Where Is Amanda Knox? After Meredith Kercher Murder, Guilty Verdict Still Haunts American Woman

Amanda Knox is a name known internationally and is typically associated with the words “murderer” and "guilty." Although the Seattle native was accused of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007 and later found exonerated by the Italian courts, she still has to live with the labels. On Monday, Knox wrote an Op-Ed piece for USA Today in which she reflected on how the murder case against her changed her life.

In the piece, Knox writes that Kercher was “kind and outgoing,” The British woman was murdered by a man named Rudy Guede, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence for the crime. “She was my roommate, and I was accused of her murder by a prosecutor whose insane theories and disregard for evidence landed me in prison for four years. Italy's highest court ultimately exonerated me, finding 'stunning flaws' in the investigation and 'an absolute lack of biological traces' connecting me to the crime,” Knox wrote.

Trying to return to a normal life was difficult for Knox and her family, who were hounded by photographers and constantly at the center of tabloid stories. She said everything she did was manipulated and scrutinized by the media and she was shamed for having friends and trying to live a normal life.

“I didn’t get my old life back when I came home. No exoneree does. It took me years to feel comfortable and confident enough to trust new people. Random classmates at university took pictures of me and posted them to the Internet alongside lewd and aggressive commentary,” Knox wrote.

Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of the murder of Kercher in Italy but were later exonerated in March 2015 after a long legal battle. Guede revealed that on the night of her murder, he and Kercher met up at her residence. When he stepped away to use the bathroom, Guede claimed Kercher was murdered and he was unaware who killed her. However, his DNA was found inside her and at the crime scene.

Knox said she can never go back to being the person she once was and will voice her experiences. “Most exonerees never get that chance, so I mean to share it. I will not disappear. I will advocate, I will bear witness,” Knox wrote.