Category: Concerning Meredith
Friday, December 04, 2009
The Rulings: Meredith’s Beloved Mom, Dad, Sister And Two Brothers At Perugia Airtport.
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger image]
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Appeals 2009-2015, Hellmann 2011+ •
Comments here (3)
Meredith’s House Seen In One Of Perugia’s December Mists This Mornining
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger image]
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Der Spiegel Reporting Meredith’s Father Is Writing A Book To Cover Their Considerable Costs
Posted by Peter Quennell
We knew that a book by Meredith’s father John is in the works. We did not know the real reason why.
This news is frankly pretty heartbreaking.
Alexander Smoltczyk in Perugia reports on the health and financial hurt descended upon Meredith’s family..
The announcement of the verdict is expected at the end of this week, after a long trial that has taken its toll on everyone involved, not just the defendants….
Kercher’s mother only manages to cope by taking psychiatric medication, while her husband, a journalist, has been forced to write a book about the case to cover their legal fees.
The publishers’ grapevine has been hinting in fact that the book will be all about Meredith.
Meredith’s family have said through their lawyer that they expect never to see any financial return from the financial awards made by the Italian court against those who are found guilty.
Multi-million-dollar awards are common now in the US and Europe if there is a danger of profiteering from inside a prison cell. And in Italy, those sitting in prison cells often get easy access to the media.
Many of us here - many readers too - have long wanted to organize something financial for Meredith’s memory and for her family by way of this website for Meredith. Maybe now is a good time to begin.
Mind you, if the book IS all about Meredith this could be truly huge. Pent-up demand to find out more about Meredith, which we encounter every day, is now really enormous.
After being overshadowed for so long by obnoxious others, Meredith deserves her day in the sun.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, News media & movies, Excellent reporting •
Comments here (16)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Meredith’s Europe #1: Meredith’s Bright, Cosmopolitan Generation That Will Surely Remake Europe
Posted by Earthling
To the left of this page, we see the many faces of Meredith - Mez, as she was known to her friends and family - seemingly always smiling, a happy girl, blossoming into womanhood.
The product of an East-West marriage, she embodied many cultures, many interests. Meredith had worked hard to win the prestigious ERASMUS scholarship which funded her year in Italy. Her sister Stephanie said Mez was “excited at the prospect of “¦ studying to improve her language skills, meet new friends, and immerse herself in the culture” of Italy.
Perhaps because of her dark beauty, she felt at home among Italians whom she so physically resembled. Once in the country, already with an excellent knowledge of the language, she loved to hang out with her English girl friends, other Erasmus students, and Italians ““ the new cosmopolitans of Europe who have so much in common and so many things to look forward to, in their year together in the sun-drenched ancient hills of Italy, and in the many years ahead of them across Europe.
Together, they are part of what one social scientist has called the ERASMUS Generation - a generation that will surely re-make Europe in the years to come.
Although we still anticipate the final meting of justice in the sad case we all follow here, we need at times to rest, contemplate, and consider Meredith the person, the friend, the student, and the appreciator of culture, music, and dance. With utmost respect, therefore, we present some music videos in memory of Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher.
At top here, in remembrance of Meredith’s being a beloved sister of Lyle, John and Stephanie, you can see New Zealander Hayley Westenra singing, with her younger sister Sophie, a touching rendition of Across the Universe of Time: “You turn around, looking at me, laughter in your eyes, and now I can see.”
Above here, in honor of Meredith’s love of Italy and its culture, here is one of its greatest operatic arias, Signore, Ascolta! from Puccini’s Turandot, as sung by Renata Tebaldi, the great Italian lyric soprano:
Stephanie remembered her sister as “one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet”¦. a 21-year-old student who was into her studies, worked hard, and enjoyed spending time socializing with her friends and family”¦. We feel it is no exaggeration to say that Meredith touched the lives of everyone she met with her infectious upbeat personality, smile and sense of humour.”
On the recent sad second anniversary of Meredith’s passing, her family said: “We can only hope now that a conclusion is reached in the next five weeks, so that we can finally dedicate ourselves to remember Meredith for the person that all of us knew and not as a victim or as a news item.”
And above here, a song that combines purity and passion, like Mez did, as well a reference to the Father of the Italian language: Dante’s Prayer, by Loreena McKennitt: “Cast your eyes on the ocean, cast your soul to the sea… When the dark night seems endless, please remember me…. please remember me….”
In memoria di Meredith, con la speranza di giustizia e di pace.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
WHY Did She Have To Go Like That? Our Saddest Day In Two Years
Posted by Our Main Posters
We praise the fire and anger that Giuliano Mignini showed in court on Meredith’s behalf.
This much maligned but really very caring and compassionate man really went to town today, for someone he clearly sees as a quite extraordinary girl.
Like all of us, her never met her. But like all of us, he loves what she stood for.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, Trials 2008 & 2009, Massei prosecution •
Comments here (1)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #20: The Old City In A Wistful, Perhaps Might-Have-Been Mood
Posted by Our Main Posters
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
LA7 TV’s Documentary On Meredith’s Case #3 The English Segments
Posted by Nicki
Below: Very moving scene from Meredith’s funeral, as her coffin is brought to Croydon Parish Church
Below: Croydon Parish Church (St John the Baptist) where 400 attended Meredith’s funeral mid-Dec 2007
Below: Reverend Colin Boswell conducted Meredith’s funeral service, and tells of pain at its long delay
“It was a very sad day, sad because of her horrible death, for the pain her family were experiencing at that time - pain they are still feeling right now. The family had to wait for six weeks before they could bury her, she was only 21 years old. Her family showed great strength and courage. We gathered together here in the church. There were many friends from school, teachers, university companions, friends, neighbours. We tried to play down our sadness as much as we could, to reflect upon the goodness of her life, her beauty; trying thus to concentrate on the positive characteristics of Meredith and of her existence which we had shared.”
