Do you think ...

[Tender Branson]

(CBS News)

In Perugia, Italy, five witnesses are about to speak out in defense of Amanda Knox, the American who is in prison for killing her roommate in 2007. However, some are now questioning the witnesses' reliability.

CBS News Correspondent Charlie D'Agata reported there's plenty of courtroom drama as five serving inmates are coming forward to provide crucial inside information about the case.

But, D'Agata reported, prosecutors are doing everything they can to say these witnesses are hardened criminals who can't be trusted.

D'Agata reported on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" that Amanda Knox looked composed and was dressed conservatively as she made the familiar journey into the Italian courtroom from the prison cell that's been her home for the past three-and-a-half years.

The new witnesses say she and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito are innocent of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. A third man, Rudy Guede, has also been convicted of the murder.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/18/earlyshow/saturday/main20072239.shtml

[Tender Branson]

The more I´m thinking about it, the more I think that she is not guilty.

It is EXTREMELY rare that women kill at all.

Only about 5% of all homicide offenders are women.

It is even more unlikely that a woman kills another woman.

Women are most likely to kill either their partners/husbands or their children, but not another woman.

Out of 17.000 homicides each year in the US, only 180 cases involved women killing another woman, which is slightly more than 1% of the cases.

That doesn't mean that Knox could not have done it, but the statistical analysis would point more strongly to her 2 male roommates.

[The Mikado]

Determining innocence/guilt via statistics is pretty dumb, imo.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Determining innocence/guilt via statistics is pretty dumb, imo.

     I think he meant more as determining a starting point for the police investigation. At the trial level, argument from rarity is a rather inane way of operating.

[Franzl]

I'm not extremely well informed on the details....but I tend to think she's not guilty.

[TheGlobalizer]

She doesn't seem the killer type.  A bit of a sick twist, sure, but murder doesn't jump off the page.

Legal culpability for murder is another matter, however.

[Tender Branson]

The verdict will come later today:

(Reuters) - American student Amanda Knox made a tearful plea on Monday to be acquitted of murdering her British roommate during a brutal erotic game, saying she was paying with her life for a crime she did not commit.

"I am the same person I was four years ago," said Knox, visibly shaking and fighting to hold back tears.

"I lost a friend, in the most brutal and inexplicable way possible. My absolute faith in the police authorities was betrayed, I've had to face absolutely unfair ... and baseless accusations. I am paying with my life for things I did not commit."

The Seattle native and her Italian boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, are fighting a 2009 verdict that found them guilty of stabbing Leeds University exchange student Meredith Kercher to death during a brutal, drug-fueled sexual assault.

The panel of two professional and six lay judges retired to consider a verdict immediately after Knox's final plea. Their decision is expected late on Monday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/03/us-italy-knox-idUSTRE7920N620111003

[Tender Branson]

Determining innocence/guilt via statistics is pretty dumb, imo.

     I think he meant more as determining a starting point for the police investigation. At the trial level, argument from rarity is a rather inane way of operating.

Yeah, that.

It's just a thing I wanted to point out, but of course the forensics are much more important.

Still, I think she will lose her appeal today and the court will find her guilty of the murder.

We'll know in the next hour or so.

[Tender Branson]

Verdict now ...

[Tender Branson]

Wow ! They are found NOT GUILTY !!!

Amanda Knox is FREE.

[Insula Dei]

I always more or less assumed she'd be guilty. What exactly does the case in her favour look like?

[Tender Branson]

I always more or less assumed she'd be guilty. What exactly does the case in her favour look like?

Not that I´m aware of all the details, but when was the last time a woman raped another woman and subsequently stabbed her to death with more than 40 stitches ?

Considering the fact that there were 2 male suspects as well and the DNA analysis was flawed, it's In dubio pro reo for me.