without any evidence, he knew almost the moment he arrived and laid eyes on amanda knox and rafaelle sollecito involved in the murder. prior to the forensic investigation, prior to everything really, your intuition or your detective knowledge led you to amanda knox and raffaello sollecito? >> translator: after the first few weeks, we were convinced because of the behavior of the two people and especially amanda that they were both involved in a crime. >> but almost immediately after the arrests, mignini had a problem. the third suspect patrick lumumba had an airtight alibi. he was in his crowded bar that night. he could not have been involved. then the actual forensic tests came back. >> when i looked at it, i was horrified. >> greg hampikian is a forensic biologist at boise state university and director of idaho's innocence project. he also was working with the knox defense team. he says italian investigators did a good job processing the crime scene, collected excellent evidence, but clung to shakier evidence that proved their theory, a classic error, he says, a prosecutor who trusted his gu

. >> reporter: well, thomas, right now amanda knox and rafael sollecito are at a prison about 20 minutes from here. they are waiting for word of a jury/judge decision. it's a jury along with two judges that actually are conferring right now. we're told that a verdict would not come before 8:00 p.m., that's 2:00 eastern time. it could certainly happen at any time, not necessarily today, although we expect it could happen sometime this evening based on the timing of the last verdict in this case. but amanda knox, we're told from someone who visited her after this morning's court session, was apparently in the chapel at one point today singing and playing the guitar and said to be relaxed. in court just the opposite of relaxed. she was led in, she seemed weak on her feet. she was wearing a heavy overcoat and helped to her seat where she listened to her daughter first make his argument, then rafael sollecito, then she had her moment to speak to the court essentially getting the last word and pleading for her life back, wanting to return home and declaring her innocence. show broke down at se

is over suffered for four years a crime she did not commit >> prosecutors allege amanda knox rafaelle sollecito meredith kercher but in a drug fueled sex game 2009 conviction appealed on the basis of questionable dna evidence defense arguing not enough perhaps may have gone on long way with the jury amanda knox testimony >> i did not want to be punished i am innocent >> 24 year old repeating innocent not to be violent perverse woman she has been portrayed >> amanda knox murder conviction overturned the court upheld the defamation charges against her court fees to club owner she wrongly implicated in the case meanwhile spokesperson serving 16 year sentence rudy guede in the killing and robbing and seattle tomorrow at her home wants to play on green grass >> former glenbard west football player on trial alleged rape of 14 year old girl last year 19 year-old demarco whitley jr. accused of sexual assault of the victim rolling meadows church january 2010 following the alleged rape police said demarco whitley jr. and different got into a car accident killed friend answers the injured himself could fa

. >> knox's ex-boyfriend rafael sollecito also won his appeal. one suspect, rudy gaday is serving a 60-year sentence for his role in kercher's death. the prosecution plans to appeal the ruling. >>> new from overnight, president obama signed a temporary spending bill into law early this morning. the white house says the president signed it just after midnight. this bill will keep the federal government funded through november 18th. it also sends an additional $ $5 million disaster relief fund to fema. fema has been stretched after natural disasters, including hurricane irene and tropical storm lee. >>> and budget battles are taking a toll on members of congress, at least on their reputations in the eyes of constituents. just 14% of americans approve of the job congress is doing. that's kwoaccording to a new "washington post" poll. 62% strongly disapprove of congress. this disgust also seems to cross party lines as well. just 18% of democrats, 13% of republicans, and 13% of independents approve of congress's performance. >>> to decision 2012. the r

." >> these are the live shots outside the court with the lawyer for rafael sollecito, one of two people accused of murder. >> that has been used when the police have the genetic profile of the defendant, and therefore, they find a track and then they ask this d.n.a. was the scene of the crime and the track of the defendant can be compared with the track that they have found of the scene of the crime. because there's the scene of the crime and a lot of people couldn't be identified. they clearly have the genetic profile raffaele, and i asked myself if it was consistent with the track, and the answer is probably yes. but if the same had been done without the people, the answer would have been the same. this is the odd thing. it was a mixed track, and the number of unidentified people could have been identified with that track, that track, because it is a very confused track. there are a number of profiles in that track. now, if i ask myself then i'm going to answer yes, but even the expert can be seen in that track. >> that was the lawyer for raffaele sollecito, making a statement, as you

