When Is Rudy Guede Released From Jail? The Amanda Knox Trial Figure May Be Released Soon

When it comes to the murder of Meredith Kercher, the person people most often discuss and focus on is Amanda Knox. The American college student was flatmates with Kercher and served four years in prison for the murder before being acquitted. Most people forget there were two other people convicted of Kercher's murder: Raffaele Sollecito and Rudy Guede. Although Sollecito was also officially exonerated of the crime, Guede was sentenced to many years in prison. But when will Rudy Guede get out of prison? His sentence has already decreased dramatically.

At the start of the murder investigation, Guede wasn't even a suspect. Knox was brought in for questioning and after making a false confession, she and Sollecito, who was her boyfriend at the time, were indicted. It wasn't until more than a week after the murder when forensics found fingerprints matching Guede's in Kercher's bedroom that Guede was arrested. He had run off to Germany after Kercher's murder and had to be extradited from Germany before he was ultimately charged with murder in Italy, according to The Telegraph.

Opting for a fast-track trial, Guede's trial was held in a closed session with no reporters. At first, Guede claimed Knox wasn't at the scene of the crime but then later changed his story when he made an appeal to the courts, saying Knox was in fact there, a story he maintains to this very day, despite Knox being cleared of any crime. Although Guede was originally given a 30 year sentence, that was cut down to 16 years because of the automatic one-third reduction for having a fast-track trial. According to SkyNews, another two years were also taken off Guede's sentence for good behavior, and in 2014 Guede qualified for a day release from prison to work.

According to The Daily Beast, Guede will be eligible for parole as early as 2018. Sollecito told SkyNews that it's "absurd" that Guede got such a reduced sentenced and he should have been tried the same way Sollecito and Knox were. Sollecito's not the only one unsatisfied with Guede's punishment. Kercher's family reportedly fought against the reduced sentence when it was first handed out, but to no avail.

Whether or not Guede's sentence is fair, unfortunately, it is what he has been served, and in two years time he may very well walk free.