Amanda Knox:
In her words
Exonree Amanda Knox describes the details of her case to the community during the last Dillon Lecture Series of 2021.
Photos & Story | Kaitlyn Seiwert
Amanda Knox, a name that came to be known as the girl who killed her roommate in Italy. But can you describe anything else about her? Mother, wife, journalist, author, human are a few that come to mind after her Dillon Lecture speech at Hutchinson Community College on Nov. 9. Knox’s book, “Waiting to Be Heard,” recounts her time spent in Italy’s judicial system. While she has been free and explaining her innocence for over ten years, she constantly finds people who still do not accept that she did not murder her roommate. “And immediately when I walked in, these two men ran up to me, and hugged me, and said, ‘You don’t have to worry about a thing, little sister, we know,’” Knox said about her innocence. As an American study abroad student, Knox described how she found solace in meeting with other wronglyconvicted Americans during an Innocence Project conference. It was the first event that she went to after being released. Her time spent in Italy not only impacted her mental health, but also impacted her parents and family. “Wrongful convictions impact not just the individual who
ends up getting accused,” said Knox. “But also everyone around them who loves them.” During the lecture, Knox retold how one of her sisters dropped out of school during this time. At one point during the jail time she served in Italy, she broke down to her dad, and in return saw her dad cry for the first time. In her time spent in prison, Knox discovered the world does not have many unbiased journalists, especially unbiased true crime journalists. “One of the reasons why I went into journalism is because I saw what it felt like on the other side, and I know what ethical humanistic reporting feels like,” said Knox. She begged audience members to listen not only to the victim, but all parties involved. Journalists can play a big role in true crime convictions. Headlines like “Foxy Knoxy” and “The Ice Maiden” drew an illustration for readers of Knox being a cold-hearted killer before she even went to trial. “You were framed as a monster and everyone believed it, so too bad for you,” Knox said. Knox was the 159th speaker for the Dillon Lecture
16 | Dragon’s Tale | December 2021 016-017 Amanda Knox.indd 16
11/18/21 12:28 PM
