he was left quite shocked. He only understood the word evil and had to get the rest translated for him and that’s when he asked the police to take the woman’s details.”
A file on the case will now be sent to prosecutors who will decide if there is enough evidence to proceed to a full charge of offending an official of the court which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Italian TV used the incident to highlight the growing tensions between the pro Amanda Knox camp but today they were not immediately available to comment on the incident.
Michelle Moore was also not in court and she did not update her Twitter page with the incident although last week she had written: “Amanda and Raffaele will soon be free. I am very happy about this injustice being made right. Yay. PS Pass it on.”
Michelle Moore Twitter description reads: “Loves God, loves people ! Seeks truth, and never ever gives up-ever never! :)”
