We have known Amanda Knox and her family for a long time.  Amanda and our daughter started playing soccer at age seven and went on to play soccer together in high school before going to separate colleges.  Since the tragic events of November 2007 in Perugia, Italy, the media frenzy has been absolutely overwhelming.  We are not part of a “PR Machine” for the Knox/Mellas families.  We take offense at any allegations that people who know Amanda Knox must be in denial by blindly defending her, and worse, are insensitive to the death of Amanda’s roommate, Meredith Kercher.  Quite the contrary, those of us who know Amanda find it inconceivable that the person we know is involved in this and are naturally puzzled and confused.  Like many others, we are shocked, dismayed and deeply saddened by the murder of Meredith Kercher, Amanda’s roommate, in Perugia, Italy and we send our sincerest sympathies to her family for the tragic loss of their daughter.

We know that the Knox and Mellas families are good people who have been thrust into a whirlwind.  Imagine suddenly having to cope with the reality that your daughter (or sister) has been imprisoned over 5,000 miles away, in a country whose language is foreign to you and learning that she is alleged to have committed a heinous crime – one totally out of her character.  Worst of all are the vicious attacks on her character in the media and on the internet.  Our hearts go out to all of them.  Like us, they are in shock and disbelief, too.  They love Amanda and they are doing their best to show strength and courage throughout this ordeal.

The Amanda we know loved her family, friends, soccer, music, animals, reading, and planned on becoming a creative writer.  We saw Amanda grow from a child to a young woman to a young adult with a bright future.  Yes, she made some mistakes, (who among us hasn’t?) but she was the kind of person who would pick up a spider and take it outside rather than kill it.  For her to be charged with a crime, no less as part of a satanic cult murder is, again, inconceivable to us.

There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t think about Amanda and the tragedy in Perugia.   We are praying for a speedy resolution and hope that the Italian justice system will find out the truth of what happened and that Amanda will soon be home with her family and friends. 

We’ve learned that we cannot trust what we read in the media or on the internet. 

Until the public trial occurs in Italy and all the evidence is known, we hope and pray that people will keep an open mind about Amanda Knox and send her your prayers and support.    

Larry & Barbara & family

Seattle, Washington

As long as I have known Amanda, she has been one of the most inspirational people in my life, and one of my best friends.  There is not one other person in the world that consistently shows me the good in humanity the way she always has.  Amanda has a boundless capacity to give, care, listen, and most of all, be happy.  I feel that the way she lives her life can be based around a few words - peace and love.  She is one of the few people that I can always count on to come through, and to be there if I ever need her help.  To those close to her, there is a hole in our lives that won't be filled until we see her smiling face back home.

We all love and miss you, Amanda, and hope to see you with us again soon.

Andrew Seliber

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As my student in both Creative Writing and AP English Literature during her senior year, Amanda caught my attention immediately. Most kids in AP opted for a free period to keep up with the rigorous demands of the course, but Amanda took an extra English class both semesters because she loved characters and stories. She was creative and funny, spunky and engaged in every class, and took every extra opportunity or challenge that I offered in relation to the books that we were reading in AP or the poems and short stories we did in Creative Writing. Repeatedly, I was struck by her empathy and her passion for literature.  She always had an extra story going, whether we were writing stories in Creative Writing or not, and she was determined to become a writer herself. I enjoyed her wit and enthusiasm in class discussions as well as her kindness to her classmates. In every way, she was ethical and courageous, and I was happy to write one of her college recommendations.

Good luck to you all, and may this year be a happier one for your family,
Kris  Johnson