Boyfriend admits Knox behaviour 'odd' in book

Gene Johnson

RAFFAELE Sollecito, whose budding love affair with American exchange student Amanda Knox helped land him in an Italian prison for four years, maintains the couple's innocence in a new book, but acknowledges that their sometimes bizarre behaviour after her roommate's killing gave police reason for suspicion.

The pair was imprisoned for the November 2007 death of Meredith Kercher at Knox's apartment in Perugia, north of Rome.

An appeals court overturned their conviction and freed them last autumn, issuing a 143-page opinion that blasted the utter lack of evidence against them. Rudy Guede, a petty criminal who was convicted separately, remains imprisoned and is serving a 16-year sentence.

Foxy

In Sollecito's book, Honor Bound, he describes how the early days of their relationship became a nightmare: the horror of Kercher's slaying; the misunderstandings that swept them up in the case; their tabloid portrayals as two suspects unrecognisable to themselves.

Knox became 'Foxy Knoxy' and received the brunt of the attention as she shopped for underwear after the killing and turned cartwheels in front of investigators. While police investigated the crime scene, Sollecito caressed her and they kissed, unaware of the television news cameras across the street.

Later at the police station she climbed in his lap, making Sollecito uneasy, he said.

Police found their behaviour "odd" and he acknowledged they had no "real alibi the night of November 1 except each other."

Knox is also writing a book. Her deal, with HarperCollins, is reportedly worth $4m (¤3m).

The couple were arrested several days after Kercher's death and later convicted in proceedings that made headlines around the world.

Prosecutors portrayed the case as a drug-fuelled sexual assault, and Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 26 years and 25 years.

The appeals court found the prosecution's theory to be unsupported by any evidence.

Sollecito criticises the police for their handling of the case, reaching for a far-fetched conspiracy instead of the simpler explanation that Guede had on his own committed a burglary gone wrong.

When they were finally acquitted, Sollecito writes that he felt "indescribable joy."

He saw Knox sobbing, and they later had a private moment in the basement of the courthouse, waiting to be taken back to prison one last time. According to Sollecito, she squeezed his hand and said she couldn't wait to see her home and friends.

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