Perugia , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion . Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate , Meredith Kercher , at the villa they shared in Italy . `` We suffer at the memory of Meredith . But we look at the future of Amanda , '' Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation . `` Meredith was my friend , '' he quoted Knox as saying , rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate , who was fatally stabbed in November 2007 . Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher , and two men -- Knox 's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito , 26 , and acquaintance Rudy Guede -- sexually assaulted her . The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito 's house had Knox 's DNA on the handle and Kercher 's on the blade , among other pieces of evidence . But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday . He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant , giving them a symbolic `` red card '' -- a referee 's sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules . Ghirga concluded an emotional oration -- sobbing as he came to the end -- by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox , because her mother asked him to request it , because her family asked it . Knox 's father , Curt , said Wednesday she had been a victim of `` character assassination , '' and expressed hope she would be found not guilty . Members of Kercher 's family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case . But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of `` lynching '' the Italian police who worked on the case . He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga 's arguments Wednesday . And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty . Italy does not have the death penalty . The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday , after the prosecution completes its summary . Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution 's theory does n't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty . Calling Knox a victim herself , Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder , leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime . The lawyer showed photos published in the media , purportedly showing the crime scene , that were n't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox 's character created a bias from the start . Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder . In preliminary hearings , Mignini argued Knox , Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher 's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox 's attention . In recent days , Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates . Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed , claiming the two women were friends . Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed . The defense has argued that Guede , who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction , was the sole killer . The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher 's murder . Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene . As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial , he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox 's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon . The defense has said the knife does n't match Kercher 's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet , and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive . During the first day of closing arguments for Knox 's lawyers , della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty . He told the jury they needed to be `` morally certain of their decision . '' `` If you have the minimum of doubts , you must absolve this young girl -- a girl that is merely 22 years old , '' he said . Knox and Sollecito , who both deny any role in the murder , have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence . Their trial began in January . CNN 's Mallory Simon contributed to this report .