Amanda Knox’s mother to testify at Italy murder trial

Published 8:24 am Monday, June 15, 2009

PERUGIA, Italy — A Seattle woman, Edda Mellas, is scheduled to testify Friday at her daughter’s murder trial in Italy.

Edda Mellas sent Amanda Knox off to Italy in 2007 as part of a University of Washington study-abroad program.

Knox and the boyfriend she met in Italy are accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, during a sexual assault.

Knox testified last week she was at her boyfriend’s apartment at the time and doesn’t know who killed Kercher. She says police interrogators hit and yelled at her to force her to make a false statement.

Knox has been jailed since shortly after the killing in November 2007. The trial began in January, and a verdict is expected after a summer break.