The acquittal of Amanda Knox has been overturned by the highest criminal court in Italy, according to The Associated Press. The case involves the murder of Knox’s British roommate in 2007. The court has ordered a retrial.
The ruling was issued on Tuesday by The Court of Cassation, ordering an appeals court in Florence to re-hear the case against Knox and her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. They will be re-tried for the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher.
Kercher was murdered in the home she lived in with Knox and others in Perugia, Italy. She was discovered half-naked and had her throat slashed. Her phones, credit cards, and cash were all missing from the home.
According to prosecutors, Kercher was killed by Knox, Sollecito and a man from the Ivory Coast named Rudy Guede. Guede admitted that he had sexual relations with Kercher, but denied having killed her. In a separate trial, Guede was convicted and is serving a 16-year prison sentence right now.
Knox and Sollecito were originally convicted of murder, sexual assault and simulating a burglary. They were sentenced to 25 years in prison. An appeal in 2011 had the conviction overturned and the two were released from prison.
Knox is enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle now. Sollecito currently resides in Verona, Italy. Knox is not required to be in attendance for the re-trial.
“No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity,” Knox stated.