Crime | Amanda Knox Knox's Family Has Spent $1M on Defense Father 'mortgaged everything' for Italian murder trial By Kevin Spak Posted Oct 9, 2009 1:22 PM CDT Copied Curt Knox and Christine Mellas, father and aunt of US murder suspect Amanda Knox, before the start of a hearing in the Meredith Kercher murder trial, in Perugia, Italy, June 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Stefano Medici) Amanda Knox’s trial has taken more than an emotional toll on her family—it’s all but bankrupted them. “Between Amanda’s mother and myself, we have spent over a million dollars so far,” her father tells ABC News. “We have literally mortgaged everything and used our retirement funds.” He’s also lost his job as a Macy’s executive and is looking for work. Nor is the bill done accumulating. Though closing arguments may begin soon, the family plans to appeal if Knox is convicted, and the prosecution plans to appeal if she’s not. Knox’s family doesn’t know how it’ll continue paying for the lawyers, experts, and flights to Italy that would entail, but they say they’ll find a way. “We do what it takes,” says her father. “We are not leaving our daughter in a foreign prison.” Read These Next Keith Urban interview ends after Nicole Kidman question. Who added bill's proposed tax on clean energy? No one knows. Red Sox player is just the 6th player to register rare HR combo. Trump says he'll 'take a look' at deporting Elon Musk. Report an error