By . Nick Pisa In Perugia . Updated: . 11:00 EST, 24 September 2011 . With the prospect of freedom only days away, the pressure has clearly taken its toll on Amanda Knox. Showing visible signs of hair loss yesterday, the 24-year-old looked pale and apprehensive as she attended the closing statements which could see her conviction for the murder of roommate Meredith Kercher overturned. Knox wore her hair in a centre parting - her scalp betraying signs of the strain she is under - and managed a . weak smile to her father, Curt Knox, and mother, Edda Mellas, who had flown in from . Seattle and was at the back of the court. She has good reason to be optimistic, though, as a damning new court report has condemned the original forensic investigation - increasing the chances of her 26-year sentence being quashed. Feeling the strain: Amanda Knox showed clear signs of hair loss as she attended a court hearing in Perugia today, which could see her conviction for the murder of Meredith Kercher overturned . Pressure: Amanda Knox leaves the courtroom at the end of her appeal trial session . And today an Italian prosecutor attacked the 'embarrassing' performance of forensic experts who shed doubt on evidence used to convict American student Amanda Knox for the murder of her British housemate. On the second day of closing arguments in Knox's appeals trial in the university town of Perugia, prosecutor Manuela Comodi questioned the methods used by the experts whose work was not up to standards, she said. 'Would you entrust the marriage of your only daughter to a cook who knew all the recipes by heart but has never cooked?" Comodi asked the panel of lay and professional judges. The experts' report boosted Knox's case for being absolved of murdering Meredith Kercher with her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito during a frenzied sex game in 2007. Their report concluded traces of Sollecito's DNA found on Kercher's bra clasp could have been due to contamination. But if contamination had occurred, DNA belonging to many others would also have been found on the clasp, Comodi argued. Pulling out a white bra, Comodi said Sollecito's DNA ended up on the clasp when he pulled one end of Kercher's bra strap and cut off the bra with his other hand. Amanda Knox arrives at her appeal trial session today with her hair back in a ponytail . Amanda Knox's face shows the strain today during her appeal trial session in Perugia . Meanhwile Knox's father has urged the . heartbroken parents of Meredith Kercher to see that his daughter had . nothing to do with the brutal murder. Mr Knox spoke as his daughter's appeal . resumed today and after Meredith's heartbroken family had described how . she had been 'completely forgotten' as emphasis on the case had shifted . to Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. They . were convicted of murdering Meredith, 21, who was found semi naked and . with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox and . two Italian women almost four years ago. They . have insisted they are innocent of the murder and are appealing against . the conviction which saw Knox jailed for 26 years and Sollecito for 25 . and their families are more hopeful than ever that they will be . released. Mr Knox, who is in Perugia to be with his daughter spoke of the Kercher's agony and said: 'We have not reached out to them but we have always expressed our sincere condolences to them for their loss. 'They are going through a living hell, they have lost their daughter, it's the worst thing that can happen to a parent but understanding the truth will allow them closure. To have two kids in jail for something they did not do, will not do honour to their daughter. 'I want the Kercher family to know that Amanda had nothing to do with the death of their daughter. They have the impression that Amanda had something to do with this and until they know that she didn't we cannot reach out to them - I cannot imagine the pain the Kercher's feel. 'I am very hopefully - the report that was presented has given us hope but until the court announces that she can go free we have to wait - they are deciding on Amanda's life.' Plea: Curt Knox, who is in Perugia to be with his daughter, said that he is hopeful her conviction will be overturned . Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were jailed for 26 and 25 years respectively after being convicted of Meredith's murder . He added: 'She is feeling very jittery. All this stop starting is very hard for her but now we are finally underway we are hopeful that the court will make the right decision and clear her of this and we can take her home. The court has her life in their hands.' In an Italian TV interview Meredith's mother Arline and sister Stephanie, had spoken of how they feared Meredith's death had been overshadowed especially in the light of the new court report which slammed the police investigation as poorly handled with the real possibility that evidence had been contaminated and the verdict was unsafe. Stephanie said: 'In this whole case over the last four years Meredith has been completely forgotten but we need to find justice for her, the truth. 