Seattle delays naming city park after Italian city where American student convicted of murder
By APThursday, December 31, 2009
Seattle delays naming park after Italian city
SEATTLE — Seattle officials are backpedalling on a plan to name a new park in honor of a sister city better known these days as the Italian community where an American student was convicted of murdering her British roommate.
Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher said Thursday that the city is shelving the naming process for the park because of community concerns after the recent conviction of Seattle native Amanda Knox.
The park in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was to be called Perugia Park. Six other city parks bear the names of Seattle sister cities.
An Italian jury in early December convicted the 22-year-old Knox of the 2007 murder in Perugia of British student Meredith Kercher. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Information from: The Seattle Times, www.seattletimes.com