Below: One of several shots of the Kercher family in Perugia, their only direct presences here
Stephanie: “Mez was so important for so many people for her spontaneous, smiling and altruistic personality. We are trying to understand with great difficulty why she was taken away in such a cruel way.”
Below: Several images of Meredith appear late - documentary could have used fresh images in first part
Below: Image from a segment on Meredith’s starring in a music video, linked at top-right here
Below: One of many intensely moving segments on Meredith’s Perugia friend Samantha Rodenhurst
“I’d only known her for five weeks, but when you are in a foreign land, you become friends very quickly. You depend on each other for so many things, emotional support, language support, advice, information. We became close rather quickly, even though we didn’t ever have the opportunity to know more about each other’s pasts. I think at first she reminded me of the friends I used to have at home… In fact we became good friends at once.”
Below: Start of a long segment on University of Leeds where Meredith’s activities were described
Below: One of various scenes at the University tending to show women students Meredith’s age
Below: First of four university students unhappy at protracted process and poor media coverage
Yes especially in the beginning it was talked about a lot. But now it’s almost disappeared. I don’t think it was excessive; I think the media concentrated just on some aspects, just the ones they thought would make interesting news, like the war in Afghanistan, the news which create a sensation they keep showing. But probably they don’t report the whole story. I think that in the case of Meredith they concentrated on just a few things exaggerating them, leaving out others. And now, for the family, it’s been going on for too long. They’re going back over the same things.
Below: Second of four university students unhappy at protracted process and poor media coverage
She is remembered here. Services have been held and there is a memorial to her. There is much sadness.
Below: Third of four university students unhappy at protracted process and poor media coverage
It’s think that for the family it’s been going on for far too long. The media can’t just talk about it the same way they did in the beginning.
Below: Fourth of four university students unhappy at protracted process and poor media coverage
Our media pass very quickly from one thing to another. Sometimes they are very mistaken: perhaps they don’t give some things the attention and depth that they really deserve.
Below: Another intensely moving segment on Meredith’s Perugia friend Samantha Rodenhurst
“Horrible - it was a horrible, terrifying moment. I was in a complete state of shock I couldn’t feel anything - I think that when you are in such a state it’s almost impossible to feel anything. I didn’t cry much that evening; I was in too much shock. I couldn’t do anything.”
“After the funeral service, we planted a tree at the school: a symbolic place where people can come to remember her and pray for her.”
Below: Storefront sign in Coulsdon, Croydon, in south London where Meredith lived till she was 18
Below: Wider shot of Coulsdon, Croydon, in south London where Meredith lived till she was 18
Below: A cafe in Coulsdon, Croydon, in south London where Meredith often ate out
Below: The owner of the cafe describes often serving Meredith cheeseburgers and chips
She was always a very striking girl - a very beautiful girl. Now it’s a been quite a while, because she went off to college. She used to come here once a week, sometimes with her family. She would order a cheeseburger with chips and a milkshake.
Below: The newsroom of the Croydon Guardian which has provided the best coverage in the UK
Below: Croydon Guardian reporter Kirsty Whalley who we have praised here for her outstanding articles
“Meredith’s background is solid, very proper middle-upper class. She was a girl from a very good family. Meredith’s family is reserved and their friends are acting according to the family’s wishes: no publicity. The family was surprised by the number of people attending the funeral, friends, neighbors, and former classmates. They like to remember her happy smile, because she was a happy person. She went to Croydon Old Palace School, very exclusive, prestigious and very expensive, where she made many friends. She loved to write and loved the media; and certainly she wanted to travel and to have experiences of new places. Her brother gave an address in her honour in which he said he wanted to always remember her so jovial, happy, always ready to make people laugh; that he wanted to remember her smile.”
Below: The entrance to the church, Croydon Parish (St John the Baptist) where Meredith’s funeral was held
Below: The floral arrangement at the funeral of Meredith (Mez) put together by her friends
Below: One of the several intensely moving images of the cemetery where Meredith hopefully lies in peace
Below: Another of several intensely moving images of the cemetery where Meredith hopefully lies in peace
Below: The final of many images of Meredith in the documentary which rises to linger in full-screen
Below: Three images of the conclusion of the dcumentary, for which a translation is provided above
Merdith Kercher was killed in Peruga on 1 November 2007. Amanda Knox e Raffaele Sollecito were arrested on November 6th 2007. They have been charged with voluntary murder and sexual violence.
The verdict of the Court of Cassazione is expected by December 2009. The Ivorian citizen Rudy Guede has already been sentenced to 30 years by the GUP of Perugia in a fast track trial.
Patrick Lumumba, accused by Amanda Knox, was cleared of all charges after two weeks of detention in the Perugia jail.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Two Years Since Meredith Was Taken From her Family And A World In Need Of Her
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click above for her video]
Italy’s AGI reports that the Kerchers will attend a mass only for themselves in south London, and then place some flowers on her grave. This statement was released by the family.
The two years since the death of Meredith have gone fast. We miss her more than ever, and we still find it difficult to understand what happened and why.
We can only hope now that there is a final outcome in the next five weeks so that we can finally dedicate ourselves to remember Meredith for the person we all knew, and not as a victim or a news item.
The anguish in that speaks volumes. This thing has taken a terrible toll. Our condolences to the Kercher family, and to Meredith’s many grieving friends.
None of us here ever knew Meredith. And yet we so very much miss her.
Those Who Reach Out For Meredith Are Now From 130-Plus Countries
Posted by Our Main Posters
Click above for our readership statistics by country of reader for the past one month
.
Meredith’s Perugia #19: A Song As A Tribute To Meredith By Perugian Rodolfo Susta
Posted by Our Main Posters
This is a touching story, which seems appropriate to the day.
