sollecito of murdering meredith kercher. the police collection of the bra clasp said to contain sollecito's dna was so sloppy it could have caused contamination. and that the knife that the prosecution said was used to kill kercher contained too small of a dna sample to retest it. and should never have been introduced. >> do you feel like you got that point driven home? >> we have explained this to the court. and the court has to accept our view. >> reporter: knox's entire family will be in court not far from them, meredith kercher's family. their lawyer says meredith's mother will look the jury in the eye and wants knox to stay in prison. >> i have my hopes for my daughter. but unfortunately, they don't for theirs. and it's a tough one. >> reporter: she is gone forever. >> they don't have a chance with her. and we do with ours. >> reporter: there are three different scenarios the jury could uphold the conviction and sentence her to life behind bars as the prosecution has requested, it could uphold the conviction and release her on time served or could acquit her and set her fre

. >> an interesting side note, meredith kercher's family, the victim says they're in limbo as it comes out the man convicted for her murder is also seeking a retrial. >> based on the same kind of shoddily handled crime scene that helped free amanda. >> right. his dna was allegedly all over the crime scene. we'll see how that turns out. >> still so many questions as this thing moves forward. >> moving on now to another unbelievable story about a murder conviction overturned. michael morton walked out of prison yesterday, a free man after nearly 25 years behind bars. jim bergemo of austin's kvu has the story. >> reporter: michael morton sat in the williamson county courthouse tuesday and finally got the news he has been waiting to hear for 25 years. >> i have recommended -- >> reporter: the district judge from san antonio made it a point to tell morton. >> you do have my sympathies, you have my apologies. >> reporter: new dna evidence was key to freeing morton from a life sentence for the murder of his wife christine in 1986. the evidence linked a bandanna found near the morton's h

were cleared charges in connection murder of meredith kercher. >>> wanted arizona congresswoman's gabrielle giffords made her second trip to d.c. since being shot in january. pictures of a whitece, attending retirement ceremony for astronaut and navy captain mark kelly. 7 is on your side with a this holiday alert weekend. today, metro will close stations for maintenance work. there's the occupy wall street protests. r going on asile as the taste of d.c. not a great weekend for this. are at the east falls church metro station. at 10:00 tonight morning,ntil tuesday be buses running between here and the west falls ofrch metro station instead of continued work on the dollar's real extension project. if you are using either of those at 30 minutes to your trip. tonight and10:00 running until tuesday morning. another heads up. three stations in the district will be closing this weekend. street, and columbia .eights if you are driving around town, quotienclosures. sections of pennsylvania avenue wallace and street through 13th street will be closed for d.c. that of the state starts tomorr

word aghan was acquitted of the murder of her british room maim meredith kercher, curt just wanted to hold her, but he would have to wait a few hours until they got to rome. you must be so excited for that freedom hug. >> i am looking forward to it. >> reporter: a lot. >> more than you know. >> reporter: that hug was 47 months in the making. curt and amanda's mother have shuttled back and forth from seattle nearly 50 times. i firsrst sat down with them shortly after amanda's arrest. have you allowed yourself to worst case scenario this? >> no. you have to believe in the system. they are going to figure out that they've made a huge mistake. >> reporter: curt's unwavering belief paid off. though it took four years and two trials. after the verdict, curt revealed amanda and her former above ref yale soesless toe were able to share one final moment before they went free. >> the only time they really got to talk was after the verdict when they were getting ready to be whisked away in the cars. they went back to the prison in the same car. they hold something in common that few people ha

. to be present and meredith in the city she loves. >> reporter: the kerchers have said they believe in the original verdict. >> we were satisfied with that last time. nothing changed since then. it sill is exactly the same. ths that how the justice works. >> reporter: it looks less like a postcard and more like the setting of a murder. the jury returns after nine hours of deliberations. moments before the verdict, the body language in court is a study in contrast. prosecutor mignini confidently embracing the kercher family. knox herself trembling with anticipation clearly having trouble keeping her emotions in check. >> it's life or she gets to come home and that's a pretty big thing to have on your mind as a 24-year-old. [ speaking italian ] >> reporter: the first statement from the judge is actually bad news for amanda. she's found guilty of slandering her former boss patrick lumumba when she fingered him for the murder during a controversial statement to police that she later retracted but then -- [ speaking italian ] >> reporter: -- acquittal on the murder charges. the jury dema

