Murder in Perugia

1. Murder in Perugia

2. This is an updated presentation based on the photos which appear in the 14 May 2008 article in La Nazione concerning the barefoot footprints pressed in blood which were found in the cottage in Perugia. Only visible under fluorescent light and after being treated with luminol, they should not be confused with the Nike shoeprints which were visible under natural light. Additional photos provided by the Tgcom news site have permitted us to extend the number of footprints to six, and to improve and complete our initial analysis of them. The situations presented here are related to ideas or event relationships which have arisen from the excellent multi-point-of-view, multi-timezone, and multi-cultural discussion resulting from Steve Huff’s True Crime Weblog on this tragedy: http://truecrimeweblog.freeforums.org/the-murder-of-meredith-kercher-f1.html (While you’re at it, visit Steve’s current blog, published by Village Voice Media: http://www.truecrimereport.com/) Any irony or sarcasm which may be encountered in the presentation or our discussions is not meant by any means to trivialise the pain and suffering, and butal senseless murder that the victim experienced, nor to reduce her memory. (Since the victim has no means to reply to any comments herein or scenarios described in other presentations, and the repeated use of her name in this context would only further hurt anyone close to her, I refer to her simply as “the victim”.) As we go through the scenarios of what may have happened in the crime, the only moment which is truly important is the day when the evidence is presented in court, like in any other serious crime case. I can only hope that there will be one single ending, that justice is served to those responsible for each of the crimes which have been determined by the Italian judiciary. I am buoyed by the fact that the victim’s family has continued to express confidence in the Italian justice system. - Kermit (15 September 2008) email: krmt123@gmail.com

3. INTRODUCTION After their publication in La Nazione and on TGCOM, we have various images of 6 footprints (5 made visible with luminol and 1 visible print on the bathmat) from the cottage in Perugia. If some of the prints are Rudy’s, they are simply additional evidence against him. If some the prints are Amanda’s, they could be explained by saying that they were made when she had her alleged shower in the morning of 2 November 2007. If some of the prints are the victim’s, they would be part of some struggle before she was locked behind her door and mercilessly abandoned to die. My objective in this presentation is to look at the footprints and detect if any of them could be from feet which were not Rudy’s, Amanda’s or the victim’s size. Why am I interested? There is much talk in certain quarters of the “Lone Wolf” theory. Like any theory it should be studied and taken seriously. (Although its name is amusing for me: zealous supporters of this theory should be aware that wolves are actually quite social animals - amongst themselves - and go about their work often under the orders of the alpha female of the pack.) If there are footprints which aren’t Rudy’s or Amanda’s or the victim’s size, then something is wrong with the Lone Wolf theory. Someone else was there. My measurements can not pretend to be exact. Different factors - principally perspective and camera optics - can modify them. However, those distortions affect as well the surrounding reference points (the tiles on the floor) which I use to adjust my “ruler” before making any measurement. I’ll leave it to your own eyes to appreciate the estimations of foot size. There was an indirect confirmation of what this presentation seeks to find, in a recent La Nazione article. The article lists 23 items of forensic evidence against the 3 suspects. Two of the items associated with Raffaele are a “compatible” luminol footprint in the hallway, and the “compatible” visible bloody footprint on the bathmat. If they are only compatible, they may not be his. But they definitely do belong to another wolf in the pack.

4. Our starting point goes back to 14 May 2008. In this very interesting La Nazione article, we saw three photos with a tale to tell ...

5. It’s only after looking closely at the middle and right photos, that you realise that they are in fact of the same footprints. The only difference is that they are taken under different lighting conditions (more or less natural or fluorescent light to highlight the luminol marker substance which binds to residual amounts of blood).

6. From there, the next logical step is to combine the images and try to measure and compare the luminol footprints!! In total, we have 6 different prints, so let’s get to work.

7. D I O A A T R R A R R O O T T A A I I D D A A A A R R Fridge Shelves First of all, if the floortiles will form the grid we use to measure the footprints, we have to determine their dimension. We know that all of the North Wing of the cottage has the same sized tiles.

8. First of all, if the floortiles will form the grid we use to measure the footprints, we have to determine their dimension. We know that all of the North Wing of the cottage has the same sized tiles. If we go into the victim’s room, we find the measuring scale we’re looking for, at ILE marker “C”.

9. To establish our precision measuring instrument() we have an excellent basis in ILE marker “C” for one of the visible shoeprints in the victim’s room. (from Daily Mail) All we have to do is to rotate it and extend it proportionally, in order to obtain a measuring ruler in centimeters. We see that the floortiles used in the north wing of the cottage are 16 cm. in width.(This corrects an earlier measure I had made of 15 centimetres before the TGCOM photos were available in the summer of 2008).

