Amanda Knox murder novelist weighs in on Amanda Knox real-life acquittal

The long-time punk rocker, producer, and music--industry executive BOB PFEIFER's postmodern narrative UNIVERSITY OF STRANGERS is many things: it wraps bits of oral history, appropriated quotes from actual humans, and fictional plot elements around a cast of characters real and imagined, set against the backdrop of the AMANDA KNOX murder. (We excerpted University of Strangers in February.)

In the wake of the Knox verdict -- overturning her conviction -- here's what Pfeifer had to say:

Several editors and publishers called me these last few days asking what I thought the outcome of the Amanda Knox appeal would be. I always said I didn’t know. The reason is that I don’t believe in any justice system and do not believe that the truth sets you free as a rule in any court of law. I think about the now famous Memphis 3 case where after they were finally set free an idiot member of the media asked one if their release didn’t prove that the American justice system works. The reply was simple but poignant – no doubt going way over the interviewers head: he simply remarked he thought it funny that as long as they told the truth they were kept for decades in prison but as soon as they lied, they were set free. The reference was to the fact that despite mountains of DNA evidence etc they finally cut a deal to cop to a manslaughter plea and set free on time served after all no one would want to admit to making such a mistake.

Fortunately, the truth did set Amanda free today and the Italian justice system should be put on a pedestal – what happened there could not have happened in this country.

I hope Amanda and her family get million dollar book deals, interviews, film rights options, etc. in the hope of some payback for the part of her life that she can never retrieve. I pray she can have normal relationships, children, fall in love, go to school, work, etc and most of all that she doesn’t fall into the rages of Post Traumatic Stress and depression. That would be the ultimate sin and price to pay in this miscarriage of justice.

Jet Li once asked me if I knew what murder was. Before I could answer he said it was killing time -- and when people waste or kill your time they shuld be treated as murderers. I hope that whatever action can be taken against the corrupt Prosecutors and investigators for the murder of Amanda Knox’s time is taken and they are treated as the murderers of time that they are.

Thank God for justice.