roommate, meredith kercher in 2007. amanda and knox and sollecito be immediately released. >> reporter: in terms of the reaction when the verdict was read in the courtroom, there was an outburst of joy, tears. outside the courthouse however mixed emotions really. there were mixed sentiments. >> she was scared. she was scared because her life was -- on the border between a terrible request which is life in jail and the possibility to get dismissed. so she was extremely scared and tense. >> reporter: we heard some cheers but we also heard some boos. with some people shouting "where is the justice?" now in terms of amanda knox while she left the prison, and according to italian lawmakers she could be back home in seattle by tuesday. rob, tanya, back to you. >> what a day in court. and still, as wonderful it is she is coming back home if you believe justice prevaileprevail may not be over, possibility of civil charges. it's not over yet. >> hardly unlikely she would be extradited back to italy for further trial. >> i doubt she will be visiting that country again. >> maybe she will stop eat

former boyfriend may know, quote, the real truth, about who killed meredith kercher back in 2007. he says knox could be responsible for the murder but that she was let go based only on the evidence presented in her appeal trial. interesting. >> this i thought was a very interesting side note to this story. apparently the local media all the stations in seattle wrote a letter to the family we are not going to be in your front door, not knock on your door, we will give you the time to reconnect as a family, let her heal. get her state of mind back. i thought that was, you know, the media is known for many things, not being intrusive ain't one of them. >> sometimes we take the high road. >> bravo to our colleagues in seattle for giving them the space they need. the thursday forecast, everybody, heavy snow in the mountains of colorado and wyoming. scattered thunderstorms for much of the rockies and dakotas. showers from san francisco to santa barbara. thunderstorms in west texas. frost, freeze advisories this morning from pennsylvania up to maine. >> and just 60 in boston. 69 in new york

codefendant raffaello sollecito were convicted of killing meredith kercher in 2009. amanda knox was sentenced to 26 years and the man was sentenced to 25. they are hoping to wrap conduct an overturned. a visibly nervous, amanda knox said "i've lost a friend in the worst, most brutal, most expensive " way possible. i'm paying with my life for something i have not done." the court is deliberating now and is expected to come back with a verdict this afternoon at which time we will find out if amanda knox can go free or perhaps end up spending more lives behind bars. reporting live in a satellite center, brianne carter, abc 7 news. >> we will have more reaction to that verdict in 30 minutes. stay tuned for a special edition of good morning america from italy. >>> one person is in custody in connection with an overnight double stabbing. this happened at 12:30 at at the regency house apartment on connecticut avenue nw. police have not identified the suspect or the victim. -- the suspect or the victim's. >>> jummy olabanji is outside fairfax county court with a preview of a grandmother on trial. >>

roommate, meredith kercher, in a drug and sex- filled stage. they called her a she-devil. earlier in the day, she insisted in this speech that she had nothing to do with it. >> i am paying with my life for something i have not done. i am not what they say that am. i am not permitted or violent. >> her boyfriend at the time also made his plea and was also set free. knox was found guilty of a defamation for earlier accusing a local to a crime and was sentenced to a fine and time served. outside, several gathered, some cheering, some chanting "shame." >> she suffered for a crime she did not commit. >> beckham in seattle, friends anxious to get amanda back home. >> this has taken four years of these two young people's lives. there were absolutely innocent on day one and eight two. >> keep in mind, a third person, a local director had been convicted in taking part of her murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison and is also appealing. it is likely she will leave italy very quickly. her passport expired while she was in prison and the u.s. embassy will take care of that matter. >>> there

meredith kercher, the 21-year-old amanda's accused of murdering, plans to be here monday, as well. she will not speak. but her lawyer said in court, that her one look to the juror will speak volumes, that knox should be kept in prison. in their last full day of arguments, the prosecution sought to remind the jurors of the kercher family and their lassive loss. they did not hold back. likening the murder of kercher to horrible acts like teenagers burning a homeless man or children bullying someone who was handicapped. >> they will attack her personally because they have no evidence. that will be it. it's hard to listen to. >> reporter: in the rebuttals, the defense argued that rudy guede, the third man convicted of the murder and a key witness against knox, was unreliable. citing three different thefts he had been implicated in. the defense will finish their arguments on monday. and then, amanda will make her direct plea in italian for her freedom. she will be facing a panel of six jurors and three judges. all of them will deliberate together. after four years in prison, she and he

