Police investigating the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy have found mystery traces of DNA on her bra.
The three traces - believed to be from two males and a female - do not match up with any of the three suspects currently being held over the 21-year-old's death.
The discovery will prompt speculation that somebody else may have been involved in the killing, although one of the suspect's lawyers said police were not making that assumption.
Miss Kercher's American housemate Amanda Knox, 20, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 23, and Ivorian Rudy Guede, 21, are all in prison near Perugia accused of sexually assaulting and murdering the Leeds University student from Coulsdon, Surrey, on November 1 last year.
Miss Kercher was found at her home in Perugia with her throat slit and police said there was evidence of a violent sexual encounter.
The new discovery was made by forensics officers analysing one of the victim's bras that was found at the house on Via della Pergola.
They had already identified DNA belonging to Guede and Sollecito on the garment.
Vittorio Lombardo, one of Guede's lawyers, said the traces were "more likely to have come from cross-contamination".
He added: "It is said the washing machine was not as clean as it might have been, for example, so the traces could have come from there.
Police said the discovery of Sollecito's DNA on the bra earlier this month means they now have evidence putting all three suspects at the scene of the crime.
