Meredith murder suspects detained

12 April 2012

An Italian judge has detained three people over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, saying there were "serious indications of their guilt".

Miss Kercher's American housemate Amanda Knox, 20, along with her Italian boyfriend, student Raffaelle Sollecito, 24, and Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, 38, can now be held in jail for up to a year while the investigation into Miss Kercher's murder continues.

Miss Kercher, 21, was found dead in her apartment in Perugia a week ago. She was spending a year there during her European studies degree at Leeds University. The coroner said she was stabbed in the neck.

In her 19-page ruling, Judge Claudia Matteini said there were "serious indications of guilt" that warranted keeping the trio in jail. She also warned that if released, the suspects could attempt to leave Italy, noting that Knox is from Seattle, Washington, Lumumbu is from Congo and Sollecito could seek his girlfriend's help to flee.

Italian law states that suspects can be held without charge if a judge rules there is enough evidence to imprison them, and there is the possibility the suspects might flee, repeat the crime or tamper with evidence.

The judge said while it was not clear who had actually killed Miss Kercher, Sollecito's footprints had been found in the student's room. The judge's ruling also identified the murder weapon as a knife with an 8.8cm-long (3.3in) blade.

Judge Matteini wrote that under questioning, Knox had told investigators that Lumumba was also in the room and that he had killed Miss Kercher.

In her reconstruction of the incident, the judge said Knox let the two men into the apartment. "Then something went wrong," Judge Matteini wrote. "The two (men) demanded some kind of sexual act, which (Kercher) refused to do. She was then threatened with a knife, which Sollecito always carried with him, and with which Meredith was stabbed in the neck."

Italian police have said previously they believe Miss Kercher, 21, was killed after she refused to have violent sex with her friends.

Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba, are all being held in connection with the sexual assault and killing of Miss Kercher. All three deny any involvement in her death.

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