By David Lohr
November 8, 2007
PERUGIA, Italy (Crime Library) — Perugia is one of the most historic, beautiful cities in central Italy's Umbria region. Famous for several monuments and attractions, including the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the Fontana Maggiore, this divine, majestic city also hosts two main universities, the ancient Universitą degli Studi and the Foreigners University (Universitą per Stranieri). The latter of the two is a popular destination for foreign exchange students from around the world. According to the university's website, it is "the oldest and most prestigious Italian institution involved in teaching and research activities as well as in the diffusion of the Italian language and civilization in all expressions."
The combined beauty of Perugia and the prominence of Universitą per Stranieri were equally appealing to 21-year-old Meredith Kercher, a third-year European studies student from Coulsdon, south London, who decided to relocate to Perugia this past August to take part in the university's one-year Erasmus-funded exchange program. Prior to her move, Meredith was a student at Leeds University. With her move to Italy, Meredith had the opportunity to immerse herself in both the language and culture. Unfortunately, that decision ultimately led her down a path that would end in her death, less than three months later.
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| Meredith Kercher with unidentified friend |
On Oct. 31, Meredith spent Halloween night bar hopping with a group of friends. There were several photos taken that night, which Meredith posted to her Facebook.com profile. One photo entitled "Halloween Perugia Stylieeeeee" showed her dressed in a vampire costume with black cloak, standing next to a man wearing a mask from "Scream." Other photos included pictures of her and friends, Sophie Purton, Amy Frost and Robyn Butterworth.
Meredith also posted a message in her Facebook profile announcing a return trip to London for her mother's birthday.
"Hey, I'm back for a bit in Nov. for my mum's bday, 9th till the 14th, then back again for x-mas around the 15," her post read. "I am having a good time thanks. It's starting to get really cold now tho but choc festival is on at the moment so just a good excuse to drink a lot of hot chocolate. How's stuff at home?? xxx"
The day after Halloween, Meredith spent most of her day watching movies with Sophie, Amy and Robyn at the three girls' apartment, located approximately 1800 ft. from the residence Meredith shared with three roommates, two Italians and an American. According to her friends, Meredith left for home around nine o'clock that night.
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| Amanda Knox |
From there, the details become somewhat sketchy. What we do know is that Meredith's American roommate, 20-year-old Amanda Knox, and Knox's boyfriend, 24-year-old Italian student Raffaele Sollecito, called police the following day, claming they had found blood inside the apartment and that Meredith's bedroom door was locked.
According to an account Knox gave to police, she had returned home after a sleepover at a friend's house and discovered that the front door to the apartment was open. Knox said the apartment had been ransacked and her roommates did not appear to be home. Knox told police she also found blood droplets on the bathroom floor, suggesting someone had been injured. Concerned for her friends, Knox said she searched the apartment, and that was when she noticed the door to Meredith's bedroom was locked. Uncertain what to do, Knox said she ran to Sollecito's house, and together, they decided to alert the police.
When police arrived on the scene, they broke down the door to the bedroom and made a startling discovery. Meredith's semi-naked body was found hidden under a mattress on the floor of her room. Her bra had been removed and her T-shirt had been pulled up, exposing her breasts. A deep cut was also observed on her neck, which investigators surmised had caused blood splatter evident on the walls and floor of the room. Bodily fluid present on Meredith's chest suggested a male attacker; however, a footprint found in a nearby pool of blood appeared to have been made by a small woman's shoe. During a sweep of the property, investigators found Meredith's cellphone discarded in a nearby garden, covered in bloody fingerprints, along with a blood-soaked handkerchief.
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