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Amanda's trial began in January 2009. The opposing counsels painted two very different pictures of the accused American. The prosecutor argued that a knife found in Raffaele's apartment had Amanda's DNA on the handle and Meredith's DNA on the blade. He said that Raffaele's DNA was found on Meredith's bra clasp, fueling the sex game theory. In the bathroom that Amanda and Meredith shared, police found a mix of Meredith's blood with Amanda's DNA. 

The defense was up next. Amanda's attorney convinced the judge to throw out her initial statements, and a forensic expert testified that knife was too large and could not have made some of the wounds on Meredith's neck. The defense also argued the DNA levels on the knife were too low to be accurately measured and that the crime scene had been contaminated by careless police work.

After deliberating for 11 hours, two judges and six jurors found Amanda and Raffaele guilty of murder, sexual assault, staging a break-in and carrying a knife. Amanda was sentenced to 26 years in prison, and Raffaele was sentenced to 25 years.

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