'There are no photos of Meredith in the papers or on the TV it is all on Amanda and Raffaele - the focus has shifted on them. 'Meredith was a lovely, intelligent person, loving and we lost her in tragic circumstances.' The original trial heard how a 30cm kitchen knife found at Sollecito's house had DNA from Meredith on the blade and that of Knox on the handle but the report said the amount from the victim was so small it could not be retested and should be considered unreliable - crucially they said there was no trace of blood on the knife but food starches were present. Also key to the first hearing was a . bloodied clasp from Meredith's bra found at the scene six weeks after . the original investigation by forensic teams and on which was said to be . Sollecito's DNA however the experts said the time gap gives rise to the . real possibility of contamination. Today . the hearing began with Perugia's chief prosecutor Giovanni Galati . making a statement to the court in which he backed his team and the . original investigators saying he had his 'full faith' in the original . findings and added: 'The conclusions of the report are unfounded and are . full of holes.' Knox could soon be free if her appeal against her conviction is successful . Stress: Knox, 24, looked pale and apprehensive in court but managing a weak smile to her father who had flown in from Seattle . At today's hearing Comodi tried to . keep the jurors interested in the highly technical discussion about DNA . testing and forensic science by using down-to-earth expressions and . simple language. At one point, to explain DNA testing, . she made references to ingredients used in pasta dishes; at another she . pulled out a bra from her bag, seeking to illustrate how she thought . the garment was cut from the victim's body. The DNA is crucial in the case, where no clear motive for the brutal killing has emerged. Prosecutors maintain that Knox's DNA . was found on the handle of a kitchen knife believed to be the murder . weapon, and that Kercher's DNA was found on the blade. They said . Sollecito's DNA was on the clasp of Kercher's bra as part of a mix of . evidence that also included the victim's genetic profile. Victim: Meredith Kercher was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox . But those findings were always disputed by the defence, and the appeals court decided to appoint two independent experts to review the evidence. The independent experts challenged both findings. They said police had made glaring errors in evidence-collecting and that below-standard testing and possible contamination raised doubts over the attribution of DNA traces, both on the blade and on the bra clasp, which was collected from the crime scene several weeks after the murder. The review significantly weakened the prosecution case, giving the 24-year-old Knox hope that she might be freed after four years behind bars. Prosecutors have fought hard to undermine the review. They have described it as superficial and sketchy. In several hearings in past weeks, and then again during the summations Friday and today, the prosecutors challenged the review point by point. Today Comodi said that the possibility that the bra clasp might have been contaminated with Sollecito's DNA was 'nil' since the bra clasp, while recovered after a delay, never left the crime scene. She noted that Sollecito, who had been dating Knox for about a week at the time of the November 1, 2007 killing, did not frequent Kercher's room. She insisted protocols were followed by forensic police. 'Sollecito was never there, but his DNA somehow got there and landed on the bra clasp," she said sarcastically, gesturing as if something was moving in the air. Comodi also had harsh words for the experts, accusing them of an "embarrassing performance". She contended they had been given a task they did not know how to fulfil and betrayed the trust of the court that had appointed them. She challenged their qualifications, saying: "Would you entrust the wedding reception of your only daughter to somebody who knows all the recipes by heart but has never actually cooked?" When questioned in court, the experts stood by their findings. A verdict in the appeals trial is expected either late September or early October.Next week, a lawyer representing the Kercher family and then the defence teams will deliver their closing arguments.. Meredith, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was in Perugia as part of her Leeds University and had only been in Italy for two months before she was brutally murdered and Knox and Sollecito were jailed in December 2009. A third defendant, small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was also jailed in connection with the brutal killing. He was handed a 30-year sentence for murder and sexual violence following a fast-track trial in October 2008 which was later cut to 16 years.
But Italian prosecutor slams 'embarrassing' experts whose evidence could free her .
