After a two-month summer break for the prosecutors, defenders, judge and jurors, the Perugia, Italy murder trial of West Seattle resident and University of Washington student Amanda Knox has resumed.

Knox, who turned 22 on July 9, has been in prison for nearly two years on suspicion of sexually assaulting and murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher Nov. 1, 2007 during her college studies there. More than one year passed while she awaited trial, which began Jan. 16 of this year.

Also accused is Raffaele Sollecito, her boyfriend at the time of the murder, and Rudy Guede, who was already found guilty of the murder and is serving his sentence.

It is the custom of workers in Italy and other European nations to take a summer siesta to escape the heat. But Knox and her prison mates inside Capanne Prison were confined to near 100 degree temperatures. Her family acknowledged that the heat, monotony and anticipation of more court hearings have taken a toll on Knox.

Knox’s family and college pals visited her during the summer. She is permitted two visits per week. She can also phone home once a week for 10 minutes and speak to immediate family, only. However, others may listen in on speakerphone.

“She’s been such a trouper being positive over the summer and able to grin and bear it,” said Janet Huff, Knox’s aunt. Janet’s husband Mick is the brother of Amanda’s mother Edda.

“This whole summer has been absolutely nothing,” Huff continued. “All the jurors, lawyers, and judges go on vacation. Amanda just sits in jail, reads and cooks. She teaches her prison mates to read and write Italian. Some are from nearby countries and can only speak a little Italian.”

Knox is still studying under a University of Washington program and has learned Italian, as well as some German and Japanese on her own while in Capanne.

“I’m hoping that by mid- October to early November there will be a verdict of some kind,” said Huff. “I don’t care, as long as the outcome is ‘You’re free to go.’”

Knox’s hearings generally take place on Friday’s and Saturday’s as jurors in Italy return home at nights and to work during weekdays. September 18 and 19 marked the second weekend the trial has resumed. That weekend “went well for Amanda” according to her stepfather, Chris Mellas, Edda’s husband.

“Friday (Sept. 19) was about Raffaele’s family,” said Mellas. “Evidence of bloody foot prints showed unequivocally they were not Raffaele's.

“Three new medical examiners appeared at the trial Saturday (Sept. 20),” said Mellas. “They are experts hired by the judge to review the original autopsy.”

Questions remain about the knife the prosecution believes was the murder weapon.

“A year ago April experts said the knife was ‘not incompatible’ with Meredith’s stab wounds,” said Mellas. “That was kind of unclear, a double negative. That opinion changed a bit Saturday. Now they say the knife is ‘not compatible with some of the wounds.’

“They also said there was no concrete proof that Meredith was raped but rather that Guede violently attacked her,” Mellas added. He explained that what evidence of sex there was occurred exclusively between Meredith and her boyfriend two nights prior to the murder. He said that this would contradict their previous statements that sex had occurred between Ms. Kercher, Sollecito, and Guede the night of the murder.

“This disproves the whole ‘sex game orgy thing,’” said Mellas. “That’s out since evidence of sex can be attributed to her sex partner.”

“We think the evidence sounds so clear but in the back of our heads we think they refuse to believe us,” said Cassandra Knox, Amanda’s stepmother, the wife of Amanda’s father Curt. “It just seems so blatantly obvious but they wont let it go. Grocery store checkers will recognize my last name on my credit card and say, ‘I just cant even believe what your family is going through. Why is this still going on? Why isn’t the government getting involved?’ Even strangers in Perugia who Curt and I have met are saying this is ridiculous. It gives you hope.”

“I heard many students talking about the trial when it was on the radio and TV,” said Alessandro Fino, a student of physics at the Università DI Bari, a college of about 4,000 in southern Italy near Sollecito’s hometown, Giovinazzo.

Reached by Internet, he said that because he is the same age as Amanda he became a supporter. He also feels a connection with Seattle because his home is five miles from the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport with a factory that assembles B787 parts sent to Everett, and he is interested in aerospace. He corresponds by mail with Knox.

“The media shows ‘polizia scientifica’ using wrong methods,” he said. “There are some criteria in scientific investigations you have to respect to say your hypothesis is true or not true. Many students I talk to here believe the science investigation was led wrong.

“Even if the students are not closely interested in the case they feel deep respect for Amanda and Raffaele,” he said. “That surprised me about Seattle’s perception that all of Italy is against them. It’s not true.”