Redolfo Susta is a talented and popular songwriter and singer in Perugia with a big heart who was deeply saddened by the loss of the bright promise that was Meredith and the media chicanery that clouded her memory..
As we have done by way of this website, to try to even the balance in Meredith’s favor, Redolfo has done by way of a song which he has repeatedly sung in Perugia. His audiences all know of Meredith, and they in turn have been moved and inspired.
The link to his song “Meredith” is presently at top-center of Rodolfo’s MySpace page and the story of how the song was created is at bottom here (click for “more”)..
He has offered the song either virtually through the web or perhaps in person one day to Meredith’s grieving family.
Click here for the rest
Monday, October 26, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #18-B: That Weekend Destination Meredith Might Have Loved, Here At Night
Posted by Our Main Posters
A mere four or five hours from Perugia, and another of those wonderful destinations in Italy that foreigners are so quick to make their own. Posted previously in daylight.
Italy surely leads the world now, with France a close second, in the quality and the extent of its amazing urban floodlighting. As usual, click for the larger images.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #18: Yet Another Wonderful Weekend Destination That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click for larger images]
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #17: Another Spectacular Coast That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click for larger images]
Meredith could easily have reached here by car down the autostrada in three or four hours.
This is the Amalfi coast. Again a very beautiful place that many foreigners in Italy hit in a hurry.
It is the south shore of the peninsula across the bay from Naples - in effect, it has its back to Naples. At the end of the peninsula is Sorrento, and just out to sea beyond is the Isle of Capri.
Improbably, there are towns all the way along. More improbably, there is a two-lane highway all the way along too, very high up on the side of the hill - you can see one shot of it below.
And even more improbably, full-sized buses and coaches head along that road. Mostly they are easy to squeeze past, but periodically in tight places, negotiations have to take place.
Quite often with considerable humor. Italy is never ever short of friendly smiles and laughs. Perhaps one reason Meredith was so attracted. .
These are the previous posts in this series. Many peoples’ favorite.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #16: More Of The Bay Of Naples That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #15: Another Weekend Destination That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click for larger images]
Vesuvius, the Bay of Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and the truly spectacular Amalfi coast
Would Meredith have headed here? Well, almost every new resident of Italy does tend to, as soon as they can make it! A startlingly blue and busy bay, towns atop high cliffs, a volcano active in the last century, several beautiful islands, and almost endless fun, food, history and culture.
Meredith could easily have arrived here from Perugia in three or four hours along the autostrada,
This first of several posts tracks the shoreline of Naples from east to west. From sunrise over Vesuvius to the Naples seaport, the two waterfront castles (Maschio Angioino and Castel Dell’ovo), and the corniche and marina of the Mergellina waterfront area.
Some of the best floodlighting in the world is absolutely transforming Italy at night, by the way. In Perugia but not yet Naples, Meredith may well have noticed.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #14: A Beautiful Weekend Destination That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
The Cinques Terres portion of the Italian Riviera.
Northwest of Perugia and Florence and south-east of Genoa and Turin, it can easily be reached from Perugia in a morning’s or an afternoon’s drive.
That is the famous Portofino above. Crowded now with Ferraris and million-dollar speedboats. Cinques Terres might have been beyond Meredith’s budget for her student year in Italy.
But we’re suspecting that the lifetime roots she was putting down in Italy might one day have drawn her here.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Lively Side Of Perugia That Meredith Never Really Saw
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click double rectangle near bottom right for full scene]
[click double rectangle near bottom right for full scene]
Two typical summer scenes in Perugia. First posted last November, and still moving for the street theater that Meredith so looked forward to and saw so little of after she arrived in Perugia in the fall.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The wider contexts, Italian context •
Comments here (5)
Thursday, August 06, 2009
An Exceptionally Lovely Area of A Particularly Beautiful Town
Posted by Fiori
Click above for some new images.
Shots of Meredith’s house and her spectacular views north, around sunset, plus the jazz festival that finished a few days ago, and other views Meredith must also have looked at often, from the south end of town.
Like so many others when visiting Perugia and the neighborhood of the house, I am struck almost speechless by the incongruities.
THIS crime should NEVER EVER have taken place HERE.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #13: Cool Places To Head For When Perugia Is Too Hot
Posted by Our Main Posters
Click above for some cool destinations.
Umbria’s great parks. All of them are within one hour of Perugia, and several are within half an hour.
We presume that Meredith saw Lake Trasimeno, the closest, because the lake (Perugia’s water supply) is on the direct route to Florence and all of Tuscany.
But busy with her studies in the fall, the only time of year she experienced Perugia, it is probable that Meredith never saw the others.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #12: A Colorful Event Right Now That Meredith Might Have Loved
Posted by Our Main Posters
The flowering of the sunflowers. Il girasoli.
They are flowering right now all around Perugia, and especially to the west in Tuscany.
If you are not pre-warned and happen suddenly on one of these fields, you can drive right off the road, the visual impact is so great!
Meredith missed ever seeing this beautiful sight, sad to say. But many of the foreign students from the university towns do go out to see.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #11: Would Some Of These Have Been Her Best Friends For Life?
Posted by Our Main Posters
Meredith was on Europe’s elite Erasmus Program for her year in Perugia. It must have been one of the happiest moments of her life when she won that award.
Not only is it well structured and well funded - Erasmus students find themselves transformed in their career expectations, and invariably they bond with their classmates for life.
These in the video above are Erasmus students from Perugia who would have been there for the same year (2007-2008) as Meredith. They are photographed here at Perugia and at Foggia University during a semester there - Foggia is south-east of Perugia, on Italy’s east coast,
Students like Meredith from Leeds and other British universities study the British Council Erasmus website for everything relevant to their great adventure. And there are dozens of post-Erasmus networking sites for fellow students to remain in touch.
