Amanda Knox is sitting on pins and needles in her Seattle, Washington home today, as she awaits the verdict of her third murder trial which is presently in jury deliberations in Florence, Italy. A verdict is expected later on Thursday. Knox was previously convicted and served four years of prison time in Italy for the 2007 murder of her college roommate Meredith Kercher. When a court overturned that verdict, Knox returned home to the United States to start a new life. Several months ago she received word that yet a third trial would take place.

While it was no doubt initially a huge relief to know she didn’t have to travel back to Italy for the third trial, that certainly hasn’t made these last few weeks any less daunting for the University of Washington student who wants nothing more than to live a normal life away from the public eye.

Amanda Knox’s lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said he is “serene” about the impending verdict. He says the only conclusion the jury can draw is the “innocence of Amanda Knox.”

Knox’s former boyfriend, Italian citizen Raffaele Sollecito was in the courtroom during the trial, accompanied by his father and other relatives. He took the stand back in November, claiming all allegations against him were “ridiculous.”

If Amanda Knox is found guilty in this trial, Italy could request that she be extradited back to that country from the United States. Knox has said she will become a “fugitive” if found guilty again.

The Amanda Knox trial has been a huge source of debate in the United States for years, with many believing the young woman is guilty and others believing she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her Italian trial certainly sheds credence on the American judicial system where one is innocent until proven guilty. Amanda Knox was deemed guilty in newspapers and on TV reports around the world from the time Meredith Kercher’s body was discovered.

Probably the saddest part of this entire trial is that very little is ever said about Meredith Kercher. Everyone knows that Amanda Knox now lives in Seattle and attends the University of Washington, but can anyone recite a fact or two about who Meredith Kercher was? Probably not.

Perhaps once a new verdict is read later on Thursday afternoon, Amanda Knox’s part in this can be put to rest and someone will shed light on Meredith Kercher’s life instead of her death. And maybe Amanda Knox will finally be able to put the entire horrific nightmare behind her.

What do you think the jury’s verdict will be?

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