Murder Trial of American Coed Amanda Knox to Begin in Italy
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The murder trial of University of Washington student Amanda Knox is set to begin tomorrow in Italy in the city of Perugia, where she went to study.
The 21-year-old from Seattle and her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, are accused of stabbing her housemate, Meredith Kercher, in November 2007 in a sexual assault. Both say they are not guilty. If convicted they could face life in prison.
Another man, Rudy Hermann Guede of Ivory Coast, was convicted in October in a fast-track trial and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prosecutors have indicated the court intends to hold a maximum of two sessions of the trial each week. Lawyers say it could last a year.
Kercher's family is seeking to have the proceedings closed to the public and the media to prevent sensitive evidence from being broadcast.