Profile: Kercher killer Rudy Guede

Rudy Guede fled from Italy and was arrested in Germany

The murder of British student Meredith Kercher, 21, at her rented flat in Italy last year, has been the focus of intense media speculation.

One man, Rudy Hermann Guede, 21, who has joint Italian and Ivorian nationality, has already been convicted of her killing.

Two other suspects, American Amanda Knox, 21, and Miss Knox's Italian ex-lover Raffaele Sollecito, 24, will now stand trial.

Rudy Guede was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

He fled to Germany after the murder but police began searching for him after finding a bloody fingerprint on a pillow that did not match the other suspects.

He was arrested in Mainz for being on a train without a ticket and was extradited to Italy to face murder charges.

Under Italian law, Guede took a special fast-track trial which took place behind closed doors.

Guede chose to be tried separately from Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito because he feared a pact between the former lovers.

He had admitted he was in Miss Kercher's home the night she was murdered but denied any wrongdoing.

He said he was in the bathroom of the flat when the crime was committed and heard screams.

However, the Italian judge did not believe him and found him guilty of murder.

He was adopted by a family living in Perugia, although they are said to have since broken all contact with him.

He is planning to appeal.