Thursday, September 13, 2012

Sollecito Arrives in U.S. to Promote his New Book


Almost one year to the day that Amanda Knox and Raffalele Sollecito had been released from jail after their conviction had been overturned; they are once again back in the news. This time it is Sollecito who is stealing the headlines. Yesterday, Sollecito arrived in the United States to promote his new book, Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox, which is scheduled to be released on 18 September 2012. The book is co-authored by Los Angeles-based Andrew Gumbel who spent six years in Italy and was a Reuters foreign correspondent.

In leaked excerpts of his new book, Sollecito speaks about his “indescribable joy,” after being acquitted and released in Perigua, Italy almost one year ago today. He also speaks of his love affair with Amanda Knox, including their first night together:

“I showed Amanda around and invited her to plop down on the bed while I loaded a film on my computer. Of course, by the time I settled in next to her, all thoughts of the movie were quickly forgotten and we pulled each other’s clothes off before the opening credits finished rolling. When I woke up the next morning, Amanda still had her arms wrapped tightly around me. I remember feeling safe and warm in a way I hadn't since I was a little kid.”



The Associated Press received an advanced copy of the book Teusday and say that it describes how the early days of their relationship became a nightmare: the horror of Kercher’s slaying; the misunderstandings that swept them up in the case; their tabloid portrayals as two suspects unrecognizable to themselves. In the book Sollecito also wrote about his first night in prison, saying he wavered between “great waves of indignation and a nagging sense of guilt.” He said that while he knew he was innocent, he was angry at himself for having a “foggy memory” of the night of the killing because he and Knox had smoked marijuana.

It will be interesting to see what he has to say about the night of the murders and his side of the story now, considering that he and Knox have told several conflicting and different stories about what had happened and where they were throughout this whole ordeal. UK’s The Telegraph writes briefly that in his new book, Sollecito questions whether Amanda Knox knew more about the murder than she revealed, casting doubt on her key alibi--that on the night of the murder she was in his apartment, watching a film and making love. Yet, he still appears to maintain that smoking weed caused him not to remember these crucial events.

Knox has also signed a multimillion dollar publishing deal, and her book is due out soon as well. It is unlikely that there will be any true closure or any clarity added by these two, if you are familiar with the case and with the way that they both speak so confusingly about the events; Know even falsely claiming that another man (Patrick Lumumba) was present at the murder scene. Moreover, it is not likely that anything truly enlightening will be added in this book as Sollecito’s correct legal status is that he STILL stands accused of Meredith’s murder unless and until the Italian Supreme Court signs off on the case’s outcome.


However, Gumbel told mediabistro.com, “Not only will the book leave no doubt about Raffaele’s innocence; everything Raffaele and his family have to tell, backed by previously unpublished documents in the case, suggests that his incarceration had almost nothing to do with the actual evidence but had another motivation entirely — to be revealed when the book comes out.” But then again, Gumbel may just be trying to hype it up for the sake of book sales.

Sollecito is scheduled to speak at UW's Kane Hall Room 110, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door, or free with advanced purchase of his book at the University Book Store. Sollecito is scheduled to appear on the Katie Couric show on Tuesday 9/18/12. Protesters are also scheduled to meet Tuesday morning, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, near the studio (Lincoln Center). Hopefully Katie will ask the tough questions and not fold to the Knox PR machine. Here’s a PPP from www.truejustice.org on some of the poignant questions that Sollecito is yet to answer and that Couric should be asking him (CLICK HERE). In any event, the two former lovers will become rich because of this tragedy, and Kercher’s parents will keep being reminded of what happened to their daughter.

5 comments:

  1. Knox will certainly become rich, but the money Sollecito stands to make from "Honor Bound" pales in comparison to the small fortune pro-defense blogger Frank Sfarzo says Sollecito inherited from his mother.

    Sollecito is selling this book out of pure arrogance and indifference to the Kercher family's suffering.

    I have my own set of questions coming up on the True Justice for Meredith Kercher website later today. I invite Katie's producers as well as Sollecito and his media tutor to look at them and try to provide some answers.

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  2. Thank you, Will and brmull, for keeping us apprised of the goings-on in the world of this "rich kid gone wrong."

    RIP Meredith Kercher.

    Earthling

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  3. I'm interested to hear more about whether Amanda remained with him that night, he seems unsure and blames it on the pot smoking. Also why did he have concerns about the company Amanda kept? Is he distancing himself anticipating trouble at Cassation?

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  4. It sounds like he is trying to distance himself, but in reality he is just affirming the position of those who believe they were both involved. His DNA on Meredith’s severed bra; his admission to police that Amanda told you to lie about your activities on the night of the crime; his false story to police that he was cooking with Meredith and accidentally pricked her with the double DNA knife; and the fact that he told police that Amanda left his apartment at 9pm and return around 1am on the night of the murder; all of these vital questions are yet to be explained by Sollecito. I doubt that Katie Couric will ask him these questions…like Oprah; the Knox PR machine has likely gotten to her as well. Let’s hope not.

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  5. Will, you're awesome. You always keep the prominent issues prominent. Thanks for this up to date news. Classic photos too.

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