New witness seen in Italy coed slay case

PERUGIA, Italy, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A new witness is contradicting claims made by three young people accused of slaying a British coed in Italy last year, prosecutors say.

Contrary to statements made by American Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and Ivory Coast immigrant Rudy Guede claiming Guede and Sollecito didn't know each other previously, the new witness puts the three together in the Italian city of Perugia days before the November 2007 slaying of coed Meredith Kercher, The Sunday Times of London reported.

Prosecutors told the newspaper the unnamed witness, described as a man in his forties, told them he saw the victim outside her home with her roommate Knox, Sollecito and Guede, leaving the cottage together and walking through the front gate.

If true, that would counter a key claim by Knox and Sollecito, whose trial is set to begin next week. They say Guede and Sollecito had never met before the slaying, but prosecutors say they did know each other and teamed with Knox to kill Kercher when she refused to participate in a sex game the others were planning.

The Times said prosecutors will summon 90 witnesses during the trial, including six who have only recently come forward.