By . Nick Pisa In Perugia . Updated: . 11:00 EST, 24 September 2011 . With the prospect of freedom only days away, the pressure has clearly taken its toll on Amanda Knox. Showing visible signs of hair loss yesterday, the 24-year-old looked pale and apprehensive as she attended the closing statements which could see her conviction for the murder of roommate Meredith Kercher overturned. Knox wore her hair in a centre parting - her scalp betraying signs of the strain she is under - and managed a . weak smile to her father, Curt Knox, and mother, Edda Mellas, who had flown in from . Seattle and was at the back of the court. She has good reason to be optimistic, though, as a damning new court report has condemned the original forensic investigation - increasing the chances of her 26-year sentence being quashed. Feeling the strain: Amanda Knox showed clear signs of hair loss as she attended a court hearing in Perugia today, which could see her conviction for the murder of Meredith Kercher overturned . Pressure: Amanda Knox leaves the courtroom at the end of her appeal trial session . And today an Italian prosecutor attacked the 'embarrassing' performance of forensic experts who shed doubt on evidence used to convict American student Amanda Knox for the murder of her British housemate. On the second day of closing arguments in Knox's appeals trial in the university town of Perugia, prosecutor Manuela Comodi questioned the methods used by the experts whose work was not up to standards, she said. 'Would you entrust the marriage of your only daughter to a cook who knew all the recipes by heart but has never cooked?" Comodi asked the panel of lay and professional judges. The experts' report boosted Knox's case for being absolved of murdering Meredith Kercher with her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito during a frenzied sex game in 2007. Their report concluded traces of Sollecito's DNA found on Kercher's bra clasp could have been due to contamination. But if contamination had occurred, DNA belonging to many others would also have been found on the clasp, Comodi argued. Pulling out a white bra, Comodi said Sollecito's DNA ended up on the clasp when he pulled one end of Kercher's bra strap and cut off the bra with his other hand. Amanda Knox arrives at her appeal trial session today with her hair back in a ponytail . Amanda Knox's face shows the strain today during her appeal trial session in Perugia . Meanhwile Knox's father has urged the . heartbroken parents of Meredith Kercher to see that his daughter had . nothing to do with the brutal murder. Mr Knox spoke as his daughter's appeal . resumed today and after Meredith's heartbroken family had described how . she had been 'completely forgotten' as emphasis on the case had shifted . to Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. They . were convicted of murdering Meredith, 21, who was found semi naked and . with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox and . two Italian women almost four years ago. They . have insisted they are innocent of the murder and are appealing against . the conviction which saw Knox jailed for 26 years and Sollecito for 25 . and their families are more hopeful than ever that they will be . released. Mr Knox, who is in Perugia to be with his daughter spoke of the Kercher's agony and said: 'We have not reached out to them but we have always expressed our sincere condolences to them for their loss. 'They are going through a living hell, they have lost their daughter, it's the worst thing that can happen to a parent but understanding the truth will allow them closure. To have two kids in jail for something they did not do, will not do honour to their daughter. 'I want the Kercher family to know that Amanda had nothing to do with the death of their daughter. They have the impression that Amanda had something to do with this and until they know that she didn't we cannot reach out to them - I cannot imagine the pain the Kercher's feel. 'I am very hopefully - the report that was presented has given us hope but until the court announces that she can go free we have to wait - they are deciding on Amanda's life.' Plea: Curt Knox, who is in Perugia to be with his daughter, said that he is hopeful her conviction will be overturned . Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were jailed for 26 and 25 years respectively after being convicted of Meredith's murder . He added: 'She is feeling very jittery. All this stop starting is very hard for her but now we are finally underway we are hopeful that the court will make the right decision and clear her of this and we can take her home. The court has her life in their hands.' In an Italian TV interview Meredith's mother Arline and sister Stephanie, had spoken of how they feared Meredith's death had been overshadowed especially in the light of the new court report which slammed the police investigation as poorly handled with the real possibility that evidence had been contaminated and the verdict was unsafe. Stephanie said: 'In this whole case over the last four years Meredith has been completely forgotten but we need to find justice for her, the truth. 