nbc's keith miller reports from italy. >> reporter: an extraordinary end to an ordeal called a nightmare by the knox family. once the judge ruled that she was free to go, the entire family broke down into tears. amanda knox was literally sobbing and had to be helped from the courtroom after the verdict was read. you could see she was absolutely overjoyed but the relief so great on her. she was found guilty of one charge, slander against a character who she fingered in an original interrogation, which she claims was a coerce by the police. nonetheless, that was a three-year sentence, time served already four years. >> they just bust into tears, smiling, hugging each other. they couldn't approach amanda because she was surrounded by the prison guards. but they just burst into tears. >> reporter: the plan on the part of amanda knox and her family is to make their way back to seattle, washington. we're told the prosecution in this case will consider making an appeal. they have a few days to make that decision. we don't know yet what their plans are. but when they do that, they'll have to, of

nbc's keith miller is outside the courthouse and joins us now. keith, good evening to you. >> hello, martin. the judge warned the packed courtroom to maintain order when the verdict is read, saying this is not a ball game. can you confirm or do you know if amanda knox is in the courtroom right now? >> she certainly is within the courtroom. i don't know if she is in the actual gallery where the proceedings take place, but we saw her being escorted by police van and her codefendant in police vans into the back of the courtroom. this is an underground garage here. this was built as a bunker, an underground bunker to try mafia chiefs. she is down below there. she will be brought up along with the codefendants just before the judge and jury enter the courtroom to deliver their verdict. >> as i understand it, there eight individuals on this panel. six members of the public and two judges. are they required to deliver a unanimous verdict or would they accept a majority? >> the judge really has total sway over the case. it is not a unanimous verdict as yo

keith miller has more reaction to this dramatic verdict. >> reporter: the judge, in a somber tone, seemed to take forever. guilty of slander, announced the judge, the sentence of three years, erased by time served. then the verdict on the charge of murder. the judge declared she was free. knoc knox collapsed. family and friends cried openly and embraced. escorted from the courtroom for the last time, knox had to be supported by prison guards. >> there was no evidence. there was no motive. there was no murder weapon. there was no dna. >> and the knox family, finally free to bring their daughter back home to seattle. she was a 20-year-old exchange student when she arrived in italy for the experience of a lifetime. four years later, she leaves italy with more experience than most people ever achieve in a lifetime. the prosecution will now appeal the verdict all the way to the italian supreme court. it will take some days and time to file the papers. we're told that the current judge who made the verdict yesterday will have to file a written verdict about why the jury came to the conclusion.

nbc's keith miller reports from italy. >> reporter: an extraordinary end to an or dooelt called a nightmare by the knox family once the judge ruled she was free to go, the entire family broke down into tears. amanda knox was literally sobbing and had to be helped from the courtroom after the verdict was read. you could see she was absolutely overjoyed, but nonetheless, the relief so great on her. she was found guilty of slander against a character who she fingered in an original interrogation which she claims was a coerce by the police. nonetheless, that was a three-year sentence. time served already, four years. >> reporter: they burst into tears, smiling, hugging each other. they couldn't approach amanda because she was surrounded by prison guards. >> reporter: the plan is to make their way back to seattle, washington. we're told the prosecution in this case will consider making an appeal. they have a few days to make that decision. we don't know yet what their plans are. when they do that, they're going to have to make a lot of filing of papers. amanda knox basically is heading back home

nbc's keith miller, who has been following this story from the very beginning, has more on the last 24 hours and amanda knox's journey home. >> reporter: amanda knox's long journey home started at rome's international airport where she was whisked through the terminal accompanied by security guards. and she left behind a country reeling from the stunning reversal of her murder conviction. a judicial system humiliated, and the victim's family wanting answers. in court late monday night, there was emotional relief. but outside, there was visible anger at a verdict many see as bending to american influence. the media village outside the perugia courthouse is being dismantled. even as the prosecutor said today he will appeal the verdict to italy's highest criminal court. knox will not be returning to italy any time soon. it will take months for the paperwork to move through the italian judicial system. and even if the appeal is granted, knox is not required to return to italy to attend court. the one person still convicted of the crime, rudy guede, did not act alone, according to police. t

