The Murder of Meredith Kercher Read Online Free PDF

had no idea of just how bad things would become over the coming hours, days, weeks and months.
    In the meantime, as police activity was gearing up in Perugia, Meredith’s family back home in England released a statement on Monday, November 5, through London’s Metropolitan Police. It read in part: ‘Words cannot even begin to describe how we feel right now, other than utterly devastated at the tragic loss of our daughter and sister, Meredith. Nothing can prepare you for the news we received on Friday evening and it has taken this long for us to feel able to express our thoughts.
    ‘Mez was someone very special – a 21-year-old who was into her studies, worked hard and enjoyed spending time socializing with her friends and family. She was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet. Nothing was ever too much effort for her – a loving daughter and sister and a loyal friend.
    ‘Meredith went to Italy at the end of August as part of her undergraduate degree course and was excited at the prospect of spending the year there to improve her language skills, make new friends and immerse herself in the culture. She was pursuing her dream and we can take some comfort in knowing that she has left us atwhat was a very happy time in her life. We feel it is no exaggeration to say that Meredith touched the lives of everyone she met with her infectious, upbeat personality, smile and sense of humour.’
    In closing their statement, the family said: ‘We appeal to anyone who may have any information, no matter how trivial it may seem, to contact their police and help us bring to justice the person who destroyed so many lives.’
    When the Italian media, and later news outlets all over Europe, began reporting that Meredith had been lured into a sexual rendezvous with one or more of those responsible for her death – allegations made in part because of the partially nude manner in which her body had been found and because of speculation voiced to the press by certain members of the police – Meredith’s father, naturally, as any father would, downplayed the reports, stating publicly that Meredith would never have been involved in such things. Her character was viewed by those who knew her as a wholesome young woman and not someone who could have been drawn into any kind of sexual tryst. She had clearly been victimized, and her death had been caused by the violent actions of ‘an unidentified person or persons’, according to Nicola Miriano, the magistrate involved with her case. The cuts and bruises found on her body as reported by the pathologist who conducted the autopsy, Luca Lalli, also served to bolster the theory that whatever hadoccurred to Meredith that night, she had been an unwilling participant who had died while fighting off what appeared to have been a sexual attack. Lalli had determined that there was evidence of sexual activity prior to her death, but he stopped short of saying that she had been raped.
    As the investigation went on, homicide detectives continued in their efforts to identify and question Meredith’s known friends and acquaintances in Perugia. Investigators also examined her diary and her laptop computer in their search for evidence and, according to press reports, were looking at an employee of a local bar as a potential suspect. Detectives also continued to scrutinize the route that Meredith had taken home alone, through Piazza Grimana, the night she was killed. A basketball court in the piazza was a known hangout for drug addicts at night, and they had to consider the possibility that perhaps one or more of the addicts had followed her home that evening. Although closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras can be found throughout Perugia, there are none in the piazza, making the location a favourite haunt for addicts and other undesirable types – particularly at night.
    One aspect of the piazza that initially caught some attention was the fact that a known