Diksha Sundriyal
Hulu’s ‘A Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’ puts the narrative in the hands of Amanda Knox as she walks the audience through the investigation into the murder of Meredith Kercher. A major focus of the story is on how Amanda was pressurised by the cops to give in to the narrative that they’d formed in their minds about the events surrounding Meredith’s death. However, Amanda wasn’t the only one who suffered because of this. Her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, was also unexpectedly caught up in the case when his name was thrown in during Amanda’s interrogation.
A False Testimony Significantly Impacted Patrick Lumumba’s Life
Hailing from Kinshasa, Congo, Diya “Patrick” Lumumba was the owner of Le Chic, a cafe and bar where he’d hired Amanda Knox as a part-time employee. He’d crossed paths with Meredith Kersher, who had visited the cafe a few times, and he was aware of the case of her tragic death. However, when the cops came to arrest him on suspicion of killing Meredith, he was completely taken by surprise. Despite claiming innocence, he spent two weeks behind bars and was released only when one of his customers came forward as his alibi for that night. Moreover, there was no forensic evidence that would support the theory of Patrick being the murderer, so no official charges were ever pressed against him.
While the cops cleared Patrick of any involvement in the murder, the arrest alone was enough to impact his life adversely. He has since talked about how he was labelled the “monster of Perugia,” which severely influenced his reputation, leading to him losing his business, as his bar was closed shortly after. This eventually led him to leave the country altogether, and he moved to his Polish wife’s native land with their children. Before this, he sued the state in 2009 and demanded compensation of 516,000 euros (£462,000) if Amanda Knox were convicted of Meredith Kercher’s murder, while also suing Amanda in another separate lawsuit.
The sum was asked as reparations for the damage that was inflicted on him, his family, and his business, drastically affecting his financial and social standing. In 2015, when Knox was acquitted of all charges by Italy’s highest court, Patrick commented that it was because she was rich and American. In 2011, she was convicted of slandering Patrick by giving false testimony about him to the cops, leading to his arrest and two-week imprisonment. She tried to fight the conviction, but in June 2024, the court upheld its decision, and Patrick happily welcomed it.
Patrick Lumumba Leads a Happy Life With His Family in Poland Today
Patrick Lumumba lives in Kraków, Poland, with his family, which includes his loving and supportive wife and two children, Olivia and David. A graduate of Università per Stranieri di Perugia in International Relations and Development Cooperation, he is currently employed as a manager at Akili SP Z.O.O. He is also a specialist in International Market and Management Policy in both the private and public sectors. While he moved to Poland around 2014, he briefly returned to Perugia, Italy, between May 2017 and October 2018, working as a Marketing and Public Relations Manager for Blackout Entertainment S.R.L.
Additionally, he also volunteers, currently serving as the president of The Intercultural Association Baobab’s Dunia for Disaster and Humanitarian Relief. He has also been associated with the Feminist Cultural Association in Perugia, providing “technical and logistical support to the association.” He is fluent in French, Italian, Polish, English, and Swahili. While he is permanently settled in Poland, he does return to Italy time and again, visiting his friends and the old neighbourhood in Perugia. In his personal space, he loves spending time with his family, particularly his kids, hanging out with his friends and loved ones, and exploring new places.
As for the case with Amanda Knox, Patrick believes that her 2024 conviction shows that she was wrong in falsely implicating him in Meredith’s murder and that the “verdict has to accompany her for the rest of her life.” Following the hearing, Knox claimed that she was forced into the confession and the naming of Patrick as the killer by the cops, who allegedly mentally pressured her to do so. She called Patrick her friend, who had consoled her following her friend’s death, and expressed how sorry she was for not being able to withstand the alleged pressure she claimed was put on her. Patrick, however, maintained that Amanda Knox had never apologised to him and that the repercussions of her words had irreversibly impacted his life.
Read More: Raffaele Sollecito: Wbere is Amanda Knox’s Ex-Boyfriend Now?
