Witnesses cast doubt on Amanda Knox's guilt
PERUGIA, Italy - Former University of Washington student Amanda Knox was back in court Friday as defense lawyers called witnesses who cast doubt on the theory that Knox murdered her British roommate Meredith Kercher.
First to take the witness stand was a cleaning lady for Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's former boyfriend who also is on trial for the November 2007 murder.
The cleaning lady testified that she asked Sollecito to buy bleach but that she hadn't used it, and he didn't regularly make use of bleach in his house. But prosecuters allege Knox and Sollecito used bleach to clean up after Kercher was killed.
Also testifying Friday was a lawyer who was robbed just days before the murder by Rudy Guede - who has already been convicted and sentenced to serve 30 years for Kercher's murder.
The lawyer told the court he found the window to his studio broken by a large rock, and was missing a computer and printer.
According to earlier testimony, there was a window in the house where Kercher was killed - and it also was broken with a big rock.
ABC News reporter Ann Wise said in an interview from Italy that the defense is going to try to show that Rudy Guede broke in to Knox and Kercher's home to steal something, found Kercher there, and ended up killing her.
Prosecutors allege that Kercher was killed by Knox and Sollecito with a knife to the throat during what had begun as a sex game.
But a coroner who took the stand in the trial last week testified that the stab wound to Kercher's neck was caused by a shorter knife than the one that prosecutors claim is the murder weapon.
More witnesses for the defense are scheduled to take the stand on Saturday, including a number of Knox's friends from both Seattle and Perugia.
First to take the witness stand was a cleaning lady for Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's former boyfriend who also is on trial for the November 2007 murder.
The cleaning lady testified that she asked Sollecito to buy bleach but that she hadn't used it, and he didn't regularly make use of bleach in his house. But prosecuters allege Knox and Sollecito used bleach to clean up after Kercher was killed.
Also testifying Friday was a lawyer who was robbed just days before the murder by Rudy Guede - who has already been convicted and sentenced to serve 30 years for Kercher's murder.
The lawyer told the court he found the window to his studio broken by a large rock, and was missing a computer and printer.
According to earlier testimony, there was a window in the house where Kercher was killed - and it also was broken with a big rock.
ABC News reporter Ann Wise said in an interview from Italy that the defense is going to try to show that Rudy Guede broke in to Knox and Kercher's home to steal something, found Kercher there, and ended up killing her.
Prosecutors allege that Kercher was killed by Knox and Sollecito with a knife to the throat during what had begun as a sex game.
But a coroner who took the stand in the trial last week testified that the stab wound to Kercher's neck was caused by a shorter knife than the one that prosecutors claim is the murder weapon.
More witnesses for the defense are scheduled to take the stand on Saturday, including a number of Knox's friends from both Seattle and Perugia.