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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ryan Merrifield

Meredith Kercher's parents die 4 months apart - 15 years after daughter's murder

Murdered British student Meredith Kercher's parents died within four months of each other in 2020, their family has revealed.

The 21-year-old Leeds University undergraduate's body was found in an apartment she shared with fellow exchange student Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy, on November 2, 2007.

Ms Knox, now 35, and her ex-lover Raffaele Sollecito, 38, were jailed for the murder before having their convictions overturned twice.

The pair were pictured together in recent days during a reunion, before the 15th anniversary of Meredith's death.

The Kerchers have largely remained silent following their devastating loss, but in a statement, the family revealed heartbroken parents John and Arline died two years ago.

John and Arline Kercher with children Stephanie, Lyle, and John jnr (Daily Mirror)

The tribute to Meredith - known as Mez - by her surviving siblings, said: "Every anniversary of Meredith's death gives us pause for thought, but of course as with anyone who has lost a loved one - especially in such tragic circumstances - it does not take an anniversary to remember them; it's something you carry with you every day.

"Fifteen years has passed in the blink of an eye but yet we have lived a lifetime in between - something Meredith sadly, was never afforded.

"Losing both our parents within just four months of each other in early 2020 brought its own tragedy but we can take some solace in knowing that they are now united with Mez and no longer have to live with the grief which consumed them.

"Meredith will always be in our thoughts and forever in our hearts."

John Kercher with daught Stephanie and son Lyle (Daily Mirror)

Arline, 74, is thought to have died at a hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, during the early phase of the Covid pandemic in May 2020, and is buried next to her daughter in Croydon, south London.

She travelled to Italy in 2007 to identify Meredith's body alongside John, despite the parents divorcing in 1997.

Arline previously described the ordeal as a "nightmare" and insisted "there are a lot of unanswered questions that seem to have been ignored".

Rudy Guede, 34, was released from prison after serving 13 years of a 30-year term, before claiming Ms Knox "knows the truth and I know the truth".

John, 77, died four months earlier than his ex-wife.

He was found on a road close to his Croydon home with two fractured legs, a broken arm and a head injury in January 2020.

He died in hospital three weeks later.

An inquest was unable to conclude if he had died from a hit-and-run incident.

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