keith miller is here with more. keith? >> reporter: well, chris, the family says they're hopeful, but, in fact, amanda knox is terrified. she's been losing hair, unable to sleep, unable to eat leading up to this attempt to reach a verdict. her performance today in court was extraordinary, very dramatic, near tears. she said i didn't kill, i didn't rape. i wasn't there. basically a declaration of innocence on the part of amanda knox, but let's remember she said something very similar at the first trial which ended in a guilty verdict. nonetheless, she and her co-defendant gave a heartfelt plea of innocence to the judge and jury. meanwhile, this is a totally different trial, chris. there was a lot of evidence that was basically nullified on the part of people in forensic scientists and others that came in. the prosecution said they had a rock solid case, but -- and conflicting reports, frankly. the evidence itself did not seem as firm as it did the first time around. we're obviously all waiting for the verdict to come in fro

nbc's keith miller reports. >> reporter: italy's longest running courtroom drama was broadcast live to dozens of countries and attracted hundreds of journalists. the knox family remained upbeat right to the last moment. >> i'm very hopeful. >> reporter: making the long journey from prison, amanda knox in her final presentation to the court declared her innocence. speaking fluent italian the 24-year-old student from seattle insisted she is not guilty of any crime. in a voice breaking with emotion knox said "i don't want my life taken away from me because i am innocent." choking back tears knox says she is paying with her life for something she didn't do. her co-defendant and former boyfriend also spoke to the judge and jury. raffaele sollecito said he had been living in a nightmare. in slow measured tones he declared he had nothing to do with the murder of knox's roommate, meredith kercher. he described his former girlfrie girlfriend, knox, as sweet, beautiful and shining. he showed a bracelet he wears inscribed with the words "free amanda and raffaele. now is the moment to take it off"

keith miller, nbc news, perugia. >> also gathering in seattle, knox's hometown of seattle. friends and family interested in the case are gathering there to check out the verdict. stay tuned with nbc bay area and bayarea.com forontinuing coverage of the amanda knox appeal. we'll be following the verdict and reaction as soon as a decision comes down. >>> in southern california, the manslaughter trial of michael jackson's doctor begins its second week. richelle cooper is the e.r. doctor who gave paramedics permission to pronounce the pop star dead in 2009. dr. conrad murray, prosecutors contend, gave michael jackson a lethal dose of propofol. murray's attorneys contend that michael jackson gave himself the fatal dose when murray left the room. >>> about 50,000 people are expected to attend a five-day event of drawing more than 500 vendors on the convention floor. it's all about the next big idea when it comes to database software. open world is boosting the local economy, of course, eating up almost 15,000 hotel rooms in the city and filling up restaurants with private parties

we've got nbc news keith miller live in perugia, italy, with the latest. ith, break it down for us. >> reporter: well, an extraordinary evening after an extraordinary four years run, which basically amanda knox, today, before the judge and jury, saying it was a nightmare. well, it's over. as the judge read out the verdicts, you could see that amanda knox physically collapsed. she had to be held up. crying, hiccupping with emotion. the entire knox family, also embracing, weeping. this has been a long, torturous ordeal for them. one that they've stuck by through thick and thin. they said all along that they were going to defend their daughter to the last breath, and that's exactly what they did, it's interesting that amanda knox was, she was up for six charges here, dylan. one of them she was convicted of. that was the slander of a guy who she fingered at the beginning under a relentless interrogation. she claimed that the police were forcing her into saying things that she didn't believe. but nonetheless, he won a slander conviction against her. the judge se

keith miller, nbc news, perugia. >>> there was breaking news here in new york late today, word arrived of a chopper down in the east river, parallel to midtown manhattan, and immediately the rush to find and save the five people on board was underway. marra she marra schiavocampo has the latest. >> reporter: the helicopter appeared to be in trouble right away, crashing upside down into the east river almost immediately after takeoff, killing one and injuring four others, including the pilot. law enforcement sources tell nbc news that all of the injured were british citizens. rescue divers appeared on the scene almost immediately and were able to pull three of the survivors from the water. the pilot was able to make his own way to the riverbank, and now all the survivors are being treated at area hospitals. the woman who died, however, was reportedly trapped under 50 feet of water for an hour before being pulled out and pronounced dead on the scene. the wreckage of the helicopter has not yet been recovered and is still in the waters of the east river. >> another disaster in new york. >>

keith miller has been following the amanda knox case and following the case from the beginning.ins us now. >> what we have at this point is everybody in perugia and beyond asking the same question, will amanda knox and her codefendant be released or as the court observers and lawyers who are intimate with the trial say this is just too close to call. from "she devil" to cartoon characters, amanda knox has monopolized this trial with a mass of contradictions. from her all-american good looks to the prosecution's claim that she is evil, the final week of this nine-month appeal trial has seen some of the most heated arguments from the prosecution, that the evidence is rock solid. but the defense has chipped away at the evidence, helped enormously by the court appointed forensic experts who call dna evidence used to convict knox and her former boyfriend of murdering meredith kircher unreliable. >> as far as the genetic evidence, i feel she has a very good chance. >> the prosecution hit back, attacking knox's character. a lawyer for the plaintiffs called her a witch and a she devil.

