Lawyer Tears Up in Emotional Closing to 10-Month Amanda Knox Trial
The sensational trial of a Seattle native and foreign exchange student Amanda Knox came to an emotional close Wednesday when her lawyer broke down in tears during his closing.
Luciano Ghirga apologized for the display of emotion during his closing argument in an Italian court. He’d been pleading with the six jurors and two judges to find Knox innocent of charges that she murdered her British roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007.
“Amanda is asking to have her life back. Give Amanda her life back by clearing her of all charges,” Ghirga said at the end of a four-hour summation. As he spoke, his voice quivered and tears appeared in his eyes, the London Telegraph reports.
During his closing, Ghirga said the investigation into the crime lacked “rigor” and he said prosecutors changed their minds about the alleged motive for the murder.
Indeed, for months, prosecutors alleged that Kercher was killed for sexual reasons. But in the prosecution’s closing, Giuliano Mignini argued that Knox killed Kercher in a moment of blind hate.
Jurors in the 10-month-long case are expected to begin deliberations Friday. Under Italian law, the six jurors and two judges will deliberate together, CBS News reports.
