The defence for the chief
suspect in the murder of American national Ashley Olsen argued
in court Tuesday their client could not have committed the
crime, because he was no longer in the flat at the victim's time
of death.
The defence asked to see CCTV footage from the streets
around Olsen's apartment on January 9, the day her Italian
artist boyfriend Federico Fiorentini found her in her flat with
trauma to the head and signs of ligature strangulation.
Olsen, 35, also an artist, had been out of touch with
Fiorentini for a few days following an argument, and had spent
the night with defendant Cheik Tidiane Diaw, a 27-year-old
Senegalese national.
CCTV footage showed him leaving her flat at 11:30 that
morning, but an autopsy put the victim's time of death at
12-12:30 - information that was only released to the defence
today.
"This is why we believe another person was at the scene of
the crime," Diaw's defence attorneys told the court.
As well, the autopsy showed Olsen's head trauma was caused
two hours before her death - which also implies someone other
than the defendant could have strangled her later.
According to initial reports, Diaw admitted under
interrogation to being responsible for her death but said it was
not intentional. He said he had sexual relations with Olsen
after meeting her in a club and going to her home.
He said they subsequently argued and she banged her head
after he pushed her.
He was identified with the help of footage from
surveillance cameras that showed him going from a club to
Olsen's home with her.
Olsen, originally from Florida, was living in Florence
where her father, an architect, works at an art school.
An autopsy found that she had been strangled with a cord
or rope.
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