Suspect was in victim’s room

THE newest suspect in the killing of a student in Perugia admits he was in the woman’s room the night she died but says he didn’t kill her and an Italian who is trying to frame him did, his lawyer said yesterday.

Rudy Hermann Guede, who is being held in a German jail, is wanted in the death of British woman Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found dead on November 2 in her apartment in Perugia where she was studying for the year. Ms Kercher died from a stab wound to her neck, and prosecutors said she was killed resisting a sexual assault.

“Rudy was present, he was there, but he denies having ever committed acts of sexual violence against Meredith, and it wasn’t he who killed her,” said lawyer Walter Biscotti.

“He saw the assassin; he knows he’s Italian,” because the killer told Mr Guede in Italian police would blame him for the murder before fleeing the apartment, said Mr Biscotti.

DNA testing has confirmed that Mr Guede had sex with Ms Kercher on the night of the murder.

Mr Biscotti said Mr Guede had left Ms Kercher’s room to go to the bathroom when the killer slipped in and knifed her. He said Mr Guede returned to the room and held Ms Kercher in his arms, but then fled.

“He found himself in a totally desperate situation,” said Mr Biscotti. “External circumstances made him flee immediately.”

However, he said that Ms Kercher had uttered some words to Mr Guede before he left, which he said would be the “central strategy” of Mr Guede’s defence.

Mr Biscotti said he thought Mr Guede would be extradited to Italy within 10 to 15 days.