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Meredith Kercher was a 21-year-old British college student living in Perugia, Italy, until her life was brutally cut short in 2007. She was murdered and found dead in her Italian home, where she lived with former roommate Amanda Knox. Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, were wrongfully convicted of killing Kercher, which stirred a global media frenzy against the then-20-year-old Knox. Amid the release of Hulu’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, many are still asking the same question: who killed Kercher?
Below, Hollywood Life has compiled the details from Kercher’s murder case.
Who Was Meredith Kercher?
Kercher was a student at the University of Leeds studying European politics and Italian. She reportedly wanted to work for the European Union or as a journalist in her future.
Before going to Perugia, Kercher appeared in Kristian Leontiou‘s “Some Say” music video in 2004. Students reportedly described Kercher as outgoing and caring.
Were Meredith Kercher & Amanda Knox Friends?
Kercher and Knox were roommates at their Perugia home, and they seemed to have an amicable co-living friendship. The two attended the EuroChocolate festival in October 2007, just weeks before Kercher was murdered, and together, the roommates attended a classical music concert. This is where Knox met her boyfriend, Sollecito, who was 23 years old at the time.
What Was Amanda Knox Accused of?
Knox was accused and convicted of murder, defamation, staging a break-in and sexual violence in the murder of Kercher. Prosecutors alleged that Knox attacked and killed Kercher, and that Sollecito and then-20-year-old Rudy Guede sexually assaulted Kercher.
Guede is the only person who was definitively convicted of being involved in Kercher’s murder, while Knox and Sollecito were found not guilty of their convictions in 2011 and formally acquitted of killing Kercher in 2015.
(Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Who Killed Meredith Kercher?
Guede is the only person that has been definitely convicted of killing Kercher. His bloodstained fingerprints were found at the crime scene. Guede, who had lived in Italy since childhood, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Kercher’s murder in 2008. His prison sentence was reduced on appeal, then Guede was released early in 2021 for good behavior.
Where Is Rudy Guede Now?
Guede was released from prison in 2021. However, in 2023, he was accused of sexual assault and violence by a former girlfriend, whose identity has not been disclosed. They dated while Guede was in prison, and they broke up in 2023, when she pressed charges against him.
As of August 2025, Guede is expected to stand trial in the fall, according to CNN.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
