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Judge denies DNA retesting in Amanda Knox trial

PERUGIA, Italy, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- An Italian appeals court Wednesday rejected a prosecution request for more DNA testing on the alleged weapon used in the slaying of a British exchange student.

The ruling is seen as a victory for lawyers representing U.S. student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in their appeal of their murder convictions in the killing of British student Meredith Kercher, ANSA reported.

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The judges, sitting in Perugia, said more testing on a kitchen knife -- which defense DNA experts said held such small of blood that rendered DNA results inconclusive -- was "superfluous." DNA evidence was key in the when Knox and Sollecito received 26-year and 25-year prison sentences, respectively, 18 months ago.

In their request, prosecutors claimed the DNA experts didn't consider "latest-generation equipment" sensitive enough to pick up trace evidence from the knife recovered from Sollecito's kitchen, ANSA said.

During the first trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing DNA from Sollecito and Kercher was on the alleged weapon.

Kercher, 21, was found dead in the house she shared with Knox and two Italian women in November 2007. Knox, 24, and Sollecito, 27, were convicted of murder and sexual assault in December 2009. In June, experts testified that DNA evidence tying Knox to the knife was unsound.

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A third person, Ivory Coast immigrant Rudy Guede, was tried separately and is serving a 16-year sentence.

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