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One of Amanda Knox's Italian prosecutors conceded today "a possibility" that the American woman and her ex-boyfriend could win the appeal of their murder conviction, and said, "I would find it very serious if they were set free."
Prosecutor Manuela Comodi, one of three prosecutors on the case, spoke to ABC News after the court refused her request to have further tests carried out on DNA evidence that was used to help convict Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of murdering Meredith Kercher.
Kercher, 21, was Knox's roommate in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. Knox has been sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito was given 25 years.
Their appeal got a boost when a court appointed panel of forensic experts issued a blistering report on key pieces of DNA evidence, concluding it was baldy handled, likely contaminated and should not have been presented in court. The appeal is expected to conclude later this month.
Amanda Knox Prosecutor Cites "Possibility" She Could Go Free
Speaking to the court today, Comodi criticized the panel's work as "inadequate, unreliable and flawed" and said they "were incapable of carrying out the duty they were assigned." She asked the court to order more sophisticated tests on the DNA by different experts, but was rebuffed.
"The court thought our request superfluous and we accept it," she told ABC News.
The prosecutor allowed for the possibility that Knox could win the appeal.
"We did our job. I am convinced by what I have said. I am fully convinced of their guilt and I would find it very serious if they were set free," Comodi told ABC News.
"Today's decision could lead one to think that there is more of a possibility that they be set freed," she said.
A fresh round of tests could have added months to the appeal at a time when the Seattle woman has gotten her hopes up that her four year incarceration could be coming to an end.
Amanda Knox's father, Curt Knox, noted that during the trial the prosecution fought attempts to have independent DNA experts examine the evidence.
"You know for the prosecution to always say they didn't want an independent review, and then come around and say they want another independent review, I think that was kind of desperation on their part," Curt Knox said.
"If they'd done an independent review during the first trial I don't think you and I would be talking to each other now," he said. "My hopes are obviously that they acquit Amanda and Raffaele and we get to take her home. It's been a four year goal."
Amanda Knox's stepfather Chris Mellas told ABC News that she is feeling the pressure.
"The stress of it being so near..getting a taste of maybe, possibly, being closer to freedom might be keeping her up at night. Most poeple don't have to go through this ever and it is an amazingly difficult phase to endure," Mellas said.
Knox, 24, and Sollecito, 26, have been in prison since shortly after Kercher was found murdered in November 2007. They were convicted in 2009 and began their appeal shortly after.
A third person, Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, has also been convicted of taking part in Kercher's murder. He was tried separately and has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. He has exhausted his appeals.
The court appointed DNA experts concluded there was too little DNA on the alleged murder weapon, a knife, to be acceptable as evidence. Prosecutors had claimed the knife had both Knox and Kercher's DNA.
The report also concluded Kercher's bra clasp that had Sollecito's DNA -- and placed him at the murder scene -- had likely been contaminated by the police sloppy handling of evidence.
The prosecution made the request for addtitional tests today after forensic experts from both sides argued over the credibility of the DNA evidence.
Amanda Knox Wins Round In Appeal of Murder Conviction
One of Knox's lawyers, Maria Del Grasso, countered, "We are the ones who have always asked for more DNA tests, to all the courts, and we were always told 'No.' We were told it was useless. The prosecutors have always said no. Today we hear all has changed.... We believe if the DNA profile is tainted, no DNA test can prove anything."
As the judges retreated into their chambers to consider the request, Knox's father said additional tests were unnecessary.
"You're drawing out something, so what's the point? An independent review is done, it came back. Why are they not willing to accept what is truth?" Curt Knox said to ABC News.
"There is no case and Amanda and Raffaele had nothing to do with this," he said.
Curt Knox said he and Amanda's stepfather Chris Mellas will be able to visit her in prison on Friday.
The court also rejected a request by prosecutors to reinterview convicted mobster Luciano Aviello who testified that Knox and Sollecito were innocent and that Aviello's brother was the real killer. Aviello has apparently retracted his testimony.
The judge today set closing arguments to begin on Sept,. 23.
Source: abcnews
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