daughter in the murder of 21-year-old meredith kercher over. outside the courtroom, there was outraj. knox's family made their way outside. her younger sister and best friend stepped up to the microphone. now a joyful spokesman. >> we're thankful her nightmare is over. she suffered for four years for a crime she did not commit. >> reporter: then her lead attorney who defended her from the start over 100 hearings and a crushing guilty verdict two years ago. >> today she was scared. she knew that the day was important, therefore, she was very scared. >> reporter: she was hustled back to prison for the last time. she was finishing some routine paperwork before being flown out of the country back to her home in seattle. this day of judgment started with knox's emotional plea in court to be freed. her voice shaking so much the judge told her she could sit if necessary. she said, "a am paying with my life for something i do. i didn't kill. i insist after four years after four hopeless years my innocence. i want to go home. i want to go back to my life. i deserve freedom. when amanda

sentence for the murder of meredith kercher, thrown out. amanda's younger sister, deanna, now, a joyful family spokesman. >> we're thankful that amman the's nightmare is over. we suffered for three years for a crime she did not commit. >> reporter: carlo della vedova has been her lawyer for four years. >> there was a relief from the decision. >> reporter: while there is relief for the knox family, there is anger for the kerchers. >> we will find out what really happened. >> reporter: for amanda, a new life begins today. amanda knox thanks the italians that supported her through the ordeal. there were pockets of support, that grew steadily as the evidence against her began to disintegrate. the first thing her mother says she wants to do is feel the grass, something she hasn't done in the concrete prison for four years. >> no one has covered the case more closely than elizabeth. >> very the very beginning. >>> joining us now is dan abrams and her u.s. attorney, ted simons, in seattle. ted, i saw you before you left. and you were cautiously optimistic before the verdict was read. now, we d

her four friends were convicted and sentenced to prison for killing meredith kercher. they say they did not do its. the defense issued a new trial after an independent review found dna evidence and not the links the two to the murder weapon. amanda knox's family hopes the court will rule in her favor. >> these people hold our lives in their hands. it has been stressful for years. >> she is 24 and could be looking at the rest of her life behind bars. >> the two judges and six jurors could throw out the conviction or a poll did. prosecutors want her to get life in prison. war in 16 minutes. >>> defense attorneys will begin a second week of testimony in a murder trial of a fairfax grandmother. >> 50-year-old carmela dela rosa is accused of killing her two- year-old granddaughter six doors down to her death. jummy olabanji is live outside the courthouse in fairfax. -- six stories down. >> the trial continues at 10:00 this morning. the defense expected to have more witnesses take the stand. they started last week by having a husband of the defendant takes the stand. the prosecution paint

meredith ultimately. we need to find truth and justice for her. >> in 2009 amanda knox and her former boyfriend were convicted and sentenced to prison for the 2007 murder of american curmeredith kercher. the court could set the woman free, uphold a sentence, or put her behind bars for life. we will continue to follow the story. a live report at 5:00 from italy. >>> prosecutors plan to file manslaughter charges today against a teenager in connection with a crest and killed two of his classmates. he was originally charged with misdemeanor reckless driving in april after a crash in a market, virginia. two passengers died. police say that speed was a factor. >>> a former army sergeant major is accused in a violent case of road rage. we're finding out now that he will not stand trial. gene mckinney will enter a plea on tuesday in arlington courtroom. in april he was indicted for malicious wounding and reckless driving. he picked up passengers on 95 in virginia slug-line passengers. he drove at 95 miles an hour and then struck one of them with his car. >>> the trial resumes for women charge

what they call square one. the family of meredith kercher say the verdict has them searching for answers. >> we are obviously looking at this again and thinking how decision that was so certain two years ago has been so emphatically overturned now. >> it may be a case of waiting another year to get the truth. we cannot decide that. we have to leave that to the police and the court. >> she road a thank-you letter to the italy foundation expressing her gratitude. it said to those who stayed close to me and offended me, we are forever grateful. she may not completely be out of the woods yet. prosecutors who saw their case against the american and another man collapse, say they plan to appeal the case. >> thank you. let's turn now to the race for the white house. one popular republican says his name will not be on the ballot no matter how many times he is asked to do it. chris christie says he will not run for president despite growing pressure from conservatives. he says he made a promise to the people in new jersey. >> again, what i always felt was the right decision remains the ri

planning decision this latest according to the family of the meredith kercher. that remains to be seen. >> thank you. >>> a suspected rapist is on the run in silver spring. police in montgomery county are o attacked aa man wh woman inside her home sunday night. detectives tell abc 7 the man the woman on the floor, then tried to report. off and was able to get away. her.ried to rape >>> yesterday we learned more mentalarmela dela at the time of the murder of her granddaughter. treated for depression. say that she was insane when she threw her granddaughter angelyn off a center at tyson's corner last year. >>> interest in the involuntary manslaughter trial of michael doctor and will hear made onut a call he that day. trying to murray was practice, hisical life, and his superstar patient at once. he is charged with giving of aon a lethal dose powerful anesthetic propofol. >>> looks like president obama is facing an uphill battle on win a second term. a new abc news washington post finds a majority of americans believe he will only be a one-term president. but in an exclusive intervie