'There are no photos of Meredith in the papers or on the TV it is all on Amanda and Raffaele - the focus has shifted on them. 'Meredith was a lovely, intelligent person, loving and we lost her in tragic circumstances.' The original trial heard how a 30cm kitchen knife found at Sollecito's house had DNA from Meredith on the blade and that of Knox on the handle but the report said the amount from the victim was so small it could not be retested and should be considered unreliable - crucially they said there was no trace of blood on the knife but food starches were present. Also key to the first hearing was a . bloodied clasp from Meredith's bra found at the scene six weeks after . the original investigation by forensic teams and on which was said to be . Sollecito's DNA however the experts said the time gap gives rise to the . real possibility of contamination. Today . the hearing began with Perugia's chief prosecutor Giovanni Galati . making a statement to the court in which he backed his team and the . original investigators saying he had his 'full faith' in the original . findings and added: 'The conclusions of the report are unfounded and are . full of holes.' Knox could soon be free if her appeal against her conviction is successful . Stress: Knox, 24, looked pale and apprehensive in court but managing a weak smile to her father who had flown in from Seattle . At today's hearing Comodi tried to . keep the jurors interested in the highly technical discussion about DNA . testing and forensic science by using down-to-earth expressions and . simple language. At one point, to explain DNA testing, . she made references to ingredients used in pasta dishes; at another she . pulled out a bra from her bag, seeking to illustrate how she thought . the garment was cut from the victim's body. The DNA is crucial in the case, where no clear motive for the brutal killing has emerged. Prosecutors maintain that Knox's DNA . was found on the handle of a kitchen knife believed to be the murder . weapon, and that Kercher's DNA was found on the blade. They said . Sollecito's DNA was on the clasp of Kercher's bra as part of a mix of . evidence that also included the victim's genetic profile. Victim: Meredith Kercher was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox . But those findings were always disputed by the defence, and the appeals court decided to appoint two independent experts to review the evidence. The independent experts challenged both findings. They said police had made glaring errors in evidence-collecting and that below-standard testing and possible contamination raised doubts over the attribution of DNA traces, both on the blade and on the bra clasp, which was collected from the crime scene several weeks after the murder. The review significantly weakened the prosecution case, giving the 24-year-old Knox hope that she might be freed after four years behind bars. Prosecutors have fought hard to undermine the review. They have described it as superficial and sketchy. In several hearings in past weeks, and then again during the summations Friday and today, the prosecutors challenged the review point by point. Today Comodi said that the possibility that the bra clasp might have been contaminated with Sollecito's DNA was 'nil' since the bra clasp, while recovered after a delay, never left the crime scene. She noted that Sollecito, who had been dating Knox for about a week at the time of the November 1, 2007 killing, did not frequent Kercher's room. She insisted protocols were followed by forensic police. 'Sollecito was never there, but his DNA somehow got there and landed on the bra clasp," she said sarcastically, gesturing as if something was moving in the air. Comodi also had harsh words for the experts, accusing them of an "embarrassing performance". She contended they had been given a task they did not know how to fulfil and betrayed the trust of the court that had appointed them. She challenged their qualifications, saying: "Would you entrust the wedding reception of your only daughter to somebody who knows all the recipes by heart but has never actually cooked?" When questioned in court, the experts stood by their findings. A verdict in the appeals trial is expected either late September or early October.Next week, a lawyer representing the Kercher family and then the defence teams will deliver their closing arguments.. Meredith, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was in Perugia as part of her Leeds University and had only been in Italy for two months before she was brutally murdered and Knox and Sollecito were jailed in December 2009. A third defendant, small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was also jailed in connection with the brutal killing. He was handed a 30-year sentence for murder and sexual violence following a fast-track trial in October 2008 which was later cut to 16 years.
. And today an Italian prosecutor attacked the 'embarrassing' performance of forensic experts