Amanda Knox Spent Four Years in an Italian Prison for a Murder She Did Not Commit

Nearly 14 years after Amanda Knox was released from an Italian prison, she spoke with People about how her perspectives have changed after what was undoubtedly the worst four years of her life. In 2007, the then-20-year-old was accused of murdering her British roommate while the two were studying in Italy.

The story made global headlines, as the media framed the attractive young girl as some sort of femme fatale.

Knox told the outlet that she sees the same patterns unfolding in the true crime genre, especially when it comes to wrongful convictions. After someone is released and tastes freedom for the first time in years, Knox says that's when their life begins.

"As someone who went to prison, I was very aware of what it felt like to have your freedom taken from you." Here's the thing: Knox didn't kill Meredith Kercher. What did she do? Here's what we know.

Knox and her Italian boyfriend, 23-year-old Raffaele Sollecito, were both tried for Kercher's murder. Despite the fact that there was no DNA evidence connecting the two to the crime, both were convicted. Knox was handed a 26-year sentence while Sollecito got 25, per the BBC.

The prosecution wove a wild tale of a faked break-in that was used to cover up sex games gone wrong. That never happened.

In November 2010, an appeals trial ended in an acquittal for Knox and Sollecito. This time, the DNA evidence, or lack thereof, was in their corner. Forensic evidence did not support that either of them was at the apartment at the time of the murder.

Although this decision was overturned, a slander conviction would end up sticking.

During her initial interrogation, Knox said she was questioned by Italian police for hours in a language she barely understood. At one point, she accused her boss, Patrick Lumumba, of possibly being involved. He was arrested along with Knox and Sollecito, but was released when his bar employees provided a solid alibi.

Knox was later found guilty of slander and sentenced to three years, for which she got time served. The slander conviction was upheld in June 2024 by an Italian appellate court.

In a July 2025 episode of Knox's podcast Hard Knox, which she co-hosts with her husband, a listener asked the exoneree a difficult question. It was about the man who murdered Kercher and a recent sexual assault charge he was facing. The listener wanted to know if Knox was able to extend the same kind of compassion for him that she found for the lawyer who prosecuted her case.

Knox said that was a "challenging question" then detailed exactly what happened to Kercher at the hands of Rudy Guede.

"He's the guy who actually murdered my roommate," she said. He broke into her home, left his DNA all over Kercher's belongings and body, and fled the country.

According to The Guardian, Guede was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison back in 2008. After an appeal, it was reduced to 16 years, but he got out in 13 for good behavior.

When discussing Guede, Knox described him as a "generally bad dude" and added that the fact that he got out after 13 years is "remarkable."

She is not interested in forgiving Guede, who has a clear pattern of abuse. The fact that he is walking free makes Kercher's murder even more enraging.