: knox's entire family will be in court tomorrow. not far from them, meredith kercher's family. their lawyer says meredith's mother will look the jury in the eye and wants knox to stay in prison. >> i have my hopes for my daughter. but unfortunately, they don't for theirs. and that's a tough one. >> reporter: she's gone forever. >> they don't have a chance with her. and we do, with ours. >> reporter: tomorrow, in her statement to court, knox is expected to express her deepest sympathy for her slain roommate who, just like her, more than four years ago, came to this city to learn italian. david? >> elizabeth, we will see you tomorrow. and the italian courts, of course, are very different than what we know here at home. two judges and a half dozen jurors on this case. they will all deliberate together, the judges included. and there's a very good chance they've been deliberating already. "good morning america's" josh elliott, also in perugia tonight. >> reporter: the decision to keep amanda knox in prison or set her free will be made by these eight people. two judges and six jurors. unl

, meredith kercher. but the lawyer for the mother of meredith said that she would like to see amanda behind bars. >>> as amanda knox prepares to learn her fate, abc news is going to be covering it all very aggressively. "20/20" co-anchor elizabeth vargas and josh elliott are both in perugia. we're going to start with elizabeth. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. in 24 hours, amanda knox may learn her fate. first thing tomorrow morning, her perugian lawyer will address the court and then amanda knox will make that much anticipated final statement that she's been working on for several months. and then it's up to the two judges and six jurors to decide her fate. the world and especially two particular families will be waiting anxiously. when amanda knox walks into this courtroom, she carries with her the hopes and fears of two families whose lives collided so tragically. it was the night after halloween when the 21-year-old british student meredith kercher was murdered in the cottage they shared. within days, amanda and her boyfriend were arrested. but now, nearly four years

. meredith kercher was stabbed to death in her bedroom. knox was sentenced to 23 years in prison. sollecito, to 25. there was an enormous outburst of joy. but there were also tears. outside the courtroom, however, mixed emotions. mixed sentiments. there were cheers. but there were boos. and some people shouting, what a disgrace. rob and tanya, back to you. >> thank you. >>> in italy, prosecutors say they plan to appeal the case to the nation's highest criminal court. we ask abc news legal analyst, dan abrams, whether amanda knox is still in legal jeopardy. >> the prosecutor, it sounds like he's going to appeal. if they win on appeal, i can't see an extradition occurring. i think amanda knox is safe at home. >> and knox should be safe at home in seattle, where hundreds of friends have been waiting for her return. >>> coming up on "good morning america," complete coverage from our team in italy and seattle, as amanda knox heads home. >>> and turning, now, to presidential politics. and what our new poll says about some potential matchups for next november. the poll finds president obama with r

court's ruling and said they are not ready to forgive anyone in the murder of meredith kercher. live in the satellite center, jay korff, abc news. >>> this has gripped the world from italy, to seattle, to washington, d.c. >> this case has gotten a lot of attention here in the united states. it has intensified since the appeals process has been under way. amanda knox has received a lot of sympathy from the american public. many people we spoke with said they were surprised that the jury's decision. >> i think the way the italians handled the case was really badly. the way the media handled the case was terrible. i am not saying that i know for sure that she is innocent. i am just saying the way the case was handled was not fair and therefore the trial, to me, was moot. >> we're pleased to hear just as was done. as an american, i do not like to see fellow americans committing crimes abroad. hopefully she was innocent and that is what the jury found. >> the recent public testimony by her father on her behalf certainly may have swayed american ears that issue is a sympathetic character. whe

. pushing their way through the frenzied press outside the croom. and meredith kercher's mother, vowing to be there when the verdict was read, just landed at the airport. >> amanda's family and friends in seattle as well. the verdict could come within hours. josh elliott and elizabeth vargas are on the scene in per runl ya. let's get to elizabeth. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, george. four years after the murder of meredith kercher. the judge and jurors are deliberating. they started about two hours ago. they did so after hearing one dramatic and emotional final plea from amanda knox herself. early this morning, a police van carried amanda knox from the prison on the outskirts of per ru ugia to the mobbed courthouse. amanda was led in looking tense and nervous. she sat with the two italian lawyers who defended her from the start, who insist td this morning that because the crucial dna evidence has been discredited, she must be freed. then amanda and her former boyfriend rose to speak. first, raffaele sollecito said he is living an endless nightmare. he showed the cour