keith miller thanks very much as always. matt we send it back to you for more. >> lester and keith thank you very much. >> krcarlo dalaverdova, amanda knox's attorney, thank you for joining us. >> good morning and thank you for the invitation. >> i want to talk to you about the appeal. first amanda seemed very unstable, looked as if she could pass out any moment and it it was read and she melted into your arms when broke down. take me through the moment. what do you remember? >> as everybody has seen because it was a live registration, amanda was extremely scared. she was scared about this decision, she knew that this decision would change her life, she was in between a request of life in jail or get dismissed and the entire week was extremely difficult, hearings every day until 6:00 in the evening so she was particularly stressed but i would say she was mainly scared. when she heard she was dismissed of course she started to cry because for her this was the end of a nightmare, the end of a tunnel, and she almost collapsed,

keith miller is live in perugia and covering this trial for four years, four long years, keith, any indicationsprogress? i guess it's impossible to read a jury but you heard also, of course energy the court today, her impassioned appeal to set her free. >> reporter: well, you know, andrea, she was very effective and she has been in the past, mind you. she had had a similar closing statement to the jim and jury in the first trial and yet, was still found guilty but a lawyer who has been following this case very closely said that he felt her performance today before the judge and jury, although nervous and very emotional, he felt had great impact. he said either this young woman is inspect or somebody should buy her a ticket to hollywood. he felt she was that convincing. but i don't think the judge and jury will come back with a decision based solely on how her performance was in her closing arguments, basically saying she did not kim, they did not rape and she was not there, sort of a declaration of innocence on the part of amanda knox and her co-defendant and former boyfriend, raffle sollecito

my colleague, keith miller, has been following this case from the beginning, he's outside the courthouse now where the deliberations are taking place. let's go to keith for more on what was said in court. keith, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. well with the words "i have not killed, i have not raped, i was not there," amanda knox delivered her declaration of innocence before throwing herself on the mercy of the court. italy's longest running courtroom drama was broadcast live to dozens of countries, and attracted hundreds of journalists. the knox family remained upbeat right to the last moment. >> i amÑi very hopeful. >> reporter: making the long journey from prison, amanda knox and her final presentation to the court declared her innocence. speaking fluent italian, the 24-year-old student from seattle insisted she is not guilty of any crime. in a voice breaking with emotion, knox said "i don't want my life taken away from me, because i am innocent." choking back tears, knox says she is paying with her life for something she didn't do. her co-defendant and former boyfrie

miller. >> 31 degrees on tv hill. an accident on 95 is slowing down your morning commute. >> and emotional robocall ride for ravens fans from one-half to another. keith mills has more on the big comeback win. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. ♪ [ male announcer ] combine a pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a pnc performance select checking account and get up to 1.75% cash back for just about every purchase. learn more and apply today at pnc.com/cashbuilder. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we have an accident and some delays on southbound 95. we're down to 15 miles per hour just past 895. two left lanes are closed. watch for closures at newberry at smith avenue in mount washington. that may affect your trip to the light rail stop. closures in effect in chester. a quick live look outside. those are the delays on southbound 95. this is just pass 895. we have some closures in the left lane. this is the key bridge. a buildup in volume. overall, a pretty smooth ride across the key bridge. that i

keith tandy. this is a first down, so the clock will stop it to move the chains with 1:39 left. now they restart it. nova against for sanu, but incomplete at the 40. miller> ray: sanu a leading receiver in the ball game for rutgers with five catches, 48 yards and one touchdown, but they really have never gotten him going today. i don't think they targeted him enough early on in this ball game. >> mark: nova behind the intended receiver wright and jenkins had another chance to pick one off. >> mark: that would have definitely iced it. >> ray: third down and 10. the mountaineers are rushing three up front. dropping eight. >> mark: nova dropped it and picks it up. fumbles it around again and sacked back at the 38. will clarke, number 98, will get credit for the sack. >> ray: the football is wet. there's no question about it. there's no excuse for a quarterback dropping the ball like that. >> mark: a minute to go. >> ray: throw the hail mary here. >> mark: this goes downfield and the jump ball is caught by jenki jenkins, who does get the interception. >> ray: how about that. roderick jenkins finally catches an interceptable ball. >> mark: dana holgorsen's mo