The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: How was Meredith Kercher killed? Details from the Hulu true-crime series, explored

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is the newest addition to the lineup of true-crime shows on Hulu. It explores one of the most infamous murder cases of the 21st century: the killing of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, and the media frenzy that followed after Amanda was arrested (and later acquitted) of the crime.

Its hook is equally tantalizing: why was Meredith Kercher murdered, and what role did Amanda Knox play in the years-long campaign to uncover the truth? The show promises a story that combines justice and memory as much as it does murder and misunderstanding.

Now that The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is streaming on Hulu, speculation and retrospectives have reignited discussions about the tragic events of November 2007, when British student Meredith Kercher was murdered, and Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were the initial suspects, both spending years fighting the Italian criminal justice system.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is unique in that it aims to take a step further than the headlines and share some new information regarding the investigation, the faulty prosecution, and the evolving story that kept the world glued.

How was Meredith Kercher killed?

On November 1, 2007, Meredith Kercher died in the apartment she shared with Amanda Knox during their study abroad in Perugia. Forensic reports reviewed by several Italian pathologists indicated that Kercher had suffered sixteen bruises, seven cuts, one of which was fatal to the neck, and signs of an immobilizing sexual assault. The chaos and violence at the scene quickly led the police to suspect foul play.

According to Wikipedia,

Guede, Knox, and Sollecito had removed Kercher's jeans and held her on her hands and knees while Guede had sexually assaulted her. Knox had cut Kercher with a knife before inflicting the fatal stab wound, then faked a burglary.

Things took a scandalous turn when Amanda Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were arrested and questioned. Knox, who struggled to speak Italian and lacked a translator or lawyer present at the time, was interrogated for 53 hours and initially said she had witnessed the murder, which she later retracted, according to Slate.

Meanwhile, the police did not follow proper protocol: the interrogations were not well documented, and basic legal protections were overlooked. As a result, there were wildly inconsistent accounts from all the participants involved.

This confusion supported the prosecution’s theory that the murder was triggered by a drug-induced sexual frenzy among Knox, Sollecito, and Rudy Guede, a local drifter who was later convicted after confessing.

Some key pieces of evidence linking Knox and Sollecito, including DNA traces on Kercher’s bra clasp, were later challenged as contaminated and poorly collected. Forensic scientists, like defense lawyers, questioned how Sollecito’s DNA could be on the metal fastener of a bra but not on the fabric itself, while Guede’s DNA was found in multiple areas of the garment, Time magazine reported.

The prosecution based its case mainly on circumstantial evidence and odd behaviors, such as Knox's actions and her personal belongings in her room, rather than on physical evidence. Over the years of court battles, independent forensic investigations showed that there was no credible physical evidence linking Knox or Sollecito to the murder. In 2015, Knox and Sollecito were acquitted by Italy's highest court, which stated that prosecutors failed to prove the murder with any concrete evidence, ending their ordeal forever.

Notably, Rudy Guede is the only person who was actually convicted of killing Meredith, as police found his DNA and fingerprints all over the scene. He had his own trial and was convicted of murder and sexual assault.

As for why Kercher was killed, no one has a clear answer. The authorities suggested some possibilities: a drug-fueled sexual assault or a fight over money, but none of those held up once the evidence was examined. Knox’s family dismissed those theories, and when outsiders reviewed the case, they mostly pointed to a possible roommate fight or a robbery that went wrong.

But nothing has been nailed down besides the fact that Guede already had a history of stealing and violence.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox dropped its first batch of episodes on August 20, 2025, with the initial three episodes made available for streaming on Hulu. Subsequent episodes are released weekly, every Wednesday, with the limited series comprising a total of eight episodes.

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The synopsis of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox states that each episode aims to dispel misconceptions, refute invalid theories, and address recurring questions about the motivation behind the murder and the prosecution's conduct.

Also, read: The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: A complete timeline of the Meredith Kercher murder case, revisited

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