Convicts to testify for Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the death of her roommate, Meredith Kercher.Knox was convicted of murder in the death of her roommateThe group of convicts include a child murderer and a mafia bossThey are expected to tell a judge that someone else in prison admitted to the crime

Rome (CNN) -- Five prison inmates are expected to appear in an Italian courtroom Saturday to testify on behalf of Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of murder in Italy, according to her lawyers.

Knox, was sentenced last year to 26 years in prison for the death of Meredith Kercher at the villa the two shared in Perugia, the central Italian town where both were students.

Knox has vehemently proclaimed her innocence and her family has continued to fight the conviction.

The inmates testifying Saturday include a child murderer and a mafia boss, lawyers in the case say.

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The inmates are expected to tell the judge at the appeals hearing Saturday that Knox could not have committed the crime because they heard someone else in prison admit to the murder, Knox's attorneys Luciano Ghirga and Carlo della Vedova have said.

One of the witnesses will be Mario Alessi, who is serving a 30-year sentence for kidnapping and killing a 18-month old boy.

Alessi is expected to say that Rudy Guede, who has also been convicted of being involved in Kercher's murder and is serving a 16-years sentence, told him in prison that Knox was not involved in the murder.

Three other prison inmates will testify that they heard Guede say this to Alessi. Guede has denied ever telling Alessi this and claims the killer is Knox.

The fifth inmate expected to testify is Luciano Aviello, who is serving a 16 -year prison term for mafia-related crimes. Aviello is expected to say that it was his brother and Guede who killed Kercher.

CNN