The Monster of Perugia – The Framing of Amanda Knox, is a work of literary non-fiction that is unlike any other book about the events surrounding the murder of Meredith Kercher. By framing his narrative in terms of powerful analogies from history and literature, Dr. Waterbury illuminates the dark recesses of a gross miscarriage of justice. This is not only an informative book, it is a “wonderful, good read” in the words of one reviewer. Douglas Preston, bestselling author of The Monster of Florence and numerous other books wrote: “The Monster of Perugia is a fascinating book… I highly recommend this well-written, clear, gripping, and ultimately infuriating book." The Monster of Perugia demolishes the forensic evidence put forth by the prosecution, but this book is not just about forensics. Amanda and Raffaele were wrongfully convicted, but Monster of Perugia doesn’t just prove their innocence. It reaches behind the façade of justice slowly taking its course to lay bare the baseless demonization, the incompetent framing, and the unconscionable incarceration of Amanda Knox by corrupt and incompetent powers within the justice system of the small city of Perugia, Italy. “By the end, Waterbury makes us understand what it's like to be an entirely innocent victim of a corrupt system. He tells us the truth and calls us to action.” Thomas Lee Wright, author.
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Dr. Mark Waterbury is a materials scientist and engineer with extensive experience at a wide swath of science and technology fields, and at observing the behavior of people in powerful positions. When he is not writing books and developing and reviewing forensic identification technologies, Dr. Waterbury hikes in the Cascade mountains of Washington state, designs vertical gardening systems, invents renewable resources, and tries to prevent the conquest of Earth by extremists of all stripes.
Product Details
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Perception Development (January 26, 2011)
Mark Waterbury earned B.S. degrees in chemistry and materials science, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in materials science from Michigan State University. Since his doctoral dissertation was done on polymer composite materials, he promptly went to work as a scientist working on their near opposite, metal matrix composites, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There, he developed image analysis tools and other experimental techniques.
Wright-Patt, the epicenter of research for the U.S. Air Force, is one of the largest laboratory complexes in the world, with tens of thousands of researchers and support staff. While at WPAFB, Dr. Waterbury worked right up the hill from the infamous Hangar 19 of UFO lore fame, an experience he captured in a semi-autobiographical novel, Existence Simplified and the Butterfly Effect.
After leaving Wright-Patt, Dr. Waterbury moved to a major contract engineering firm where he managed or participated in projects covering a wide range of technologies, including managing a politically charged, multi-million dollar project to develop titanium matrix composite jet turbine rotors. The entertainment value of those political dimensions led him to move to become CTO of two successive companies, managing similarly sensitive projects in the crime prevention arena, and reviewing a range of technologies for some of the largest consumer products companies in the world.
Dr. Waterbury has also developed some consumer products himself, including a high brightness phosphorescent panel, high traction polymer golf spikes, and vertical aeroponic gardens that can turn blank walls into lush garden spaces.
Having witnessed and participated in many meetings and discussions that lie along the interface between science and the worlds of business and people, Dr. Waterbury brings a unique, informed, and carefully reasoned perspective to every subject he explores.
Dr. Waterbury's discussion of forensic DNA analysis in the murder of Meredith Kercher is unique and extremely useful. His focus is on profiling in situations in which the amount of DNA is smaller than standard short tandem repeat profiling. He gives a lucid presentation of stochastic effects in low template number DNA profiling, and he takes the forensic police to task over their using an inferior version of LT DNA analysis. His discussion of control experiments should be read by anyone interested in forensic science. Dr. Waterbury takes the Massei Motivations report apart in several insightful chapters. He rightly lambasts the report for finding something sinister in the fact that Ms. Knox deposited DNA in her own bathroom. Dr. Waterbury also finds fault with the prosecution for damaging hard drives, failing to turn over evidence to the defense, and misrepresenting the evidence that was taken. Taken together he builds a strong case not only for reasonable doubt but also that the prosecution behaved unprofessionally and even unethically. A must-read for serious students of this case.
