UPDATE- 8:30 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 21:

The family of Amanda Knox, and Knox herself, believed this morning's hearing went well for the family, although a verdict may not be reached until September, rather than early summer as was previously the timeline.

Chris Mellas:

"When Amanda was in court she was crying because of the prospect of spending another full-on summer in jail, and was hoping that this whole thing would be over with by the end of July," Knox's stepfather, Chris Mellas told the West Seattle Herald today following the hearing. "Now she's thinking there is a potential for the appeal to go into September."

Knox is typically allowed a 10-minute phone call home from prison on Saturday mornings Seattle time. This morning's call came in after the hearing, and conveyed a calmer Amanda, said Mellas, who was in his Arbor Heights home with his wife, Amanda's mother Edda, Amanda's grandmother Liz, and others.

"When she got back to prison, she kind of calmed down, sorted things out, put things into perspective, and became OK with it," explained Mellas. "She understands that the judge wants to appropriately understand everything. All these delays are to further clarify, and come to the truth of the matter, which is good."

Curt Knox:

"With respect to Amanda and her frame of mind, it was a good day from an evidence point of view, but it was tough for Amanda and all of us to learn that it will be in early fall (probably September) before a decision will be made in her appeals trial," Amanda's father, Curt Knox told the West Seattle Herald by email from Perugia, Italy today.

"The delay's occurred because Patrizia Stefanoni has not been forthcoming with information about DNA collected for the prosecution's original murder case," Curt said.

"Stefanoni was a no-show at today's hearing," Amanda's father added.

She is the investigator for Policia Scientifica who handled the DNA findings and testified that Knox’s DNA was on the handle of the knife and the victim DNA on the end of the blade. She also testified that Raffaele’s DNA was on Kercher’s bra clasp.

"Apparently she was not required to be there but everyone was expecting her to be, given that the independent (forensic) experts were having trouble getting everything from her they were asking for," Curt said. "During the hearing today, the experts were granted access to what they were asking for and we became aware that Stefanoni sent the experts some of what they were looking for two days after their report was supposed to be submitted.

"Also, to my knowledge, Stefanonie has never 'blown off' the judge on showing to court," said Curt. "That was Napeleoni who did that at the last hearing."

Stefanoni's reluctance, and possible August verdict:

"There were a lot of letters back and forth," Mellas clarified. "I don't know if there was a specific demand. Her not showing up in itself has nothing to do with anything, but her not handing over all the stuff the forensics experts requested, yes, of course that caused a delay. These experts have been trying to make a report. They need the evidence she has and it looks like she has been reluctant to give it up."

Mellas pointed out that it is "possible" that a verdict may be reached at the beginning of August. He explained, "The forensic experts will give their findings June 30, and the judges want to confer with other DNA experts so that they understand what is being discussed, almost like another third party opinion to help them interpret it and make an appropriate decision. The time allotted runs to July 25. They typically break for summer vacation the month of August, but it is possible they will hear closing arguments, then reach a verdict prior to the summer break. We won't know that until the end of July."

Monica Napoleoni, the head of the prosecution's Homicide Unit, took the stand briefly to explain some of the information gathered for the original murder trial of Meredith Kercher involving witnesses who testified. She did not show at the previous hearing as requested. She tried, but could do nothing to save Antonio Curatolo, a.k.a. "Toto", the prosecution's "super-witness", according to sources in the courtroom.
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At about 1:00 a.m. Seattle time tomorrow morning West Seattle raised Amanda Knox, who has spent three and a half years in prison, will appear in court during her appeal hearing where she tries to clear her name for the murder of her college roommate, Meredith Kercher. This hearing could become a tipping point in the trial as Monica Napoleoni will appear.

Monica Napoleoni was the head of the Homicide Unit for the prosecution in the original trial, responsible for presenting witnesses, and was a "no show" at the last hearing, March 24. She will be called by the judge for an explanation, and to explain where the records are of other witnesses who came to court during the murder trial that contradicted the evidence of the prosecution's star witness, Antonio "Toto" Curatolo, the self-described heroin addict who lived on a park bench and claimed to see Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito in a square the night of the murder, Nov. 1, 2007.

During the last hearing he became confused with the dates and said he saw them on Halloween, the night before the murder, and was dismissed by Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann, who is hearing the appeal. According to the Knox family, the judge could not reach Napoleoni at work, home, or on police radio.

Forensic expert Patrizia Stefanoni, also a no-show of sorts, is expected to appear tomorrow. She is the investigator for Policia Scientifica who handled the DNA findings and testified that Knox’s DNA was on the handle of the knife and the victim DNA on the end of the blade. She also testified that Raffaele’s DNA was on Kercher’s bra clasp.

Stefanoni has been putting the judge off as he has requested files of her findings. Hellmann sent her a handwritten note on April 4 ordering her to produce the files. Tomorrow the judge is expected to ask why she has ignored his requests. dragging the process out of giving over the DNA data. She has refused so far, in a letter to the judge.

Slander Trial

Last Tuesday Amanda Knox appeared in court for about a 15-minute hearing for the slander case against her. The family filed a complaint because Giuliano Mignini, the head-prosecutor in Ms. Kercher's murder trial, is involved in prosecuting the slander trial while he is also an offended party. They want the slander trial moved to Florence.

"The case is supposed to be tried in a different jurisdiction (than Perugia) where he can be a party and not be bolstered by his colleagues in his office," Knox's stepfather, Chris Mellas told the West Seattle Herald today. "Florence is the secondary jurisdiction, then after that, Rome."

There will be a hearing to decide Mignini's involvement in the slander case in October. The continuation will be in mid-November. However, If Knox wins her appeal in the murder case, she could be home before October.