Early Life and Education of Amanda Knox: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Amanda Knox. From birth to education, explore key events.

Amanda Knox is an American author and activist who was wrongfully convicted, then acquitted, of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. She spent nearly four years in an Italian prison before her acquittal by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation in 2015. Despite the acquittal for murder, Knox faced legal battles related to the case. In 2024, an Italian appellate court upheld her slander conviction for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba of the murder. The case garnered international attention and raised questions about the Italian justice system and media coverage of criminal trials.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Controversies & Scandals

July 9, 1987: Amanda Knox's Birth

On July 9, 1987, Amanda Marie Knox was born. She is an American author, activist, and journalist.

Others born on this day/year

2005: Graduation from Seattle Preparatory School

In 2005, Amanda Knox graduated from Seattle Preparatory School.

November 6, 2007: Arrest of Knox, Sollecito, and Lumumba

On November 6, 2007, Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito, and Patrick Lumumba were arrested and charged with the murder of Meredith Kercher. Lumumba was later released.

November 19, 2007: Guede's Skype Conversation

On November 19, 2007, during a Skype conversation with his friend Giacomo Benedetti, Rudy Guede did not mention Knox or Sollecito as being in the building on the night of the murder.

2007: Dean's List at the University of Washington

In 2007, Amanda Knox made the dean's list at the University of Washington, where she was studying linguistics.

2007: Move to Perugia

In 2007, Amanda Knox moved to Perugia for its universities and because it had fewer tourists than Florence. She lived in a four-bedroom apartment with Meredith Kercher and two Italian trainee lawyers.

2007: Kercher Murder

In 2007, Meredith Kercher was murdered, resulting in the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox for the crime.

October 2008: Guede Found Guilty

In October 2008, Rudy Guede was found guilty of the sexual assault and murder of Meredith Kercher and sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment (later reduced).

December 5, 2009: Knox Convicted

On December 5, 2009, Amanda Knox was convicted on charges of faking a break-in, defamation, sexual violence, and murder, and was sentenced to 26 years imprisonment. Raffaele Sollecito was also sentenced.

2009: Knox and Sollecito Plead Not Guilty

In 2009, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito pleaded not guilty at a corte d'assise on charges of murder, sexual assault, simulating a burglary, and theft.

2009: Conviction and Sentencing in Initial Trial

In 2009, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in their initial trial and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively, for the murder of Meredith Kercher. The trial and the resulting guilty verdict caused international controversy.

November 2010: Appeal Trial Begins

In November 2010, the appeal trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito began, presided over by Judges Claudio Pratillo Hellmann and Massimo Zanetti.

May 2011: Forensic Results Pointing to Guede

In May 2011, consultant Greg Hampikian stated that forensic results from the crime scene pointed to Rudy Guede as the sole killer.

October 3, 2011: Knox and Sollecito Found Not Guilty

On October 3, 2011, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were found not guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher in the appeal trial.

2011: Return to the United States

After returning to the United States in late 2011, Amanda Knox completed her degree and worked on a book about her case. She faced constant attention from paparazzi.

2011: Release After Acquittal

In 2011, Amanda Knox was freed after a prolonged legal process, although a prosecution appeal against her acquittal at a second-level trial continued.

2011: Meeting Christopher Robinson

In 2011, after Amanda Knox's return to Seattle, she met Christopher Robinson for the first time. He is an author who is connected to the Robinson Newspapers, which owns the Westside Seattle newspaper.

March 26, 2013: Supreme Court Sets Aside Acquittals

On March 26, 2013, Italy's highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, set aside the acquittals of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito from the second-level trial, ordering a retrial.

January 30, 2014: Guilty Verdict in Retrial

On January 30, 2014, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty in their retrial for the murder of Meredith Kercher.

March 27, 2015: Final Exoneration by Italy's Highest Court

On March 27, 2015, Italy's highest court definitively exonerated Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito in the Meredith Kercher murder case.

September 7, 2015: Report on Acquittal Published

On September 7, 2015, the Court published a report on the acquittal, citing "glaring errors", "investigative amnesia", and "guilty omissions" in the investigation of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. They highlighted failures in proving the scenario that Knox and Sollecito killed Kercher.

2015: Definitive Acquittal

In 2015, the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation definitively acquitted Amanda Knox of the murder of Meredith Kercher, bringing an end to her wrongful conviction.

January 14, 2016: Acquittal of Defamation

On January 14, 2016, Amanda Knox was acquitted of defamation for saying she had been struck by policewomen during interrogation.

January 24, 2019: ECHR Orders Compensation to Knox

On January 24, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Italy to pay compensation to Amanda Knox for violating her rights during her arrest in Perugia. The amount was €18,400.

2019: Engagement Announcement

In 2019, Amanda Knox and Christopher Robinson announced their engagement.

February 29, 2020: Marriage to Christopher Robinson

On February 29, 2020, Amanda Knox married author Christopher Robinson.

December 2020: Guede's Early Release

In December 2020, Rudy Guede was given an early release and authorized to finish his sentence with community service. Amanda Knox spoke out against this decision.

December 2020: Rudy Guede's Community Service

In December 2020, an Italian court ruled that Rudy Guede, who was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial and sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment (later reduced to 16 years), could complete his term by doing community service.

October 2021: Birth of First Child

In October 2021, Amanda Knox announced in an interview with The New York Times that she had given birth to her first child, a daughter, several months prior.

Others born on this day/year

2022: Reform to Criminal Procedure Code

In 2022, a reform to the code of criminal procedure enabled Amanda Knox to appeal her conviction for defamation of Patrick Lumumba.

September 2023: Birth of Second Child

In September 2023, Amanda Knox gave birth to her second child, a son.

Others born on this day/year

October 2023: Retrial Ordered by the Court of Cassation

In October 2023, the Court of Cassation ordered a retrial of Amanda Knox's defamation conviction for accusing Patrick Lumumba.

June 2024: Slander Conviction Upheld by Italian Appellate Court

In June 2024, an Italian appellate court upheld Amanda Knox's slander conviction for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba of murdering Meredith Kercher. She was not sentenced to additional prison time.