The video below captures the spirit of the program - why Meredith would have been so attracted, and so proud.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Kristian Leontiou’s “Some Say” Video - And Yes, That Really IS Meredith You See There
Posted by Our Main Posters
Trial: Sky News Italy’s Video Report On Saturday’s News In Italian
Posted by Peter Quennell
Mr Maresca remarks here that Meredith’s father had commented to him on how strong she was.
She had of course trained quite extensively in judo. Yet another blow to the notion that less than three committed this brutal crime.
It appears that the crowds in the piazza have lessened and that the photographers are trying to give the Kerchers plenty of space.
And that the defendants are arriving at court by way of the front entrance, and not by way of the tunnel underneath the complex.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Trials 2008 & 2009 •
Comments here (0)
Trial: Meredith’s Family Recounts The Terrible Pain Of Her Loss
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger image]
Italy has an intense sympathy for Meredith and her family, and already today many DOZENS of reports have appeared in Italian.
The combined detail vastly exceeds what is appearing in English. We will try to capture the sense of some of these and report on this later.
Nick Pisa on Sky News has the most detailed report so far in English:
The mother of British student Meredith Kercher fought back tears in court as she described how her family would never get over the “brutality” of her daughter’s death.
Close to tears, Mrs Kercher, 63, told the court: “It was unbelievable, unreal and in many ways it still is - I am still looking for her.
“It’s not just her death, it’s the nature of it, the brutality, the violence and the great sorrow it brought for everyone - it was such a shock.
“You send your daughter away to study and she doesn’t come back. We will never, ever get over it”...
Her sister Stephanie, 25, told the court how they had last spoken two weeks before her death but exchanged texts two days before she died.
When asked if her sister would have fought for her life Stephanie added: “110% yes. She would have defended herself.
“Physically she was very strong and she would have fought to the end.”
Last to give evidence was Miss Kercher’s father John, 68, who told the court how he heard she had died.
“It was 5pm on November 2 - Meredith’s mother phoned me to say she had heard a British student had been murdered in Perugia.
Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox in court in Perugia
Sollecito and Knox were in court to hear the Kercher family’s testimony
“I tried ringing Meredith on her mobile and I must have tried 12 times but I kept getting her answer phone.
“Then at 5.30 it started ringing but there was no answer.
“I work for a number of national newspapers so I rang the foreign desk of a paper and they said they didn’t have any details.
“Two hours later when I spoke with them they said they had the name of a British student and the name was Meredith, that’s how I found out.”
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Trials 2008 & 2009 •
Comments here (1)
Friday, June 05, 2009
Meredith’s Father John Describes How The Family First Found Out
Posted by Peter Quennell
[courtesy Getty; click for for larger image]
Above, John and Arline Kercher and Stephanie in Perugia on 6 November 2007 lighting candles for Meredith.
And below, John describes in the Daily Mirror how the terrible news of her death first reached him in south London.
I am at the counter in a bank in Croydon when my mobile phone rings.
It is 2.15pm on November 1 and Meredith is calling from Perugia to see how I am. It’s an unusual time for her to ring. We usually speak most evenings, but rarely during the day.
But today she doesn’t have any classes at university, where she’s studying European Politics and Italian. It’s a public holiday. We chat for two minutes, I tell her I love her and that I’ll call her later. She says she is going out, so it will be the next day.
That will be the last time I ever speak to Meredith. The next day at 5pm I am at home when Meredith’s mother Arline calls to say she’s heard reports that a British girl student has been murdered in Perugia. Obviously, there is concern. But there are thousands of British students in Perugia and you try to use that as a calming influence.
I ring Meredith but get an automated message telling me her mobile is switched off.
For the next half hour I try at least a dozen times before it suddenly starts ringing.
Relief sets in as I believe she’s switched it back on. But still there is no answer. I keep trying for a further half hour.
By now my instincts have kicked in. I have to get information fast.
I call the foreign desk of the Daily Mirror, a paper I have worked with for many years as a freelance journalist.
They tell me they only have sketchy details of the incident but if I call back in an hour they might have more.
It’s an agonising wait, but when I call back I’m told Italian police found the girl’s phone and they have been in touch with people in London. Again, my hopes rise. This must mean that whoever this unfortunate girl is, the family and British police have been notified by now.
But then my worst fears are realised. Thirty minutes later the Mirror calls to tell me they have a name. There’s some initial reluctance from the woman on the phone to give me the information. But I shall never forget her words: “The name going around Italy is Meredith.”
I drop the phone. I don’t believe it and think there must be a mistake. But I know it’s probably true. I can’t cry. I’m numb with shock.
A friend drives me to Meredith’s mother and on the way, I phone the Foreign Office to see if they can confirm what I’d been told.
They say they don’t have full details and I shouldn’t necessarily jump to conclusions.
Within an hour our family - Meredith’s sister Stephanie and brothers John and Lyle - have gathered at the house.
We’re all distraught. By now, Arline has spoken to the Foreign Office who confirm the worst. At 9pm, Meredith’s photo comes on the news. The room falls silent. We all hug.
The next day we learn some of Meredith’s old school friends plan to lay flowers at her former school in Croydon.
We go to meet them, expecting half a dozen - but there are more than 70.
It’s unbelievably touching. Some have come from universities around the country.
A small service is held in the school gardens.
Nothing prepared us for having to fly to Italy to formally identify her body and we had no idea how much her death had touched the world.
At the morgue, journalists, Italian chief of police and many others are close to tears. Arline and Stephanie go in to see Meredith. But I can’t because it would have put a full stop to my memory of her.
I had last seen her a couple of weeks before, when she flew home to buy winter clothes. We met for a coffee and she showed me some boots she had bought.
I want that to be the one memory of my daughter I hold in my mind for ever.
It’s dreadful having to wait six weeks before we can lay Meredith to rest, while police investigate. The funeral stuns me.
