An Italian court found Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of murder Thursday night, overturning a 2011 not guilty finding on appeal.
Knox was released from an Italian prison two years ago after serving four years behind bars. Yesterday the former exchange student was sentenced in absentia to 28 years and six months in prison and Sollecito received 25 years for his part in the 2007 murder of Amanda’s 21-year-old British roommate Meredith Kercher.
After hearing the verdict, Knox told reporters, “I will never go willingly back to Italy. This is not right and not fair. This is a travesty.”
The Seattle, Washington native issued this statement: “I am frightened and saddened by this unjust verdict. Having been found innocent before, I expected better from the Italian justice system. The evidence and accusatory theory do not justify a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. There has always been a marked lack of evidence.”
“This has gotten out of hand. Most troubling is that it was entirely preventable. I beseech those with the knowledge and authority to address and remediate the problems that worked to prevent the course of justice and waste the valuable resources of the system.”
Knox’s attorney, Ted Simon, indicated he would appeal. Regarding his client’s chances of being extradited, he cautioned, “It’s really not in play right now, because first of all, she has another appeal to the Supreme Court of Italy. In Italy, under their system, you’re still actually presumed innocent until that third, final stage.”
Simon stated emphatically, “The bottom line is, there is no evidence, and there never will be any evidence, and that’s why this is such a gross miscarriage of justice.”
Watch her ‘GMA’ interview on video below:
Photo: WENN