10. Let’s confirm that measurement of tile width as 16 cm. Between footprints A y B, there is a fuzzy ILE measuring ruler. If we sharpen up its units and extend it proportionally, we can again measure tile width as 16 cm.

11. As a third check of tile width, we have ILE marker 6 in the TGCOM bathroom photo. Without modifying its proportionality, we can confirm the tile width as 16 cm.

12. We’ll be measuring in centimetres, and later we’ll try an exercise in contrasting our measurements with the measurements made by Italian investigators of the suspects’ and the victim’s size of foot. The suspects’ feet were measured in surprise visits to Capanne (Amanda and Rudy) and Terni (Raffaele) prisons on 12 May 2008. The Italian investigators measured in European foot/shoe sizes. The following measurements were reported in the press: Amanda: Eurosize 37 Raffaele: Eurosize 42 Rudy: Eurosize 46 From the autopsy, the victim’s feet were measured at Eurosize 38.5. While there are different foot measuring scales (such as the “French Scale” - based on “French Points” - which in theory is a European-wide system), I have used common sense to base this presentation on standard foot sizing used for the shoes we buy in stores in Europe. European readers will recognise immediately size 46 as being a tall person’s large foot, size 42 as being an “average” sized man’s foot, size 38.5 as being an “average” woman’s size and size 37 as being a small woman’s size. Well before the police measurements in prison, when Raffaele’s lawyers were disputing the Nike print earlier this year, they showed size 42 Nike sports shoes on the Matrix TV show, that is the same size 42 shoe that anybody in continental Europe would find in a shoe store.

13. Here’s a good conversion chart between centimetres and other international foot sizing schemes. It is accurate for my feet and for others I have tested. A useful footsize calculator (from centimetres) is provided on This Site .

14. Okay, the preliminaries are over. Let’s start measuring the barefoot footprints made in blood. Let’s set up a summary table of shoe sizes which we’ll return to later: Foot size Footlength in centimetres Rudy Raffaele Victim Amanda

15. Footprints “A y B”

16. After the La Nazione photos of barefoot footprints made in blood, then cleaned and made visible with Luminol, we have seen additional images from TGCOM. We can layer them in all together, not only to understand the footprints themselves, but also to understand the surrounding area

17. Before we start with measurements, let’s take a look at this square metre of hallway: This looks like a folded, knitted sweater This appears to be the shadow of an object at an angle (I would have said an open door, but none really fit the angle). Maybe a box or a book on the floor, or ILE marker 2 3 4 1 The area is 4 tile lengths wide, coinciding with the North Wing corridor This almost looks like a finger- nail and 2 bent fingers (probably not, due to their size)

18. Okay, it’s time to measure. Let’s draw the floortile grid clearly. Now we calibrate the measuring ruler at 16 cm. per floortile (by width).

19. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes, as that would correspond to a child’s foot) FOOTPRINT “A”

20. Now let’s measure the distance between the marks with the ruler FOOTPRINT “A”

21. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” If we look more closely at the measurement, we can determine it to be 25.3 cm. (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) I personally think that’s a fairly accurate measurement. Of course, a millimetre here or there could make a difference, so let’s do an exercise of checking the proportionality and principal characteristics of the footprint. 25.3 cm 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm

22. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” What if this is not the end of the heel, but rather the extended mark of a “rolling” heel, made while walking? How do we know that the big toe doesn’t end here … … or here ? (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) Questions like the following may arise:

23. FOOTPRINT “A” Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” The way to check our method and assumptions about where the big toe and the heel reach, is to find an “average” real footprint and compare the main characteristics. (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) I found this one on Internet. Let’s assume that the person who made this Anonymous Internet Footprint (AIF) had such an “average” foot with “average” proportions. Well, I think our assumptions are pretty good. The round of the heel in the Luminol footprint does not look like it comes from rolling the foot while walking … … both the arch and external sides of the foot look about where they should be … … and most importantly, the big toe reaches exactly to where we thought it would. The only “anomaly” are the missing smaller toes, which we can assume is either because they weren’t soaked in blood, or because that part of the footprint was better cleaned than the rest. However, the overall proportionality appears correct.

