Knox leaves Italy to head home to US

Amanda Knox headed home to the United States a free woman Tuesday, the morning after an Italian appeals court radically overturned the American student's certainty of sexually assaulting and brutally slaying her British roommate.

The Italy-US Foundation, which has championed Knox's cause, said she deceased shortly after noon (1000 GMT) from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport on the way to London, from where she will catch a between flight to the United States the 24-year-old Knox, who is returning to Seattle, arrived at the airport in a Mercedes with darkened windows and waited for board inside a confidential waiting area, out of public view.

Back in Perugia, the family of slain British student Meredith Kercher remain stunned by the verdict and searching for answers,"It was a bit of a shock," said Stephanie Kercher, the wounded older sister, It's very upsetting Lyle Kercher, a brother, said the family is still trying to appreciate how a decision that "was so certain two years ago has been so radically overturned."

Amanda Knox Tells Court She Was Betrayed By Italian Police

Amanda Knox made an emotional plea for her freedom today, telling an Italian court that she did not kill her British roommate Meredith Kercher and she was "betrayed" by Italian police knox, who has spent the last four years in prison and is serving a 26 year prison term, begin shakily as she address the jury in Italian overcome tears, she pressed on with her influence breaking at times.

"I want to go home i want to go back to my life i don't want to be punish I don't want my future taken away from me for incredible I didn't do because I am innocent," she said seat in the courtroom, Knox's mother Edda Mellas and her younger sister Deanna cried.

Knox, 24, had the last word in her nearly year long appeal she spoke following her ex-boyfriend and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito, 27, said that at the time of his take into custody in November 2007 he was "in a beautiful situation," He about to defend his college notion and he had met this "beautiful vivacious girl, and so sweet," referring to Knox.