Here's how it came about: I sent an email to a friend in Italy who is a journalist. I was commenting on the Amanda Knox case. He published my comments (with my permission). This is what I said:"The Meredith Kercher murder is one of those mirrors that reflects the prejudices of whoever is looking into it. There is no physical evidence and no credible motive, and yet an egotistical prosecutor is blaming Amanda Knox anyway. In the USA, this would only happen if she were black. Perhaps partying American college kids are so hated in Italy that Amanda will be treated as blacks are treated in the USA, and she will be convicted not because of the evidence but because of general resentment of shallow rich Americans. Personally, from what I've read I don't like Amanda Knox. She sounds spoiled, naive, and shallow. But that's not a crime. I loathe the prosecutor, who has a counterpart in every city in the USA - a preening, intellectually dishonest bully who cares more about making newspaper headlines than in serving justice. It's the same all over the world. Power and prejudice are the enemies of justice."
Next thing I know, I'm being contacted by CBS news asking me to comment on the fact that I'm being sued by this nutcase of a prosecutor.
I'm safe in the USA. Bottom line is, I probably will never be able to set foot in Italy again. Which is a damn shame. I love that land, I love those people. I made some good friends over there.
By the way, I regret the way I characterized Amanda Knox. The more I learn about her, the more I see her as simply a naive college kid caught in a bad place. I imagine she's growing up fast.
Just adhere to our facebook, whose link is on top of http://freeamanda.livejournal.com
ReplyDeletewith many other interesting links...
Amanda Knox will be convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher on the strength of the evidence. The Italian legal system is very fair and cautious. Numerous judges, including judges at the Italian Supreme Court, have examined the evidence carefully and decided that there are serious indications of Amanda Knox's and Raffaele Sollecito's guilt.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Knox's DNA was on the handle of the double DNA knife and Meredith's DNA was on the blade. Amanda Knox's footprints were set in Meredith's blood in the hallway and in Meredith's room. There were five mixed samples of Amanda Knox's blood or DNA with Meredith's blood in three different locations in the cottage, including Filomena's room, where the break-in was staged. Incidentally, Raffaele Sollecito's forensic expert, Professor Vinci, claimed that he had found Knox's DNA on Meredith's bra clasp. Apparently, Vincenzo Piscali, Sollecito's chief forensic consultant, also found Knox's DNA on Meredith's bra.
Raffaele Sollecito left a bloody footprint on the blue bathmat in the bathroom and he left another in the hallway. An abundant amount of Sollecito's DNA was found on Meredith's bra clasp. Meredith's bra was removed some time after she had been killed and Rudy Guede had fled the scene.
Amanda Knox admitted on several occasions that she was at the cottage on the evening of 1 November and she voluntarily admitted that she was involved in Meredith's murder in her handwritten note to the police on 6 November. This confession has been admitted as evidence by Judge Massei.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have both given multiple alibis and lied repeatedly. They still don't have credible alibis for the night of the murder despite three attempts each. They have no credibility as witnesses. Amanda Knox has been flatly contradicted by the corroborative testimony of numerous witnesses.
After you visit Harry Rag's hate site, take a look at:
ReplyDeletewww.friendsofamanda.org
and decide who has the most credible take on this case and the evidence.
Well, then you should take a look at the other side as well:
ReplyDeletewww.truejustice.org and www.perugiamurderfile.org
Joe, Your original characterization of Amanda is unfortunate. And that is what is wrong with internet comments. Anyone can say anything without any actual knowledge and people believe it. Such as all the totally false statements made by Harry Rag. It's so scary that people will read that and accept him. I pray that the jury on Amanda's trial are open to the facts and don't have preconceived beliefs that will not be changed. Such a sad and scary situation
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased that you haven't deleted the comments left by HarryRag, as he has informed you of information you were ignorant of when your comments were published in Italy. I believe that there is a simple and honorable way for you to resolve your difficulties. Send a letter to the prosecutor, Mr. Mignini, offering your apology.
There is considerable evidence linking Amanda ---and her boyfriend, Raffaele--- to the murder. Mr. Mignini is doing what ANY responsible prosecutor would do under the circumstances, which includes the defamation charge against you. You can easily extricate yourself......not so easy for Amanda and Raffaele.
Ha ha ha ha ha...this is too funny. Harry Rag is Peter Quennell, a stalker of a young ballerina in New York, who will not be allowed back in NY if he ever speaks to her again..He is also and an obsessed old guy of a murdered young woman, Meredith Kercher, and of Amanda Knox, who is an amazing young lady who is nothing like what people thought of her at first..she puts us all to shame. He puts up links to "Meredith's London"--what she must have seen in London. He puts up the view from her window of her flat in Perugia-to show what she saw--he didn't even know her!!! They film where she walked--they're NUTS. They are inappropriately using a beautiful dead girl as the subject for their sicko obsession now and it's disgustingly sick and perverted. This guy is a nobody who needs some attention desperately. Ew....sicko freak!
DeleteIt is sad that Joe Cottonwood has such low integrity and respect for the people involved directly with the case, as well as the general public out there, that he can post comments, that have the potential for serious impact and pain, clearly without studying the facts at hand. Had he read a bit more about the case, he would have had knowledge of the evidence presented during the trial by many, respected people in Italy, the country that he so loves!
