Who Killed Meredith Kercher? The 5 Definitive Facts And Latest Updates On The Case's Only Convicted Killer

The murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007, remains one of the most sensational and controversial true-crime cases of the 21st century. While the Italian justice system has provided a definitive legal answer, the public debate—fueled by conflicting narratives, unreliable forensic evidence, and a media frenzy—continues to question the full truth of what happened on the night of November 1, 2007. This deep dive, updated for December 2025, cuts through the speculation to present the confirmed legal facts and the latest, most crucial developments concerning the case’s central figures.

The core legal reality is that only one person, Rudy Guede, stands convicted for the sexual assault and murder of Meredith Kercher. The two other high-profile suspects, American roommate Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were ultimately and definitively exonerated by Italy’s highest court. The recent focus has shifted to the convicted killer, Rudy Guede, who was released from prison and is now facing new legal challenges, ensuring the Kercher case remains a subject of intense scrutiny.

The Central Figures: A Complete Biographical Profile

The story of the Via della Pergola murder is inextricably linked to the lives of the four young people whose paths tragically intersected in Perugia.

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Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher

• Born: December 28, 1985, in South London, England.
• Education: Studied European Politics and Italian at the University of Leeds.
• Life in Perugia: Was on an Erasmus exchange program, sharing an apartment at Via della Pergola 7 with two Italian women and American student Amanda Knox.
• The Victim: Found dead in her bedroom on November 2, 2007, having been sexually assaulted and stabbed 47 times. Her friends knew her as "Mez."
• Current Status: The Kercher family continues to seek a full understanding of the crime and justice for Meredith.

Amanda Marie Knox

• Born: July 9, 1987, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
• Education: University of Washington (Creative Writing).
• The Suspect/Exoneree: Roommate of Meredith Kercher. She was twice convicted and twice acquitted of the murder. Her conviction was definitively annulled by the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2015 due to "stunning flaws" in the investigation.
• Current Status: Exoneree, author of the memoir Waiting to Be Heard, journalist, and popular podcaster. She was, however, reconvicted in 2024 for slandering Patrick Lumumba, the Congolese bar owner she had falsely accused during her initial interrogation.

Raffaele Sollecito

• Born: March 26, 1984, in Bari, Italy.
• Education: Computer Science student at the University of Perugia.
• The Suspect/Exoneree: Amanda Knox's then-boyfriend. He was also definitively acquitted in 2015 alongside Knox.
• Current Status: Works as a computer engineer in Milan, Italy. He is also an author, having published his own account of the case. He has maintained a friendship with Amanda Knox.

Rudy Hermann Guede

• Born: December 26, 1986, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
• The Convicted Killer: The only person definitively convicted for the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher. His DNA was found inside Meredith and throughout her room.
• Trial and Sentence: Tried via a fast-track process (giudizio abbreviato), he was initially sentenced to 30 years, later reduced to 16 years on appeal. He has consistently maintained that he was present but that others were also involved.
• Current Status: Released from prison in November 2021 after serving 13 years and is currently serving his remaining time via community service in Viterbo, Italy. He is facing a new trial for sexual assault allegations filed by an ex-girlfriend in the summer of 2023, with proceedings expected to continue into 2025.

The Definitive Legal Answer: Only One Killer Convicted

The question of "who killed Meredith Kercher" has a clear, albeit complex, legal answer established by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation. This is the highest court in Italy, and its rulings are final.

The Conviction of Rudy Guede

In 2010, Rudy Guede's conviction for the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher was upheld. The forensic evidence against him was overwhelming and conclusive. His bloody handprint was found on Meredith's pillow, his DNA was found inside her body, and his DNA was mixed with Meredith's blood at the scene. He was the only person whose presence at the crime scene was confirmed by irrefutable DNA evidence.

Guede's narrative has shifted over time, but he has consistently claimed that he was present when Meredith was killed, but that a "second person" was the actual killer. However, the courts ultimately ruled that he was the sole perpetrator of the murder, though they acknowledged that the initial investigation's flaws made it impossible to rule out the possibility of co-conspirators.

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The Final Exoneration of Knox and Sollecito

The multi-year, highly publicized saga involving Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito concluded in 2015. After a series of convictions and acquittals, the Supreme Court of Cassation definitively annulled their convictions.

The court's ruling highlighted the catastrophic failures in the initial investigation, particularly the forensic evidence controversy. Key pieces of evidence used to convict them—including the alleged murder weapon (a kitchen knife) and a bra clasp—were deemed unreliable due to DNA contamination, improper collection, and a complete lack of scientific rigor by the initial Italian police (CSI Italy). The court stated that there was "a complete lack of biological traces" connecting Knox and Sollecito to the murder, effectively declaring them innocent for lack of evidence proving their involvement.

The Lingering Questions and Current Developments (2025)

Despite the definitive legal conclusion, the case continues to generate debate, largely due to the messy nature of the original investigation and the intense media spotlight, which often overshadowed the victim, Meredith Kercher.

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The Forensic Evidence Controversy

The Italian justice system faced intense criticism for its handling of the case. The forensic evidence controversy is central to this. Independent reviews discredited crucial evidence, such as the knife found at Sollecito’s apartment and the bra clasp found at the Via della Pergola apartment, which was recovered 46 days after the murder. The defense successfully argued that contamination and procedural errors rendered this evidence inadmissible, leading directly to the final acquittal of Knox and Sollecito.

This failure in forensic science is often cited as a major lesson in the legal world, illustrating the profound impact of poor evidence handling on a murder investigation. The Kercher family, while accepting the final ruling, expressed that the Italian justice system had failed to deliver a clear, uncontested truth.

Rudy Guede's New Legal Trouble

The most recent and significant development centers on Rudy Guede. After his release in November 2021 to serve community service in Viterbo, he was once again the subject of a police investigation.

In the summer of 2023, an ex-girlfriend filed a police report accusing Guede of sexual assault and domestic violence. This new allegation led to a fresh trial, which is currently ongoing in the Italian courts in 2025. This development, while separate from the Kercher murder, places the only convicted killer back in the spotlight for a serious crime, reigniting public discussion about his character and the initial crime.

The Enduring Mystery of the Co-Conspirators

Because the Supreme Court's ruling cleared Knox and Sollecito while upholding Guede’s conviction, a key question remains: did Guede act alone, or were there other, unidentified co-conspirators?

Guede's own testimony has consistently pointed to others being present, though his accounts have been contradictory. The court’s inability to definitively identify any accomplices, combined with the major investigative flaws, leaves a lingering sense of unresolved questions about the full scope of the crime.

In conclusion, the legal answer to "who killed Meredith Kercher" is Rudy Guede. However, the case remains a powerful symbol of a flawed judicial process, a media frenzy, and the tragic loss of a young woman whose memory is often overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the investigation.