I didn’t expect the more than 500 people who attend. Her friends have flown in from Canada, Europe and Japan.
Afterwards, hundreds of messages flood the internet. Many are from as far as Australia and Brazil, people who never knew her but are touched by her tragic passing and who loved her smile.
Even in death she seems to reach out to people. Arline has helped me with our fond memories of Meredith as a tot. How Meredith enjoyed many things from an early age.
She went to ballet and in her teens did karate, reaching her third belt.
At school she loved reading. She wrote poetry and stories.
She was always good company and her sense of humour always had us and others laughing. The sense of the ridiculous stayed with her. She had such life and vitality and made friends wherever she went. Meredith really enjoyed Halloween.
As a youngster she would make a costume from bin liners, put candles in the pumpkins with faces, tie them to sticks and then we would visit neighbours.
It is ironic and tragic that she would die so terribly only one day after Halloween.
As Arline puts it, Meredith leaves a void that can never be filled. But wonderful memories of her live on in our hearts. All of us who knew her know what we lost.
Meredith is not only a terrible loss to her family and friends, she is also a huge loss to the world.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Trials 2008 & 2009 •
Comments here (3)
Today The Media Picks Up On Meredith’s Tragically Evocative Music Video
Posted by Our Main Posters
New traffic for the proliferating copies of this music video below is already up in the many thousands.
The great Italian newspaper Corriere and various others are today running it on their own websites. The Daily Mail has a report on it.
And Sky News today (click above for their story) had this to say:
Meredith appears as the enigmatic love interest in the song called Some Say by London-born musician Kristian Leontiou.
The 2007 video was shot just weeks before the 21-year-old was sexually assaulted, stabbed and left to bleed to death in her bedroom in the Italian town of Perugia.
The video starts mysteriously, with dim lighting and Meredith walking down the stairs of what appears to be a church.
She then pushes through double doors and looks directly at the camera while the band’s frontman sings the words “I’ll be on my way… show me where the answers lay”.
As the video progresses the lighting level rises and it turns to full colour before snow lands gently on Meredith’s dark hair.
Francesco Maresca, the Kercher family’s Italian lawyer, said: “The singer in the music video was a friend of Meredith’s.
“I don’t know exactly what the relationship was between the singer and Meredith, but I believe they were in the same group of friends.”
Although the video was posted just days after Meredith’s death 18 months ago, her involvement in the video was only recently revealed by her family.
And well-wishers are already using the video’s comment box to leave messages for the murdered Leeds University student.
Meredith’s Family Is Welcomed By Lawyer Maresca To The Court
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger image; courtesy Getty Images]
Father John, mother Arline, and sister Stephanie arrive for the afternoon session.
Neither of Meredith’s brothers are shown here, although we believe that one or both are also now in Perugia. They may have entered the court by way of the route for the public.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Trials 2008 & 2009 •
Comments here (0)
Thursday, June 04, 2009
The Kercher Family Prepares To Testify Friday PM And Saturday
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images; shots from earlier hearings courtesy of AP]
The Italian news service AGI is reporting that the Kercher family will arrive in Perugia around mid-day on Friday.
They are expected to be on the witness stand for all of Friday afternoon and possibly for all of Saturday. This will be their second face-to-face encounter with the defendants, and possibly their first encounter with a member of Amanda Knox’s family - at Rudy Guede’s trial, Knox’s parents chose to wait at a certain distance away from the courtroom.
Prior to their testimony, on Friday morning, the prosecution team will examine one final witness - Luca Lalli - on the wounds on Meredith’s body. Then the legal team for the Kerchers, Francesco Maresca and Serena Perna, will examine their first witnesses, the medical-legal expert Gianaristide Norelli and the forensic geneticist Francesca Torricelli.
In the afternoon the team will lead each member of the Kercher family who takes the stand - most probably John, Arline, and Stephanie - through their testimony, and they can then be cross-examined by the lead judge and the defense teams for Knox and Sollecito.
Their testimony will focus on their memories of Meredith, on her decision to come and study in Perugia, on any cellphone calls received or not received by her mother, Arline Kercher, from Meredith on the night in question, and on what Meredith may have related on the relationship between Meredith and Amanda Knox.
Their testimony is awaited with great interest as they have given almost no interviews in the past year and a half, and they have never made any statements about their theory of the crime or their takes on the two defendants. In contrast to the friends of Amanda Knox, they have repeatedly expressed confidence through Mr Maresca in the Italian judges, prosecutors, police teams, and justice system as a whole.
Italy seems to be treating Meredith’s family with an outstanding display of kindness and support. This post might help to explain why.
Plus they are enormously admired for their own grace, dignity and discretion. And their obvious sense of huge loss.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, The officially involved, Victims family, Trials 2008 & 2009 •
Comments here (6)
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Haunting New Images Of Meredith In A Music Video
Posted by Peter Quennell
An Italian TV report that was just posted on YouTube.
It is about a music video that Meredith had a very moving role in, before her departure from London. How truly beautiful she is looking in this one.
This YouTube link was sent in by a helpful TJMK reader. Meredith’s family had agreed that the music video could be re-released now with her role in it revealed.
We haven’t yet tracked down Meredith’s video itself and any tips on that would be really appreciated…. Okay we have it already.
We’ll post the embedded version right after the trial days. Some more heartfelt comments about Meredith in the video on the PMF forum.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #10: Umbria Jazz - One Of Many Festivals She Never Got To See
Posted by Our Main Posters
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #9: Some Pretty Water-Related Scenes Nearby
Posted by Our Main Posters
Would Meredith ever have set eyes on these lakes?
Perhaps most likely is Lake Trasimeno, the first lake here, which by car on the autostrada west (and then to Florence or Rome) is less than 15 minutes from her house.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #8: Heart Of A Humane And Very Civilized Part Of The World
Posted by Our Main Posters
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #7: The Rap-Music Scene…
Posted by Our Main Posters
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #6: Scenes Around Her Fine Old University
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click the small rectangle at lower right here for a full-screen version - recommended.
