Amanda Knox celebrated being acquitted with family in the US as relatives of murdered Meredith Kercher refused to rule out bringing an end to their quest for justice.
The mother of British student Meredith said she was “surprised and very shocked” by an Italian court’s decision to overturn the convictions of Ms Knox and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.
Arline Kercher said: “I am a bit surprised and very shocked, but that is about it at the moment.
“They have been convicted twice so it’s a bit odd that it should change now.”
And asked whether she had any plans following the ruling, she added: “I really don’t know at the moment, I haven’t got any plans.”
Previously, it’s been speculated Meredith’s family were considering bringing a private prosecution against Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito.
Meredith, 21, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in her bedroom in 2007 while studying in Perugia, Italy.
Ms Knox, 27, who was her flat-mate and Mr Sollecito, Ms Knox’s then Italian boyfriend, spent four years in jail for the murder but were acquitted on appeal in 2011.
Ms Knox returned to the US before an appeal court threw out the acquittal and reinstated her and Mr Sollecito’s guilty verdicts last year.
But on Friday night Italy’s highest court overturned the convictions and declined to order another trial.
The decision is the final ruling in the case.
Ms Knox, when asked what she would say to the Kercher family, said: “Meredith was my friend. She deserved so much in this life.”
Ms Knox also told reporters outside her family home in Seattle she was “full of joy”.
“Right now I’m still absorbing what all this means and what comes to mind is my gratitude for the life that’s been given to me,” she said.
She added she was “so grateful to have my life back”.
As to her future, she added: “I don’t know. I’m still absorbing the present moment, which is full of joy.”
Following the court’s decision, Ms Knox’s lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said: “Finished! It couldn’t be better than this.”
Mr Dalla Vedova said he had called Ms Knox to tell her the news, but said she could not speak through her tears.
“She was crying because she was so happy,” he said.
Francesco Maresca, the lawyer for the Meredith’s family, said he was disappointed by the ruling.
He added: “I think that it’s a defeat for the Italian justice system.”
The judges will release the reasons for their decision within 90 days after concluding that a conviction could not be supported by the evidence.
Prosecutors claimed Meredith, a Leeds University student, was the victim of a drug-fuelled sex game gone wrong.
But Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito consistently protested their innocence and claimed they were not in the apartment the night she died.
Rudy Guede, a drug dealer, is serving a 16-year sentence over her death.
Knox said last year she would become a “fugitive” if convicted and would have to be taken back “kicking and screaming” to Italy.
Greg Hampikian, a professor of biology and criminal justice, worked on the DNA evidence for Ms Knox’s defence team.
He said of her: “I imagine she is feeling a lot better she was under tremendous stress before this, and I think it was really starting to wear on Amanda.
“I hope the Kerchers can find peace as well. It’s just been an up-and-down thing for everyone for so long.”
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