Knox has made a career out of Meredith's murder – it's time to lay her memory to rest

Amanda Knox has turned her connection to Meredith Kercher's tragic murder into a personal business empire.

For years now, the American has capitalised on the brutal death of her British roommate, turning notoriety into profit, and it seems she has no intention of letting the story rest.

Now, as where the murder happened, the exploitation continues - angering locals who have not been shy to voice their disgust.

The limited series, which Knox is an executive producer of, details her battle to clear her name when she was convicted of the 21-year-old's murder in 2007.

were ultimately acquitted by Italy's highest court in 2015. Rudy Guede, who was tried separately, was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison but was released in November 2021.

Since her acquittal, Knox has pursued public attention with a memoir, public speaking engagements and even a podcast – all centred around her side of the story.

Through it all, Meredith's life and legacy risks being overshadowed as Knox comes to dominate the conversation. What makes the situation especially distasteful is that Knox once pledged to stay away from Italy. She vowed she wouldn't set foot in Perugia out of respect for Meredith and her family.

But while the city has remained off-limits for now, she has since returned twice to Italy.

She first revisited in 2019 when she attended a conference to discussed the media's role in criminal trials. Yet her reappearance in Modena seemed more about sustaining her own profile than about justice or respect.

Now, although she's not in Perugia as the Hulu series is filming, it's Knox's name that resurfaces every time the story is retold.

Her defenders argue that she has the right to share her experience, but this is no longer simply about "telling her story".

Knox has made a career off the back of Meredith's murder, using it to launch media ventures that keep her name – and her profits – growing.

With this latest Hulu production, her connection to the tragedy she claims she wants to leave behind is only getting more attention.

Knox may not have physically returned to Italy for this, but her influence is felt through each new reimagining of the case, each new dollar earned.

Meanwhile, the people of Perugia have had enough. The signs that have appeared around the city - pleading for Rispetto per Meredith" ("Respect for Meredith") - show a community fed up with having this painful event dragged up over and over.

For Meredith's family, every new project about the murder is a fresh wound. There comes a point when the need to "share her story" is clearly just a way to cash in, to keep the attention rolling and to keep the profits flowing.

Meredith's story should be about her, about the life she led and the tragedy of its loss, not an endless PR campaign for Knox.

It's time for her and those who support her, such as Disney, to let Meredith finally rest in peace.