The School for Foreigners shows up early in this video, and the old Roman viaduct directly behind and below.
Founded as an institution separate from the University of Perugia (it was one man’s post-war vision) the School was assimilated into it for administrative reasons back in the 1990s
Meredith was enrolled in the School for Foreigners for her advanced Italian classes, and in the Department of Politics for her study of European politics. Both in the old city.
Knox was enrolled only at the School for Foreigners - she seemed to be intending an easy few months. Sollecito lived in the old city, at its extreme north-west tip, but his Department of Computer Sciences is down in the newer part of Perugia, perhaps two kilometers further west.
We believe Meredith had good French and some German as well. She would have traveled easily around Europe and probably become a true international citizen.
Previous Perugia series in tribute to Meredith. Previous Leeds University scenes. and below, a first video.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Meredith’s Neighborhood: Her House From The East
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click above for more images.
This is possibly not a direction that Meredith ever walked. There are no footpaths, the cars race by, and the street mainly heads to routes down to the east and the north.
You can clearly see Meredith’s bedroom window in the shot above. The green shutters are closed now. Sollecito and Knox both said they considered how to get into Meredith’s locked room via that window, which in fact is very high up.
You can see in the foreground the old fruit-trees which have a lot of fruit on them in the summer, and the half-completed structure which appears to be intended for more bedrooms or another apartment.
Behind the house, from this angle, are its car-park and gate, the dumpsters, the intersection and steps up, the basketball court and small park, and finally the School for Foreigners, about 200 meters away. Shots to follow.
And see Kermit’s excellent powerpoints on the probable history of the house.
Meredith’s Neighborhood: Her House From The South
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click above for more images.
Shots taken from the street above, and from the parking building above that again. The house is still a crime scene and looks neglected and abandoned.
The house is built at a slightly odd angle, facing too far right, so only Meredith’s window and the balcony look onto the great sweeping hillsides to the north.
You can see the window of Filomena’s room above, through which a burglar may or may not have entered. A mop and pail - though not that mop and pail - can be seen at the entrance.
The boys’ apartment downstairs is reached by way of steps down to the east of the house (last shots). It is down there that mobile-squad cops broke in the door because of blood traces.
The window in those shots is of Laura’s bedroom. The separate structure down there is not complete, and it looks like an old attempt to add a couple of rooms or an apartment.
And see Kermit’s excellent powerpoints on the probable history of the house.
Meredith’s Neighborhood: Her House From The West
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click above for more images.
Mid-summer and the house area is very lush from this angle. The house is surrounded at the front and sides by productive fruit-trees.
Meredith would have seen the beautiful fall colors, but probably not yet these rather bright summer greens.
These shots were taken from the fast circular road outside the city wall that cars use to get to and from the modern town and the railway station to the west.
Directly behind here about 500 meters away is where the two mobile phones were tossed into a garden. Guede and Sollecito both lived behind here and higher up, also about 500 meters away.
The parking building above the house, which Meredith probably crossed to get home that night, is visible here. That is where running footsteps were heard and the four CCTV cameras are located.
And see Kermit’s excellent powerpoints on the probable history of the house.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Not Far From Here, Meredith Said Her Final Goodbye To A Friend
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for a larger image]
Meredith said goodbye to Sophie Purton not so far from here. Sophie lived on the way to Meredith’s house. Sophie testified about this today.
Up the steps and through an arch is where Meredith had had her final happy meal with her caring English friends. Sophie’s house is about 5 minutes away, behind where this shot is taken from. .
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, Evidence & Witnesses, Various timelines, Real locations •
Comments here (1)
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Meredith’s Perugia #5: A Very Nice Old City In The Mist
Posted by Peter Quennell
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Trial: Prosecution Resumes Friday - Meredith’s Following Is Now Worldwide
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger image]
We are seeing about 1200 unique visitors a day. And more visitors on the hearing dates and the trial dates.
The “visits” column in our daily statistics for the past week shows the most significant figures. Readers in nearly 100 countries. These are the top 20. This is an English-language site, of course, and Italian readership of Italian sites would be proportionally higher.
And the UK has its own excellent online reporting. There are proportionally far more media sources reporting the case than here in the United States. .
Seems a wonderful tribute to the compelling persona of Meredith herself. Meredith has attracted a real worldwide following.
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, Trials 2008 & 2009, News media & movies, Media developments •
Comments here (6)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Meredith Would Have Been 23 Today
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click for larger image]
Happy, trusting, caring, extremely smart, very hard-working, nice to absolutely everyone in her attitude and her behavior”¦ and smiling.
Always smiling.
She didn’t have an enemy in the world and, perhaps because of her rather Mediterranean looks, is very widely loved and missed in Italy.
A number of wreaths and flowers were dropped off at the gate of her house on the first anniversary of her death.
She planned to be a teacher. In a forty-year career, her grace and intelligence and kindness would have brushed the lives of many thousands.
Every day now we are getting emails - mainly from women, but not always - missing her terribly and mourning the tragedy of her death.
You mattered, Meredith. And you matter. You are brushing the lives of many thousands.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
She Really Was Special… Our Thoughts Are With The Kerchers
Posted by Our Main Posters
Friday, December 19, 2008
Meredith Dateline Documentary: New Standard For All Others?
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
We think so. We think other TV networks would be foolhardy to now step back from NBC’s very high standard.
This is the Dateline documentary reviewed here by Skeptical Bystander on Monday. Now we have been through it almost frame by frame, and we continue to be impressed.
