Amanda Knox: 'tremendously relieved' after her acquittal in Italy

SEATTLE (Reuters) - American Amanda Knox said on Friday she was "tremendously relieved" after her acquittal by Italy's top court for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher. "I am tremendously relieved and grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court of Italy," Knox, 27, said in a statement provided by her U.S.-based attorney in which she thanked her supporters. "The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal. And throughout this ordeal, I have received invaluable support from family, friends, and strangers. To them, I say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness has sustained me." Italy's Court of Cassation on Friday annulled the murder conviction and, in a surprise verdict, acquitted her of the charge. The Court of Cassation threw out the second guilty verdict against Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, for the lethal stabbing. It had been widely expected that, even if the court overturned the previous convictions, it would order a retrial. "We want to express our profound gratitude to all of those who have supported Amanda and our family," Knox's family said in a statement. "Countless people – from world-renowned DNA experts, to former FBI agents, to everyday citizens committed to justice – have spoken about her innocence." (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Sandra Maler)