ReplyDeleteThe anonymous poster who claimed that I made "totally false statements" didn't bother to support his opinion with any facts.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Knox voluntarily wrote her confession on 6 November and handed it to the police. I suggest the anonymous poster who doubted my integrity read the following line from Amanda Knox's confession very carefully:
"Everything I have said in regards to my involvement in Meredith’s death, even though it is contrasting, are the best truth that I have been able to think."
thats the problem with Harry Rag. he tries to think
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteTo me it looks like you prefer to turn a blind eye to the evidence when it seems convenient. So far not a single fact to exonerate Amanda Knox, but physical evidence and her own statements that prove her involvement in the crime.
I ask myself why the Knox family is so eager to advertise themselves publicly? They should have focused on the trial instead of attempting to gain the public over - in the end: they won't decide over Amanda's fate.
Amanada Knox has one thing in common with her entire family when it comes to understanding what she did to Meredith Kercher:
ReplyDeleteI don't remember. I am a dumbass and I dunno because this is a great alibi isn't it, Paul? Isn't it, Anne? Hey, guys, do you think my tits look nice in this purple sweater?
Your name is appropriate....
DeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteNice to hear a fresh voice. Don't let the usual suspects get you down. And never apologize! Especially. To. Them.
Intelligent people try to gather as much information as they can prior to making value judgments. Perhaps you should have tried do the research instead of regurgitating some ridiculous remarks from some who are seeking their 15 minutes of fame as well (you now have your 15 minutes, enjoy them).
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joe. Your article illustrates why only very brave Italian journalists dare criticize Mignini.
ReplyDeleteWhile he on the other hand was free to break judicial seal with phony evidence leaks for over a year and assasinate Knox's character before the trial began. Tabloids were only too willing to disseminate his lies.
I guess the prosecution refuses to take differing opinions in print. In the US we're all so used to opinions in type, we don't care so much, and read it as only what it is...one persons opinion.
ReplyDeleteFor the case we have the guilty vs innocent groups, the Solo-attacker vs the Multiple attackers theory, evidence versus speculation.
the evidence will prove who was in the bedroom.
footprints, fingerprints, dna,
what other method is there?
Thanks for post. Thanks for being brave or crazy enough to say it. She's guilty of being stupid. But at her age - that's not really a character flaw. Watching her deal with the way she's been mistreated, I'd say she's no longer stupid.
ReplyDeletetruejustice.org
ReplyDeleteHarry Rag is connected with Peter Quennell - A New York Real Estate Developer and Financier. PQ is a notorious Internet Bully. He threatens to sue people for libel all the time. Harry Rag is a Site Admin on Peter's site True Justice for Meredith. He doesn't write under the name Harry Rag - he writes under the name The Machine. He and Peter are pretty tight.
There is another guy named Michael who runs the PMF site who is also a huge bully. The Machine/Rag and Peter Q are also involved in that site.
The interesting questions..
Peter Quennell seems to have the inside scoop on stories from Barbie Nadeau who writes for Newsweek.
What is their connection?
Harry Rag is writing from Sheffield, England.
What is his connection to Quennell?
And even more interesting....
There is a Seattle police investigation on an Internet bullying ring that includes Quennell.
Quennell and Comp. have been known to publish private information on people online - home address, pics, etc if they disagree with him and make trouble.
I tracked him and noticed a pattern long before I knew of FB.... He is posting on every site imaginable, He is Media I feel and he is working with the prosecutor to get trash out, to as we saw keep these kids in prison. If you'd like to take it anywhere from here, feel free
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe only thing that I am interested is the facts of this case, which seem to differ according to which site you visit. Anybody that says they "know", doesn't, which makes some folks look pretty foolish.
ReplyDeleteI would like to read some cold hard facts sans the mob style hate proffered by one site in particular.
My opinions based on many hours of study follow:
ReplyDeleteIt appears the authorities in Perugia lied so much to convict Amanda and Raffaele that it is difficult to determine when they were not lying, if ever.
Anyone that wants to take the time to learn the truth about this fiasco can visit. The CCTV cam and cell phone records did not lie. The blacked out police post log book hid the truth. The judge's report documented the perjury committed by the police's crime lab. The slick overweight spaghetti stuffed bozos weasel worded their way out of with-holding evidence an perjury regarding lab test that determined the so-called bloody footprints said to belong to Amanda and Raffaele were not of blood. The judge conjures the foot prints were of blood by assuming Amanda stepped in Meredith's blood then washed her feet in the sink, however there is no evidence to support this allusive dream that appeared like smoke from a genie's bottle, then found it's way to the judge's report/motivation document. http://www.injusticeinperugia.org/
You will be shocked at how low the authorities in Perugia can sink. The money paid to them by the state would serve better burned.
visit http://www.injusticeinperugia.org/ if you would like the truth about this fiasco.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI was actually trying to find out what happened with Mignini and the defamation case. I'm hoping nothing happened of it in that it was ridiculous. By now you know that Amanda and Raffaele were aquitted "having nothing to do with the crime". Great news for them and I know the March Supreme Court Appeal will hold up the acquittals as well. Thank you for writing this blog way back in 2009. I'm hoping that you have found out more about both Amanda and Raffaele and now know what stand up people both of these young adults are. True winners in spite of what was unfairly dished to them. Raffaele's book, "Honor Bound", I highly recommend! And Amanda has a book coming out soon, too..best to you.
When someone else translates these reports they read very different. Why is that? I think in the end there will be some mighty hefty lawsuits. I would not want to be involved with any of the sites that knowingly purposely tried to deceive the public. I wouldn't want to be associated with them in any way, shape or form. :(
ReplyDelete