Amanda Knox: 'Thank You for Being There for Me'
In her first public appearance since her conviction was overturned, Amanda Knox spoke shortly after landing in Seattle on Tuesday, telling her supporters, "Thank you for being there for me." "I'm really overwhelmed right now," Knox said tearfully to a cheering crowd. "I was looking down from the airplane, and it seemed like everything wasn’t real. What’s important for me to say is thank you to everyone who has believed in me, defended me, and supported my family." Her parents and her American attorney also spoke, thanking their supporters and family before all leaving together.
Knox Leaves ItalyOct. 4, 2011 6:30 AM EDT
And she's gone. Amanda Knox and her family caught a flight out of Rome's Fuimicino airport and were en route to London on Tuesday morning, where they will get a connecting flight to Seattle. "During the trip from Perugia to Rome, Amanda was serene," the secretary general of the Italy-US Foundation told Sky News. "She confirmed to me that in the future she intends to come back to our country."
Amanda Knox embraces at the Rome airport.
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Kercher’s Dad: Knox Acquittal Is ‘Ludicrous’Oct. 4, 2011 6:16 AM EDT
While Amanda Knox’s family wept with joy after seeing their daughter’s murder conviction overturned, the father of the victim was incensed. Speaking from the family’s home in Surrey, England, John Kercher called the judge’s decision to free Knox and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito “ludicrous,” saying last night’s drama had made a “mockery” of the original trial. “I thought the judge might play it safe and uphold the conviction but reduce the sentence,” he said. “But this result is crazy.” Knox will leave Italy Tuesday morning to return to the United States.
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Perugia Reacts to Knox VerdictOct. 3, 2011 11:20 PM EDT
What happened after Amanda Knox, who cried after hearing that her conviction had been overturned, left the courtroom? Many outside shouted “Assassina! Assassina!” after the verdict was read. Knox’s face was put on the cover of two gossip magazines, while one newspaper simply ran the headline “Acquitted!” One American student studying in the city said, “We gathered a group of students who thought she was innocent. That was my group. But I know there was another group who believed she was guilty, and they waited in a different place." Meanwhile, the victim’s brother said, “They fully believed her innocence. You can’t blame them for that. But it’s obviously hard for us.”
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Amanda Knox left prison a free woman after a judge ordered her release in a dramatic courtroom ruling. The American now heads home to Seattle, but the prosecution vows to appeal. By Barbie Latza Nadeau.
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The Families and the World ReactOct. 3, 2011 4:54 PM EDT
“We’re thankful Amanda’s nightmare is over,” Knox's sister Deanna said after the verdict was announced. “We’re grateful for the support we have received from all over the world." The family of Meredith Kercher, the British student Knox was convicted of murdering, remained stony as the verdict was read. Earlier in the day, they had begged the jury to ignore the "media hype" surrounding the trial and to focus on their murdered daughter.Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department released a statement saying the government "appreciates the careful consideration of this matter within the Italian judicial system. Our Embassy in Rome will continue to provide appropriate consular assistance to Ms. Knox and her family."
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Daily Mail Publishes Wrong Knox VerdictOct.3, 2011 7:15 PM EDT
Amanda Knox is guilty…of defamation. The Daily Mail, apparently, did not wait to hear the end of the translator’s statement before publishing. The Mail Online posted its pre-written story announcing that Knox was guilty of the murder of her British roommate. A screenshot of the article’s search result on Google has the news previews the story: “Amanda Knox looked stunned this evening after she dramatically lost her prison appeal against her murder conviction.” The story even includes some other interesting paragraphs: “Prosecutors were delighted with the verdict and said that 'justice has been done' although they said on a 'human factor it was sad two young people would be spending years in jail.”
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Knox Prosecutor Floats Conspiracy TheoriesOct. 3, 2011 5:17 PM EDTGiuliano Mignini, the Italian magistrate who ran the investigation of the murder of Meredith Kercher starting in 2007, finds himself under fire from critics who allege that he coaxed Knox into giving false testimony early in the case. But Mignini believes it's part of a years-long plot by his enemies to bring him down. He told The Guardian that he has believed himself to be under attack for years for his handling of another case that was mysteriously blocked and led to his conviction recently for ordering illegal wiretaps. "Our judicial system has been subjected to a systematic denigration by a well-organized operation of a journalistic and political nature," he said.
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Jury Overturns Knox Murder ConvictionOct. 3, 2011 3:50 PM EDT
American student Amanda Knox is free. A jury in Perugia, Italy, has overturned her 2009 conviction of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, but found her guilty of defamation, although she was immediately released after serving nearly four years in jail. Knox broke down in tears after hearing the verdict. Her codefendant Raffaele Sollecito also walks. Knox was found guilty of defaming Patrick Lumumba, whom she initially accused of the crime. Lumumba hired Knox to work as a waitress weeks before the murder of Kercher, and was arrested by Italian police after Knox said that she was in the kitchen while Lumumba, the owner of the bar Le Chic, killed Kercher in the bedroom. Knox later withdrew the statement, and Lumumba was cleared after witnesses proved he had been working at the bar that night.
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Knox's Final AppealOct. 3, 2011 7:00 AM EDT
“I was manipulated,” Knox said earlier on Monday, referring to the supposedly false accusations and confessions she made during the initial police investigation. “I am not who I say I am. I did not do the things attributed to me. I am not violent. I don't have a lack of respect for life. And I did not kill. I did not rape. I did not steal. I wasn't there at the crime scene at the time.”
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Live From Perugia's Media Circus By Barbie Latza Nadeau. Oct. 3, 2011 9:38 AM EDT
As the jury deliberates the fate of Knox and Sollecito, Perugia is literally humming from the sound of TV truck generators. Top anchors from all of the American networks are in town pumping up the hopes of the Knox family, hoping to catch the emotion no matter which way the verdict comes down. No one knows what will happen, but everyone is speculating various scenarios. Satellite trucks line the road near the prison where Knox is waiting out the deliberation with cars poised to follow her if she is released tonight. The tension in the air is palpable. Adding to the mix is the fact that Kercher’s mother and sister arrived in town and will be giving a press conference in the afternoon. They will be in court when the verdict is read tonight.
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Key Witness: Knox Is 'World's Best Actress'Oct. 2, 2011 9:01 AM EDT
Here's one person who's not convinced. Patrick Lumumba, whom Knox initially accused of the crime, called her “the world’s best actress” in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times. (The article is behind a paywall.) Lumumba hired Knox to work as a waitress weeks before the murder of Meredith Kercher, and tells the paper that he is living proof of her guilt. Italian police arrested Lumumba after Knox said that she was in the kitchen while Lumumba, the owner of the bar Le Chic, killed Kercher in the bedroom. Knox later withdrew the statement, and Lumumba was cleared after witnesses proved he had been working at the bar that night. "I went to prison unjustly. I was called an assassin. Who said that? Amanda. I'm the proof that she is involved in the murder."
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