NBC clearly gave this one a big budget. It filled the entire hour. Meredith was very much respected in the script and the images of her. NBC flew camera teams to Seattle and Perugia, along with the precise, well-informed reporter, Dennis Murphy. The photography and the production values were excellent. There were a number of new images, and new tape-recordings of Amanda Knox. And the three consultants - Richard Owen, Clint van Zandt, and Theodore Simon - were all really on top of the case.
Now for our take on what it all means.
Richard Owen is the Rome correspondent for the London Times, with many Perugia stories to his name. Clint van Zandt is a much-in-demand crime analyst, formerly with the FBI. And Theodore Simon is a Philadelphia defense lawyer, who has defended Americans in foreign trouble and commented before on the case.
These are what they regard as the strengths of the prosecution’s case. Meredith was known to have not liked Knox bringing strange men to the house, and to have had other differences. The several defendant alibis do not coincide. The Knox murder accusation against Lumumba not only did not help, it hurt. The break-in theory is very dubious. Knox and Sollecito kissing outside, the underwear purchase, and other post-crime behavior, all look very fishy.
The DNA on the hidden knife is very compelling. As Clint Van Zandt put it, the knife, the DNA, and its hiding make a nice prosecution package. The bleaching of the house and the footprints showing up under luminol, if linked to anyone, could almost be conclusive by themselves. As could the blood drops on the bathroom drain. The witchcraft angle as a motive, van Zandt remarked, was almost a bridge too far, but the prosecutor does have to attempt to offer a theory of how these otherwise normal kids could commit the murder. Theodore Simon thinks the prosecutors evidence made public so far is daunting. The defense could argue a faked robbery, and a moved body, and contamination, but eventually it could become like whack-a-mole, and all of their arguments could lose force.
Only old and very familiar arguments were advanced for the defense case. Dennis Murphy noted that for a year now, Europeans have been sold a sexy heartless icon. Knox’s father said her first alibi/confession was “all but water-boarded out of a terrified young woman” and the prosecutors had been heartless, feeding one juicy morsel after another to a voracious tabloid press. He claimed the knife was found in the knives draw in Sollecito’s kitchen (not our understanding) and the DNA on the blade could be that of half the people in Italy (nor is that). And all the evidence at the crime scene had been contaminated by careless police work. The hostility of the Knox-Mellas couple for the prosecutor shone through. And an old clip showed Anne Bremner remarking (of the wrong apartment) “thou shalt not destroy evidence at a crime scene, and this appears to be the case here”.
Recordings are heard, some in Amanda Knox’s voice, and some in others, of her claims about her arrest and interrogation. Also of her dreams and denials as recorded in her diary in her first weeks in jail, when she was clearly feeling betrayed by Sollecito - this is the diary she later handed to prosecutors.
Criticisms? We have some. An image of the duvet with Meredith’s foot showing is used repeatedly. The NBC take on the case was not up-to-the-minute, and some of the clips and claims seemed old. No psychological angles were explored. The documentary did not mention the independent expert verification of the forensic evidence, or the caution of the Italian legal system, or the dozen judges who have verified the impact of the evidence. And it did not mention that most of the 10,000 pages of evidence have still only been seen by a very few.
But it finished well. Dennis Murphy remarked that we should remember the prosecutor has already convicted Guede with his sex-game argument. And that the Guede judge said the other two are implicated, which does not bode well for them at trial. And that courthouse observers, including Theodore Simon, are predicting an uphill fight for the defense.
If you click on them, all of these screen-captures open up larger in Acrobat.
Below: Dateline’s reporter Dennis Murphy in Perugia
Below: The two nice images of Meredith used repeatedly
Below: Reporter Dennis Murphy in the early-on Seattle segment
Below: Two shots of World Cup, now out of business, where Knox last worked
Below: One of the entrance gates of the University of Washington
Below: Seemingly resigned friends of Knox, giving personal testimonials
Below: Reporter Dennis Murphy at the gate of Meredith’s house
Below: Two fresh images of Perugia, representative of the many used
Below: Richard Owen, the London Times Rome correspondent
Below: Clint van Zandt, the former FBI profiler and evidence analyst
Below: Theodore Simon, the defence lawyer for Americans in foreign trouble
Below: Patrick Lumumba, looking happy and relaxed, with Dennis Murphy
Below: Zack Nowack, an American, who felt Amanda Knox was too impulsive
Below: Three new shots of Rudy Guede, Raffaele Sollecito, and Amanda Knox
Below: The biological parents of Knox trudging along, seemingly resignedly
Below: A computer image of the bedroom - even here, Meredith’s foot shows
Below: Filomena’s broken window; not considered a feasible break-in route
Below: Murphy and Van Zandt discussing the possible murder weapon
Below: The Perugia police chief demonstrates the fatal stab with a knife
Below: Meredith’s and Knox’s unexplained blood on the bidet drain
Below: Murphy and van Zandt discuss the seemingly damning footprints
Below: The Knox rape short story, perhaps indicative of an attraction to violence
Below: Knox and Sollecito happily buying lingerie together in Bubbles
Below: One claimed inflammatory European headline (it seems true)
Below: Transcript of a Knox recording complaining about interrogation
Below: Murphy describing the Knox-Mellas hostility toward the prosecutor
Below: Murphy and van Zandt look at disputed police break-in downstairs
Below: The Japanese manga comic that might have influenced Sollecito
Below: A woman’s voice reading from Knox’s early 2008 prison diary
Below: Fresh image of Capanne jail, with the Perugia heights in background
Permalink for this post •
Archived in Concerning Meredith, Various hypotheses, Various scenarios, News media & movies, Excellent reporting •
Comments here (22)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Meredith’s Perugia #4: The Cute, Handy Monorail Meredith Might Soon Have Ridden
Posted by Peter Quennell
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Meredith’s Perugia #3: Two Great Schools Meredith Surely Knew Well DRAFT
Posted by Peter Quennell
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Meredith’s London #2: More On Where She Came From, And Probably Had Some Fun
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
These shots show the rest of the Thames-side area fronting the neighborhood where Meredith was born.
