Christian Robinson    

Staff Writer

   After spending years battling courts from her Italian prison cell, Amanda Knox finally has her homecoming.

    Knox served 4 years of a 26-year sentence in Perugia, Italy, until her conviction was appealed and she was acquitted on October 3rd. Amanda had been charged and convicted of sexual assault and murder (along with alleged accomplice and ex boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito) of friend and college roommate, Meredith Kercher.

     The case against Knox was driven by DNA evidence based on DNA of Knox and two others being found at the scene of the incident. The prosecution painted a gruesome picture of the crime. In the initial trial, Knox was accused of being the main perpetrator of the murder, stabbing Kercher as two men proceeded to hold her down and sexually assault her.

     The hearings had revealed a good girl/bad girl dynamic between Kercher and Knox. Knox was portrayed as lacking inhibition and sloppy, but also as someone who was working hard to put herself through college. Kercher, on the other hand, had been seen as more stern and deliberate. This juxtaposition was one of the things that brought this case to the headlines all around the world.

     Knox’s appeal was fueled by the defense’s claim that the case was lacking in evidence. According to a Seattle Times article, "the case against former University of Washington student Amanda Knox was always just too far-fetched. An Italian jury concluded what many have long suspected - Knox certainly was guilty of goofy, insensitive behavior and pot use. But there was never sufficient evidence to prove she murdered her roommate, whom she knew only a few weeks."

     Four long years of determination and patience brought the day Amanda Knox was released. She was escorted from Capanne Prison outside of Perugia, Italy, accompanied by numerous photographers and members of the press. Secretary-general to Knox’s case, Corrado Maria Daclon, stated that Knox “wanted to go home, reconnect with her family, take possession of her life and win back her happiness.”

    Knox’s supporters in Seattle cheered and shed a few tears as the verdict was read. Knox herself struggled to remain standing as she awaited the decision that would change her life forever. Her family expressed their gratitude to all of her supporters, expressing relief that “their nightmare is over.” In Knox’s final address to the court, she emphatically stated, "I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen.”    

     Knox was generally welcomed back to Seattle and the United States with open arms. She and her family reportedly spent her first night of freedom at home with pizza and wine. Her recent public appearances and outings have been low-key choosing to spend time with friends and family.  She says that she is eager to reconnect with her family. As her father summarily stated, “It's so nice for her to be on U.S. soil and home. She needs some space. She's a strong girl but it's going to take a period of time for her to re-adjust. We will give her what what she needs when she needs it. The focus simply is Amanda's well-being and getting her re-associated with just being a regular person again.”