It has just been reported by at least two major Seattle media outlets that the 427-page motivation document issued March 4 in Italian, called the "(Judge) Massei Report" regarding the murder case of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, and West Seattle UW student Amanda Knox's involvement in the murder, has been for the first time translated in English by a team of of people on an international blog.

The Massei Report, authored by Judge Giancarlo Massei and Assistant Judge Beatrice Cristiani, explains the motivation of the judges and jury for their guilty verdicts of Knox, her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. and career burglar, Rudy Guede.

UPDATE: We now have links to both their English translation of the motivation and an English translation of Amanda Knox's rebuttal to that motivation document.

While the West Seattle Herald acknowledges the translation as one English translation, we are currently looking into the validity of that blog's claim that until now this document has not been translated in English. Many bi-lingual readers have shared opinions on the document with us and other media since the March 4 release. You can check out the March 6 West Seattle article "UPDATE: Cellmate's deposition & 427 page "motivation" document may clear Amanda Knox" here:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2010/03/06/news/update-cellmates-depos…

From that article, Edda Mellas, Amanda Knox's mother told the West Seattle Herald, "In trying to justify the knife (as evidence) they said there was 'definitely a second knife belonging to Raffaele.' But the 'alternative knife' was never brought up in court (...) It’s ludicrous.

"This is the summary that the judges wrote up. It is trying to justify the wrongful conviction of two innocent people," she added. "Because it's in Italian Amanda is also working on translating it. Her lawyers are thrilled. All of this is reason, and good grounds, for appeal."

Her husband, Amanda's step-father, Chris Mellas, said in that article, "Simply put, much of what is discussed in the report is not based in court-covered fact(...) In the end, it is good for us and we are happy because it is not based in court fact," Chris said. "This makes it easier for us at the appeal. Had the report been based in court fact, the judges would have been writing the reasoning for exoneration.”

One "Amanda follower" who is currently writing a book on the case told the West Seattle Herald, "As the murder trial and appeals process has been, and continues to be heard, in Perugia, Italy, and the lawyers and judges involved speak and read Italian, Amanda Knox will be judged by the Italian prosecution on the Italian translation that has been in their possession since March 4."

UPDATE: I am quoting the words "Italian translation." I believe it is obvious this person was referring to the Italian original.