Behind all of this? Some brick row houses and some older concrete blocks. The area was badly bombed in World War II, and although it’s moving up now, it has a way to go to match this out front.
We think that if Meredith did walk this fun area, or visit these important attractions (a common destination for London school parties), it is this riverfront she would have known best.
The National Theater is in the top shots. Then the Tate Modern Gallery, both outside and inside. And then the new Globe Theater. And finally the Greater London Authority, in the round building at bottom.
Important and interesting. Very crowded on summer evenings. This entire waterfront would take 20 minutes walking fast there. But who walks fast there?!
We’re not including Coulsdon in Croydon, south London, where Meredith grew up, as Meredith’s family still lives there.
You can see what a nice modern town she lived in via Google’s images here. This was her very-much admired school: the Old Palace.
Nice neighborhoods all. Meredith’s Leeds is here, and Meredith’s Perugia is here. More to come.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Meredith’s London #1: Her Connection With This, The Coolest Part Of Town?
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
Appropriate to a significant life (and Meredith’s life is becoming VERY significant) she lived in three quite spectacular cities.
In London (18-plus years), in Leeds (two years), and of course in Perugia (two months).
London is evolving fast these days, and some of the developments there have a real beauty. No part of London is changing more spectacularly than the south bank of the Thames (left above).
Meredith’s main connection with this precise area? She was born here. In Southwark. Her family later moved south, but this is where she is from.
Meredith would later pass through this area a lot if she took the train to central London, just north, to get to the theaters and museums and Oxford Street stores.
She might very well have hung out here with friends. Everybody does. It is one of the number one places for walking and talking and looking in the evenings.
And we’d be surprised if Meredith never ever rode The Eye. The National Theater and the Tate Modern museum (next posts) are just a few steps from here to the east.
At night, with the parliament over there, and all the soft floodlighting, this is a place of quite haunting beauty.
She chose well… Meredith’s Leeds is here, and Meredith’s Perugia is here. More to come.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Meredith’s Perugia #2: The Lively Side Of The Place That She Never Really Saw
Posted by Peter Quennell
Monday, November 03, 2008
“Meredith Never Stopped Smiling”
Posted by Our Main Posters
[click for larger images]
The radiance of Meredith’s lovely smile and the infectiousness of her laugh have been remarked upon, again and again, by family and friends…
Cold rainy weather now in Perugia, it appears, and the reporters there for the Rudy Guede trial are long gone. Like last year, most of the students are out of town.
But kindly and commendably, a number of Italian news outlets have noted the mass held yesterday for Meredith, and the leaving of flowers at the house.
That smile. It sure got to people.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Meredith’s Leeds #2: The Large, Popular, Very Respected University,
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
Meredith studied at this hard-to-get-into university with the excellent reputation for two years. She would have returned for a third for sure.
These aerial shots show just the central campus area. Factoring in the many halls of residence, and the outlying schools, the total campus area must occupy several square miles.
Meredith would probably have spent most of her time in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (the white building at left-center above facing left, and at center below), the main library (the round building behind it) and the Students Union (the large cluster of buildings at far-left center above, and at just below left-center below).
Please look for a much fuller description soon, in a new post coming up.
Below: Two outdoor and two indoor shots of the Michael Sadler building housing the School of Modern Languages and Cultures
Below: Two shots of the Parkinson building, through which Meredith might haver walked if she came by bus
Below: A shot and a diagram of the Brotherton Library; the Italian Section is two floors below the main reading room here
Below: Outdoor and indoor shots of the Students Union which houses cafeterias, book stores, health facilities, and recreation
Below: Some of the buildings in the modern style - some new, some from the 1960s, many connected by overhead passage-ways
Below: Night falls on the university; with 30,000 students studying there, you would never normally see it an un-peopled as this!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Meredith’s Perugia #1: Faces Of The City She Loved Getting to Know
Posted by Peter Quennell
Meredith’s Neighborhoods: Perugia’s Far West DRAFT
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click above for more images.
This is a panorama of the light industry and residential areas about 10 minutes from central Perugia to the right there.
This is very similar to the areas south and east as well. To the north it becomes more mountainous and less populated.
You can just see crossing in front the autostrada which connects Perugia with the autostrada from Rome to Florence.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Meredith’s Leeds #1: The SPECTACULAR Downtown
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
Meredith lived two years in Leeds. She walked these places?
SURE she did. Everybody does. The Leeds downtown has to be one of the most successful in Europe. Built originally with the enormous wealth that resided in the town, and lovingly rebuilt again in parts after World War II.
You are looking here at four scenes. First, the myriad of covered passages that criss-cross the older shopping streets. Second, the huge covered market just nearby. Third, the more modern shopping, again very close. And finally, the public area in front of the town hall, where even more shopping - art-and-craft stalls - is periodically established.
One incredible walkable area. Even if she didn’t shop it - and that would surprise us! - Meredith surely loved to walk it.
She would of course have been back. At least for one more year. And maybe for grad school.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Meredith’s Family: Post-Trial, And At The Press Conference
Posted by Peter Quennell
[click for larger images]
Monday, September 29, 2008
A New Forum On The Meredith Kercher Case
Posted by Peter Quennell
A new Meredith-case forum opens for discussion today: PMF dot Org .
This one continues the heavy lifting on the case of a very informed, watchful, and caring group which populated the Steve-Huff-hosted forums for nearly a year.
Moderators are Skeptical Bystander and Michael, two of the most dedicated moderators you will find on any forum. Real survivors, too!
Added in 2016
PMF dot Org went private and then quiet after the Marasca-Bruno verdict late in 2015. Some posters moved to PMF dot Net and some called it quits.
Much of the translation that TJMK and the Wiki still carry was done by members of that PMF dot Org group. We immensely appreciate their past help.