Dr. Waterbury's explanation of exculpatory evidence, inculcation and probative value probably gets to the heart of the evidence in this case faster than anything else I've read. His explanation of Procrustean science, in which an "investigator" determines what he wants his outcome to be and manipulates the evidence to get the outcome, even if he doesn't know he's doing it, nails this case open.
As I write this I think it sounds complicated, but Waterbury's use of metaphors from fairy tales, myths, famous fiction, movies and even songs to make his point using concept this reader at least is very familiar with, makes what might be complex ideas very easy to grasp.
You will never find a more complete explanation of DNA analysis from polymerase chain reactions, short tandem repeats, loci, alleles and how all these and more elements are arrived at to draw a conclusion about a speck of flesh 1/10,000 of a grain of sand. This book is worth reading just to gain a clear conception of how this process is supposed to work.
The Monster of Perugia is not just an indictment of the forensics in this badly handled case. It's an analysis of pseudo science and an indictment of techniques that promise more than they can possibly deliver.
This is one of the indispensable books about the Knox-Sollecito case, as cynical and cruel a travesty of justice as anyone of us is likely to encounter. If it ever was intellectually respectable to believe that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were guilty of murdering Meredith Kercher, that time has long since passed. In clear and vivid prose Dr. Waterbury takes apart key elements of the prosecution case, explaining for an English speaking audience what Amanda and Raffaele's lawyers have been saying in an Italian court. After reading the book you will understand that not only did the prosecution fail to meet its burden of proof, but Amanda and Raffaele are actually innocent beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact, it is not even a close call.
The forensics sections of the book will probably be most memorable to a majority of readers. This reader, however, found some of the early sections dealing with Amanda's brutal interrogation especially powerful. The facts speak for themselves. In the four or five days leading up to her arrest, Amanda, a girl just barely out of her teens, was subjected to some 50 hours of the sort of questioning that is usually reserved for Mafia chieftains. It is the sort of uncivilized treatment that shocks the conscience. Any one of us would have been broken by this treatment. As a 20-year old with limited language skills and no understanding of her rights, she never had a chance.
As an attorney I spend a considerable amount of time interacting with Experts who help investigate and prove the truth involved in many legal matters. In most cases the complexities demand Expert analysis to understand what really happened. Dr. Mark Waterbury has written an excellent book which intelligently explains the case involving the tragic and sad death of the young British, Meredith Kercher during her college study abroad program in Perugia, Italy in 2007. As explained in the book the court's conviction of Meredith's roommate, American college student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele in December, 2009 is absolutely wrong and unjust. Dr. Waterbury's detailed background and extensive review of videos, photos, testimony, trial expert presentations as well as news reports and scientific information are outstanding and fully explains the truth. The book very clearly details what really happened to Meredith Kercher and why the investigation and charges against Amanda Knox & Raffaele are flawed and very manipulative. Dr. Waterbury provides very interesting explanations of all of the key scientific factors involved included really useful knowledge of DNA analysis and blood tests including how luminol is used in this case and how TMB testing contradicts claims that bare foot prints were made by Amanda from the diluted blood of Meredith. Dr. Waterbury has found many errors, mistakes and inaccuracies in the prosecution's claimed evidence and the court's ruling, and he explains very clearly & scientifically why the charges and convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele are fictions made up to falsely blame two completely innocent people. I really enjoyed the many connections Dr. Waterbury makes to literature including Alice in Wonderland & Catch 22 among dozens he selected.... Having read many of the same sources, I found his analysis to be very intelligent and his criticisms of numerous people to be very accurate and justified. Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele have been unfairly locked away in Italian prisons for over 3 years. This book takes you though how the authorities and media purposely set them up as scapegoats because of their interaction with Rudy Guede who it is maintained is the sole burglar and killer of poor Meredith. His lenient treatment and only 16 year conviction for his role in killing Meredith explains in large part what happened and why we still wait for new testing of DNA and witnesses to finally clear Amanda & Raffaele of their wrongful convictions. Extremely well done book, very interesting and informative, an excellent read!Read more ›
