The Forgotten Killer: Rudy Guede and the Murder of Meredith Kercher (Kindle Single) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the Perugia Police Department homicide squad.
    Crime-Scene Assessment
    Underneath the duvet, Kercher was found on her back, naked except for a blood-soaked shirt pulled up over her chest. There was a pillow positioned under her hips bearing a handprint in blood. There were two blood-drenched towels beneath her and another on the bed. Her bra, jeans, sneakers, socks, and kerchief lay on the tile floor nearby, which was also smeared with blood. There were apparent stab wounds to her neck and a gaping throat wound in the region below her chin.
    Aspirated blood spray was visible on the closet doors, the side panel of the wardrobe, and on the cups of her bra, all of which suggest her position in the room after the wounds were inflicted.
    Three bloody shoe prints were noted next to the body and additional ones leading down the hallway toward the front door. These were subsequently determined to have been made by a man’s Nike athletic shoe. There was one bare footprint in blood on the bath mat in the bathroom Kercher shared with Knox.
    Kercher’s open and apparently rifled handbag lay on the bed. Her credit cards, house keys, and 300 euro in cash were missing and never found.
    Romanelli was able to determine that nothing was taken from her room despite the broken window and disarray. Knox and Mezzetti’s rooms appeared untouched.
    The location of the mobile phones indicates the route the fleeing offender took away from the house.
    Victimology
    In nearly all respects, Meredith Kercher would be considered a low-risk victim. She was intelligent and well-spoken and, in addition to her three female flatmates and themen downstairs, had a steady group of English female friends. She did not practice any risk-taking behaviors, and her profile was similar to any of the thousands of foreign students in this traditional university town. She was in frequent telephone contact with her flatmates. She had no known enemies in the roughly two months she had been in Perugia.
    The only risky aspect of her life in Perugia was the location of her cottage, which was physically isolated, on a slope overlooking a ravine between a greenbelt and a concrete parking garage across the street. Crimes of violence were extremely rare. Her risk level was therefore the same as her three flatmates’. There are no indicators that Kercher was specifically targeted for attack.
    Offender Risk Level
    Based on the location of the house and the multiple vantage points from which it can be seen, we rate the level of risk for detection or intervention as low to moderate. The initial phase is organized and strongly suggests experience.
    Burglars seldom hit houses “cold,” as completely unfamiliar environments present too many risks and unknowns. Rather, it is common for them to surveil intended target locations or otherwise gain intelligence. Since there were eight residents in this house, it is likely that the Unknown Subject (UNSUB) had some familiarity with one or more of them and has been in the house before. The crime occurred at the beginning of the month, and each of the eight residents is believed to have paid his or her rent in cash. It is probable the UNSUB knew or suspected this, which further indicates some familiarity with the residents and their habits.
    Most small-time burglaries of this nature take place within the offender’s comfort zone, so we would expect the UNSUB to live in the area.
    He gained access to the house by breaking the window in Romanelli’s bedroom with the rock. Not only would this provide a way in, but it also would alert him if anyone was home. If he heard voices or screaming or saw lights turn on inside, he would know that the premises were occupied, and he would run.
    Since access to Romanelli’s window involved a climb and some contortion, we would expect the UNSUB to be fairly young and in good athletic condition, with significant upper-body strength. This type of entry involves planning and organization, so we would expect him