Knox Freed Over Dodgy DNA Evidence

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher.

Miss Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were freed from prison last night after spending four years behind bars following their conviction for British Meredith's murder.

Miss Kercher and Miss Knox were housemates while both were studying in the Italian city of Perugia when she was stabbed to death in 2007.

The appeal heard devastating criticism of the original police investigation including contaminated evidence and failings in handling DNA.

Now, while the family of murdered Meredith Kercher has said they accept the decision to clear Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of her murder in 2007, her brother Lyle said there were still many unanswered questions about what really happened.

Last night, Meredith's mother Arline said the family was still absorbing the Italian decision to free the American girl - and she said it was "early days" with what the family would do next.

Last night, Amanda Knox left the court in tears as her family hugged and kissed and it was revealed that the search will go on to find out what really happened on the night UK student Meredith Kercher was murdered in Italy four years ago.

Speaking after an Italian court cleared Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of murder, Meredith's brother Lyle said it felt like it was "back to square one".

However, Italian prosecutors say they will appeal against the court's decision, which means that only Rudy Guede, 24, has a conviction for Miss Kercher's murder, but at his trial it was said he did not act alone.

Knox and Sollecito, her former boyfriend from Italy, were convicted of murdering Kercher in 2009.

Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, Sollecito to 25.

Also convicted in separate proceedings was Rudy Hermann Guede, a drifter and native of the Ivory Coast.

Kercher, 21, shared an apartment with Knox when they were both students in Perugia. She was stabbed to death in her bedroom.

(BMcC/CD)