Dad of murdered Meredith Kercher dies after being…

Dad of murdered Meredith Kercher dies after being found on side of road with severe injuries

The dad of murdered student Meredith Kercher died in hospital three weeks after being found lying wounded on a road close to his home.

The 77-year-old was discovered with two fractured legs, a broken arm and a head injury in Croydon, London, on January 13, 2020.

An inquest was unable to conclude if he had died from a hit-and-run incident, leaving the family with more unanswered questions.

Despite numerous appeals for information by police, no one came forward to say they saw what happened to John, and no CCTV of the incident could be recovered.

After being rushed to hospital, John developed pneumonia, experienced breathing difficulties, and had to be put on a ventilator.

His breathing steadily improved during his stay, but he never regained consciousness, and doctors put him on end of life care after speaking with his family.

At his inquest in south London, assistant Coroner Dr Julian Morris recorded a narrative conclusion of pneumonia and traumatic injuries.

Leeds University student Meredith Kercher, 21, was found dead in her Italian apartment in 2007 (PA)

John's daughter Meredith was just 21 when she was found dead with her throat slashed on November 2, 2007, in an apartment she shared with fellow student Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy.

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

Burglar and drifter Rudy Guede were convicted alongside them and were not exonerated.

He was handed a 30-year prison sentence but was released last year after serving 13 years, claiming Ms Knox "knows the truth, and I know the truth".

After Meredith's death, John released a book in 2012 titled Meredith: Our daughter's murder and the heartbreaking quest for the truth.

In it, he details his memories of his daughter growing up, his relationship with her mother, the family's frustrations in their search for justice, and the impact the case had on his health.

Before the 15th anniversary of Meredith's death, Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito were pictured together during a reunion.

The Kerchers have largely remained silent following their devastating loss, but in a statement, the family revealed that both of Meredith's parents died two years ago - four months apart.

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.

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

In a statement released yesterday, Meredith's 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 have 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."