24. FOOTPRINT “A” Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” Footprint A The victim’s size 38.5 foot equates to 24.8 cm. This is slightly less than our physical measurement of 25.3 cm. This footprint could be the victim’s size. However, my bet is that it is not, given that her foot size is slightly smaller than the footprint - perspective favours real sizes slightly larger than what we measure. Rudy’s large size 46 foot equates to about 28.4 cm. Footprint “A” is clearly not Rudy’s size. Raffaele’s size 42 foot equates to 26 cm. This is slightly more than our physical measurement of 25.3 cm. This footprint is a good candidate for being Raffaele’s size. First of all, the footprint may not take into account small characteristics like a slightly overhanging toe or heel which make make the footprint slightly shorter (millimetres) than the real foot. Secondly, the perspective of the photos favours a slightly longer measurement rather than the opposite (that requires a long explanation, which I’ll spare you). Foot size Footlength in cm. Footprint A Rudy Raffaele + Amanda’s size 37 foot equates to 23.8 cm. Footprint “A” is clearly not Amanda’s size. - Victim Amanda So, with a measurement at 25.3 cm, we can proceed to associate the footprint with a foot-size. (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) 24 cm 24 cm 18 cm 18 cm 12 cm 12 cm 6 cm 6 cm

25. Now let’s move on to Footprint “B” Before anything else, let’s recalibrate our ruler. Footprint B is higher in the image than Footprint A, and that change in perspective is enough to make us have to adjust the ruler by perhaps a few millimetres. It doesn’t change radically our measurements, but may nudge our interpretation one way or another. Click while watching the ruler … FOOTPRINT “B” Since both Footprint A and Footprint B straddle a tile-width, with a little behind the back line (their heels) and a little in front of the front line (their toes), I’m not too concerned about the overall effects of perspective on the measurements we make. (As mentioned in the comments made with Footprint A, if anything, perspective in the case of A and B could slightly lengthen our measurements.)

26. Armed with our freshly calibrated ruler, now let’s mark the limits of Footprint “B” ? Our task is more difficult in this case, as Footprint B at first glance only has a clearly defined heel. FOOTPRINT “B”

27. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” ? Is this a big toe? Is this a second toe? First of all, let’s zoom in, and make a decision about the orientation and basic characteristics of Footprint “B”. I hope you will agree that we can discard considering this as a left foot, in spite of the initial tendency to see a big and second toe. (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) I don’t think those two long marks are toes, given the obvious form of the arch, the balls of the feet, the toes, the space between the toes and the balls of the feet and the general orientation of the foot. If you insist on measuring this as a left foot, you get 29.8 cm., which is an off-the-scale nearly Yeti size 50 or so. In addition, it simply doesn’t look like a left foot.

28. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” ? So, we have a right foot, we have the heel mark, and we have identified general characteristics of the footprint. Let’s return to our Anonymous Internet Footprint (AIF) to set proportional measuring points. (I should mention that when I use and adjust the size of the AIF at any point in this presentation, I do not change its aspect ratio - the relationship between height and width) (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot) First of all, let’s just set the AIF down on the footprint, pushing it up against the heel mark … Does it look right? Not really. The toes don’t coincide, the ball of the foot behind the big toe isn’t quite right … Oops, I guess I tried to adjust the size too much. At least we see that the “front line” of luminol does not indicate where the toes are, but rather the balls of the foot. After adjusting the size again, I think we’re pretty close to the size of the foot which made this print. The heel is right, the left and right sides are right, the toes are right, the balls of the foot are right, the space between the toes and the balls of the foot is right. Let’s proceed to mark the big toe.

29. Let’s store the ruler on the side for a moment, and delimit Footprint “A” Rudy’s and Raffaele’s feet sizes equate to 28.4 and 26 cm., respectively. Footprint “B” is clearly neither Rudy’s nor Raffaele’s size. Footprint B The victim’s foot size equates to 24.8 cm. This is almost the same as our measurement. Footprint “B” looks like it is the victim’s size, according to this scale. Foot size 24 cm Footlength in cm. Footprint B Amanda’s foot size equates to 23.8 cm. I don’t believe this is Amanda’s size of footprint, although it is a possibility. 18 cm Rudy 12 cm Raffaele 6 cm Victim Amanda Now we apply the ruler, and measure a physical length of Footprint “B” at 24.6 cm. What size foot could have made that foot print? (I now only see one version of Footprint “A”, excluding from consideration a smaller one where the balls of the foot are seen as the toes; that would correspond to a child’s foot)

30. Footprint “C”

31. Footprint “C” demonstrates the wealth of information stored in digital images. From the published image we can adjust contrasts, colours, and intensities, to view much more visual information ….

32. Now we can draw the gridlines which form the pattern of floortiles ….

33. … and we can calibrate the ruler. 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm First by tile width ….

