September 27, 2011 1:12 PM EDT
Amanda Knox listened to the final arguments of her appeals trial in Perugia, Italy on Tuesday. The American woman charged with the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher had to sit in court as prosecutors branded her as a sex-crazed, drug-fueled "diabolical she devil" and femme fatale.
Knox's lawyers responded by saying that Knox was like Jessica Rabbit, the cartoon character who famously said "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
"Jessica Rabbit looks like a man-eater, but she is a faithful and loving woman," said Knox's lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno.
The trial has proved to be one of the most confusing and intriguing cases in recent memory. The differences between the American and Italian legal system, culture and media have made this case arabesque and often frustrating. With the judge only a week or so away from making the next, and possibly final, ruling, here are the five things to know about the case.
5) The People Involved
Follow us
Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and a man named Rudy Guede have all been convicted for having a role in Kercher's murder. Kercher was a British student living with Knox in Perugia, where they both studied at an Italian language university in the fall of 2007.
Kercher was found dead in November, her throat slit after an alleged sexual assault. Guede, who was born in the Ivory Coast in Africa and moved to Perugia when he was a boy, was the first person tried and convicted of the murder. He is thought to have had sex with Kercher on the night of her death, and police found shoe and hand prints in Kercher's blood that they attributed to Guede.
Guede had trouble with the law in the past, and was caught with stolen items on multiple occasions. A teacher also claimed to have seen Guede with a 16-inch knife just two weeks before Kercher was killed. It's also been suggested that Guede was Knox's drug dealer.
There's also Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, the Perugia bar owner who Knox originally accused of the murder. Lumumba is suing Knox for slander.
4) The Evidence
The biggest and most controversial pieces of evidence in the case are DNA-related. Police found DNA matching both Knox and Sollecito on Kercher's bra clasp, which originally suggested to investigators that the British student was killed during a sex-game gone wrong. The clasp was found six weeks after the murder.
Knox's DNA was also found on a knife blade and handle in Sollecito's apartment, where the two had spent the night when Kercher was killed.
But independent, court-appointed experts told the Italian court in June that the DNA evidence was inconclusive, and could have been tainted during the investigation. Some reports also suggest that a knife found in Sollecito's flat was too large to have inflicted the particular wounds on Kercher's body.
The court ruled against retesting the DNA evidence, a move that could work in Knox's favor if judges feel that the findings are too inconclusive.
Is Ron Paul 2012 Trying To Upstage Mitt Romney In Tampa? Paul Festival 2012 Would End Day Before Convention Starts
The Most Dangerous US States to Drive In 2012 [SLIDESHOW]
Etan Patz Murder Suspect Identified As Pedro Hernandez, Reveals Gruesome Details To Police
After Greece Exits The Euro, What's Next? An Illustrated Guide To 5 Possible Scenarios
Call My Bluff: Greece Dares EU As It Edges Closer To 'Drachmageddon'We value your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.
