Kriti Mehrotra
Hulu’s ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’ is a complex and intriguing biographical drama that revisits how the titular Washington native found herself arrested, wrongfully convicted, and later definitively acquitted for the 2007 murder of her fellow exchange student roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. She reportedly didn’t have much support in the foreign land, but her mother, Edda Mellas, did everything in her power to not only show her she still had loved ones by her side but also help her long fight for justice.
Amanda Knox and Edda Mellas Always Shared a Close Bond
It was on July 9, 1987, in Seattle, Washington, when Amanda Knox came into the lives of German-born mathematics teacher Edda Mellas and Macy’s Vice President of Finance Curt Knox. She is the eldest of their three daughters, followed by Deanna Knox and Ashley Knox. Reportedly, the parents divorced while she was still just a toddler and then went on to rarely talk as a family. Nevertheless, as per her own accounts, she still had a close relationship with both due to the fact that neither ever hindered or questioned the other’s parenting abilities or time — in other words, they prioritized the well-being of their kids and co-parented well.
However, Amanda shared a bit of a deeper connection with her mother, considering she reportedly had primary custody, which is how the latter vividly remembers her daughter’s ambitions. Edda once shared that her eldest started dreaming about doing an exchange year in Italy when she was a young teenager, so she even worked odd jobs to help the family finance her trip. Whether it be as a barista, a gallery attendant, or a soccer coach, she did it all while also focusing on her studies because she didn’t want anything to come between her and southern Europe.
Therefore, of course, Edda was very proud of her little girl, and she even felt comfortable enough to send her halfway across the world since she knew her personality as well as her potential. Amanda may have always been curious and quirky, she once asserted, but she believed she was also responsible, considering she was more of a homebody who didn’t give in to peer pressure. She once told CNN that her daughter preferred having downtime with friends at local establishments, reading books at home, or exploring different spots rather than going to clubs.
Edda Mellas Made Italy Her Second Home For the Duration of Her Daughter’s Ordeal
Edda Mellas still recalls it was in the early morning hours of November 2, 2007, (for her) when Amanda called all the way from Perugia, Italy, about something being wrong in her apartment home. Little did either of them know that place would soon be declared a crime scene as the remains of 21-year-old British exchange student Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher would be found in her bedroom. In the ensuing days, then-20-year-old Amanda was extensively questioned by the local Italian authorities, but she also kept in constant touch with her mother to keep her updated. Edda had advised her to get in touch with lawyers, yet the young woman never did because she was under the impression she was only helping out as a witness when that wasn’t the case. By the time the former flew to be with Amanda for support, it was too late
Amanda was arrested on the charge of murder on the basis of a “confession,” the very same day her mother was to land. Thus, despite the chaos and devastation, Edda decided to stay to help her daughter in any way possible, shortly following which her ex-husband and her new husband of 5 years, Chris Mellas, also arrived in Italy. The Mellas even rented an apartment in the Umbrian countryside so they could travel back and forth to the US as needed and also have every authorized visit with Amanda in prison. Throughout court depositions, the trial, the appeals, and everything else, Edda was right there in Italy for her daughter, utilizing all the vacation days she had accumulated over her impressive career.
Edda’s ex-husband and Amanda’s father, Curt Knox, sadly couldn’t be there as much as he wanted owing to his work, so she took on the brunt of the media attention too, only to soon make use of it to hopefully set Amanda’s story straight. While the trial painted the young woman as a party girl who killed her roommate in some sort of a revenge sex game, Edda clarified that her daughter wasn’t wild but a confident individual trying to have new experiences. The aforementioned theory was later rejected by higher courts. She said Amanda may have smoked pot and had sexual relationships, but her nickname, Foxy Knoxy, was taken out of context and actually related to her prowess as an ex-soccer athlete.
Edda even made sure to testify during her daughter’s trial, and when that didn’t pan out in the way she had hoped, she continued doing as many interviews as she could. “The media has been a curse,” she once said, due to the fact that much of their personal and medical information was leaked. “…The day I don’t have to speak to another reporter or do another interview can’t happen soon enough. But if it means helping Amanda, then it’s something I will continue to do.” Furthermore, she hired independent experts to back the claims of unreliable and possibly contaminated evidence made in their appeals, until Amanda was finally acquitted and freed in 2011. That’s when the entire family returned to Seattle, Washington, for good.
Edda Mellas is Moving Forward By Leading a Quiet Life Today
Edda once asserted that while many believe she would have supported Amanda no matter what, since she is her mother, she believes her loyalty would have been at least a little different if the evidence was there. “You love your kids,” she said, “but no way would we fight the way we’ve been fighting if there was evidence that she was guilty. While it’s true that Amanda was let go from prison in 2011, it wasn’t until March 27, 2015, that Italy’s highest court closed all prosecutorial appeals by definitively exonerating her of murder. However, this was done in absentia because she had long returned to her homeland, where she had started anew thanks to the support of her mother, father, sisters, and step-family in every way imaginable. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to note that by this point, Edda herself had been involved in two lawsuits. She had filed one in 2010 against the Italian media over the violation of the family’s privacy owing to leaked personal information, as a result of which she won $58,000.
For the other, Edda and Curt were the ones charged with defamation, with Perugia police officers asserting they had falsely claimed Amanda was physically abused during her interrogations. This statement has been made several times by both Amanda and her parents over the years, with them alleging she had been hit across her head during the interview in which she incriminated herself. In the end, nothing ever became of it, and since then, the matriarch has preferred to lead a quiet life well away from the spotlight so as to move on from the past as well as have as much privacy as possible. So, all we know as of writing is that she remains a dedicated family woman and proud administrative educator in the Highline Public Schools district in King County, Washington.
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