On October 20, 2007, England played Australia in the rugby world cup final in Paris. Meredith was watching the match with her British friends in a pub. Helen, one of her friends, recalls that evening:
One of my favourite moments occurred on Saturday, 20 October, which was on the nigh of the rugby World Cup final. We all went to a bar called Shamrocks to watch the game, and, despite England losing miserably to South Africa, Meredith did her best to keep our spirits up. She entered into some friendly banter with the guys in front of us, and every time South Africa scored, she would come out with a witty one-liner. Much hilarity ensued. (1)
Also present in the pub was Rudy Guede, who lived nearby and recalled seeing Meredith that evening.
Later that night after the match, Meredith, one of her British friends, and Amanda all go to the Red Zone night club just outside of Perugia along with boys who lived downstairs, Marco and Giacomo. A DJ from New York, Quentin Harris, was spinning that night. He has appeared frequently at the Red Zone, stating it his “favorite club to play.” In Amanda’s view:
Red zone took up an entire warehouse. It was the largest, most over-the-top dance club I’d ever been to… we were listening to the music and laughing, getting up to dance every now and then. It must have been 102 degrees, and I was sweating, dripping. (2)
While they were at the club, Rudy Guede stopped by their house to visit, but found nobody at home. Guede had recently received an invitation from the boys downstairs for dinner. When he didn’t find anyone at home this evening, he went looking in town for anyone. When he didn’t see anyone at the basketball court, he stopped by Le Chic to ask Amanda were everyone was, but Amanda was not at work. The next night, Sunday, Guede stopped by the boy’s place downstairs for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and he found out from Giacomo that everyone had been at the Red Zone. (3)
Guede was not a stranger nor a “drifter,” as he had an apartment nearby. Guede first met Marco a year prior, and they played basketball the court near the house along with Giacomo. In late September 2007, the Giacomo and Marco had been in the town center with Amanda and Meredith and ran into Guede, and everyone went back to their place downstairs. Giacomo recalls that Guede expressed an interest in Amanda and asked if she was seeing someone. On that occasion in September, Guede ended up falling asleep on the toilet, but then moved to the couch and slept there. (4)
At the Red Zone Meredith and Giacomo began their relationship. Meredith had not been with anyone in Italy up to this point. Amanda also connected with someone this evening who she calls “Bobby,” who stays with her in her room upstairs:
This was the first time I’d invited a guy into my bed since I arrived in Perugia. We went to my room and had sex. then we both passed out. (5)
DJ Quentin Harris mixes it up at the Red Zone on that evening:
1: Meredith, by John Kercher
2: Waiting to be Heard, Amanda Knox
3: Prison Diary, Rudy Guede
4 Testimony, Marco Marzan
5: Waiting to be Heard, Amanda Knox
5 Guede’s Diary in Germany, Late November 2007
Florence appeal proceedings
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