By Ron Hendry
My 28 year career as a Forensic Engineer did not include the investigation of person on person crimes. However, I had extensive experience at reconstructing complex incidents, evaluating police investigations and reports, evaluating opposing experts’ investigations and reports, and evaluating witness statements and testimony. I have also extensive experience in evaluating and reconstructing complex incidents from photos. Finally, I have had some success in finding glaring errors and mistakes on the part of the investigations and analysis by both the police and opposing expert investigators.
Since my retirement in January, 2008 I have been casting about for something of interest to study and perhaps write about and offer to a magazine or newspaper for publication. During much of 2009, I was doing internet research on the Toyota unintended acceleration problem and the controversial Cameron Todd Willingham execution for the fire deaths of his children.
I switched over to looking into the murder of Meredith Kercher in December, 2009 after Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito had been convicted of her murder. My initial interest was to look into it enough to satisfy myself that both were guilty as charged despite all the news reports in this country which questioned their guilt. Then I could get back to the other two internet investigations.
I immediately found numerous news articles about the Kercher crime over the internet. Also, bits and pieces of factual information along with a few crime scene photos and videos could be found at several web sites. After having accumulated and reviewed several hundred articles, photos, and other information, I came to the conclusion that Amanda and Raffaele were wrongfully charged of involvement in the murder of Meredith Kercher.
At that point I found myself unable to move on to something else. Somehow I thought I might be able to help the two in their quest for freedom. So I worked up four articles on the break-in aspect and sent them to Bruce Fisher for consideration for his website. Bruce agreed to publish the articles. After further discussion, Bruce and I agreed that it would be beneficial if I did an in depth analysis of the photographic and video evidence of this case.
I was provided access to a great deal of the police crime scene photo documentation and some of the police crime scene video documentation. This extraordinary access has enabled me to perform a much more comprehensive evaluation of the events surrounding the murder of Meredith Kercher.
As a result of this unusual access to crime scene documentation, I feel a responsibility toward all major involved parties in this matter to assess the physical evidence and other factors with as much balance and reasonableness as I can muster. My highest sense of responsibility is toward the memory of Meredith Kercher. One component of which involves protecting her dignity to the extent possible. My view is the person or persons responsible for her death should be treated as harshly as the law allows. However, it would be a gross disservice to her memory if innocent parties were condemned and found guilty of her death and made to live out their lives in prison and in dishonor. The conviction of innocent parties also prevents family and loved ones from obtaining the closure that they should be afforded once the guilty party has been found and convicted.
Close behind is a sense of responsibility toward Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox whom my investigation has found to be innocent of any involvement in the murder and abuse of Meredith Kercher. They have been unfairly treated all through this process and I deign to offer anything for publishing that would harm their situation. Some of my analysis and reconstruction differs from the published positions of their experts with regard how things occurred. Due to the complex crime scene, several differing reconstructions based on sound facts can be offered as to how Rudy Guede murdered and abused Meredith Kercher. However, no valid reconstruction based on sound facts can be offered to show how Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were involved.
Even though I have formed a firm opinion about Rudy Guede based on the facts, I still feel a responsibility to fairly present my interpretation of the events that occurred the night of the murder. I will also state that in the extremely remote off chance I uncovered factual indication of their involvement, I would report such.
In my view, there are three primary victims in this matter – Meredith Kercher, Raffaele Sollecito, and Amanda Knox. Also victimized are their respective families and loved ones. After many months of review, I have come to hold Meredith, Raffaele, and Amanda in very high regard. I would have felt blessed to have had any one or all as a grandchild.
It is with that feeling toward all three that I have persevered in my evaluation of this matter. Finally, any positive contribution that I might make toward the effort to correct the gross miscarriage of justice is only possible through the tireless efforts of Bruce Fischer in his creating and maintaining the Injustice In Perugia website.