34. 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm … let’s also check the half tile length, confirming that a tile has 2 x 1 dimensions

35. We’ll store the ruler on the side until we figure out the dimensions of the footprint. 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm Let’s pull out the AIF again …

36. Let’s rotate the AIF Outline, and adjust it’s size (but not its aspect ratio) until we get a form which fits in with the front part of the footprint which is visible thanks to luminol. 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm

37. We mark the front and back extremes of the footprint … t 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm … and we measure. Wait! Before we measure, let’s consider a potential problem: I’ve already said that perspective can distort measurements … in particular measurements which go off into the distance. Just one tile of distance can put off our accuracy. Not by much (millimetres) but “not much” can impact in our interpretation of the measurements. What should we do? Answer: Nothing. The potential distortion caused by using a “flat” footprint outline (ie. an overhead image without perspective) is compensated by the use of a ruler which is also “flat”, with no perspective.

38. We mark the front and back extremes of the footprint … t 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm I read 23.3 cm. … and we measure.

39. We mark the front and back extremes of the footprint … t 24 cm 24 cm 18 cm 18 cm 12 cm 12 cm 6 cm 6 cm Click to make some space. … and we measure.

40. t 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm Marked at 23.3 cm., Footprint “C” is very close to Amanda’s size 37 foot, which equates to 23.8 cm. The victim’s size 38.5 foot would equate to a footlength of 24.8 cm. Raffaele’s size 42 foot would equate to a footlength of 26 cm. Rudy’s size 46 foot would equate to a footlength of about 28.4 cm.

41. t Amanda’s foot size is a close match to Footprint “C”. Marked at 23.3 cm., Footprint “C” is very close to Amanda’s size 37 foot, which equates to 23.8 cm. The victim’s size 38.5 foot would equate to a footlength of 24.8 cm. Raffaele’s size 42 foot would equate to a footlength of 26 cm. Rudy’s size 46 foot would equate to a footlength of about 28.4 cm.

42. t The victim’s foot size does not fit well. Amanda’s foot size is a close match to Footprint “C”. Marked at 23.3 cm., Footprint “C” is very close to Amanda’s size 37 foot, which equates to 23.8 cm. The victim’s size 38.5 foot would equate to a footlength of 24.8 cm. Raffaele’s size 42 foot would equate to a footlength of 26 cm. Rudy’s size 46 foot would equate to a footlength of about 28.4 cm.

43. t Raffaele’s foot size does not fit well. The victim’s foot size does not fit well. Amanda’s foot size is a close match to Footprint “C”. Marked at 23.3 cm., Footprint “C” is very close to Amanda’s size 37 foot, which equates to 23.8 cm. The victim’s size 38.5 foot would equate to a footlength of 24.8 cm. Raffaele’s size 42 foot would equate to a footlength of 26 cm. Rudy’s size 46 foot would equate to a footlength of about 28.4 cm.

44. t Rudy’s foot size does not fit well. Raffaele’s foot size does not fit well. The victim’s foot size does not fit well. Amanda’s foot size is a close match to Footprint “C”. Marked at 23.3 cm., Footprint “C” is very close to Amanda’s size 37 foot, which equates to 23.8 cm. The victim’s size 38.5 foot would equate to a footlength of 24.8 cm. Raffaele’s size 42 foot would equate to a footlength of 26 cm. Rudy’s size 46 foot would equate to a footlength of about 28.4 cm.

45. t Rudy’s foot size does not fit well. Raffaele’s foot size does not fit well. The victim’s foot size does not fit well. Amanda’s foot size is a close match to Footprint “C”. Let’s summarise the matching of Footprint “C” on our table. Footprint C Foot size Footlength in cm. Footprint C Rudy Raffaele Victim Amanda

46. Footprint “D”

47. Like in the case of the previous footprint, Footprint “D” from the TGCOM collection again demonstrates the wealth of information stored in digital images. From the published image we can adjust contrasts, colours, and intensities, to view much more visual information …. A forensic ruler Floor-tile gridlines

48. We know the tile widths are 16 cm. since the start of this presentation, thanks to 3 reference measures (ILE marker “C” in the bedroom, the forensic ruler between footprints A and B, and ILE marker “6” in the bathroom). Here’s a fourth reference marker. I’ll apply the extended ruler used in another presentation to show the blade length of the Double DNA kitchen knife as being 17.5 cm. We adjust it until the black and white centimetre squares coincide.

49. Let’s draw the floor tile grid. 24 cm 18 cm 12 cm 6 cm Without changing the Double DNA knife ruler’s dimensions, we can line it up with the grid and confirm again the 16 cm. width. In any case, I prefer our more detailed C-marker.

50. We are going to use the AIF again. But first, let’s make some space. 24 cm 24 cm 18 cm 18 cm 12 cm 12 cm 6 cm 6 cm