evidence in the case was challenged and oksana codefendant rafaelle sollecito were convicted of murdering meredith kercher in two thousand and nine but they've always insisted that they are innocent. most of the militants are freed a filipino american woman after two and a half months in captivity in the southern philippines but they're still holding her fourteen year old son and a nephew they were kidnapped in july while on holiday the hostage takers demanded a huge ransom but it's not known whether any money was actually paid no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnap. the arab league says it will compensate palestinians after the u.s. stopped aid payments america froze some two hundred million dollars as punishment for palestine's bid to be recognized as a state at the un e.u. officials say they won't follow suit the stated application was submitted to the un last week and is now being considered palestinian leader mahmoud abbas told r.t. arabic the bid should not be seen as something questioning israel's right to exist or the full interview is coming up on our next hour but fo

court system with the conviction not just of rudy and obviously amanda knox and her boyfriend, rafael sollecitoay be turnedn its head depending what happens the next several hours. this is the news conference held by the family of the victim in this case, meredith kercher. martha: difficult for americans how to understand. they had a conviction. the person went to prison for the death of their daughter. this is meredith kercher's family. they're from the u.k. they're facing the possibility of people thought convicted of the crime may go free. randy godet remains in jail up to 16 years. gregg: he does. if there is some solace knowing at least one individual and probably in mind of many the real killer is behind bars and will be for some time. but as you point out, only 16 years. he had much of his sentence shaved off when he cooperated with the italian authorities she implicated amanda knox and rafael sollecito. martha: we'll keep an eye on this. that is meredith kercher's family. we're couple hours away from learning amanda knox's fate. we'll play for when we get the statement from the kercher

tonight amanda and her boyfriend rafael sollecito are free. she's preparing to fly home to the united states to rebuild her shattered life. for the latest, let's go to matthew chance in perugia. you've been out there the whole time. you were in court today. dramatic scenes. were you expecting that? you've been following this very closely for years. >> reporter: yeah, well, i wasn't quite expecting the level of emotion that i witnessed in the court today. it really was tense. you had both the knox family and the kercher family sitting in the same course. the kerchers very much wanted for amanda knox to stay in prison. they wanted the conviction to be upheld. obviously, the knoxes wanted the opposite. when it went the knoxes' way, there were whoops and chants. and powerful tension. amanda was just so overcome with emotion. she could barely walk she was crying so much when she walked past me. but there were tears as well from the kerchers because they were obviously upset. they've gone through such a lot in the past few years since meredith was k

we will all be getting lots of notice because, of course, amanda knox and her co-defendant, rafael sollecitoin prison awaiting to be called back to the courthouse here in perugia, so they'll give us about an hour, hour and a half heads up. meanwhile, we're told inside the prison amanda knox is in the local chapel there, was playing guitar, singing. this all according to an atoitan member of parliament. she has to be terrified. this is a tense moment for the her and the kercher family and everybody involved. >> keith milner perugia, thank you so much. >>> let's take a check of some other stories people are talking about right now. defense secretary leon panetta says it is critical for israel to find ways to communicate with its neighbors if middle east peace is ever going to be achieved. >> it is not a good situation for israel to become increasingly isolated, and that's what's happening. >> panetta meat with the israeli defense minister in tel aviv. the minister said israel has an obligation to resume negotiations. >> dick cheney is praising the obama administration for sending drones to yem

. >> reporter: knox and then boyfriend, rafael sollecito were arrested.ith's body was found throat slashed lying in a pool of blood in the house they shared. alleged murder weapon, kitchen nich had meredith's dna evidence on the blade and amanda's on the handle. two independent forensic experts said the dna collection was shoddy and dna trace soes so sm it couldn't beep retested. last week they called amanda a sex loving she-devil and want her 26 year sentence increased. her defense attorneys fought back telling the jury she had been victim of a character assassination. she was innocent and had spent more than 1,000 days in jail for a crime she did not commit. after four years behind bars it has been an anxious wait for amanda knox and her family. but that wait is almost over. she will have one final chance to fight for her freedom in court on monday. >>> truly extraordinary trial. stay with abc news as we cover late developments in the amanda knox case. we'll have more live reports later on "america this morning" and on "good morning america" as this ver

a free woman.knox, amanda is free and sollecito, rafaelle as well.an italian ccurt monday overturned the murder convictions aaaanst the american exchange student, and her former boyfriend- raffaele sollecito.knox's family was on hand foo the verdict...we are thankful that amanda's nightmare is over. she &suffere crime she did not commit.knox convicted of killing knox's british roommate - meredith kerrher- in perugia in 2007. prosecutors lleged knox and soolecito brutally killed kercher in a drug-fueled sex game.the appeal was based on reeuting highly controversial d-n-a eviience collected from the rime scene.both knox and sollecito were iven a chance to adddess the court.i am iinocent, iiam innocent although knox'' murder conviction was overturned, the court upheld defamaaion charges against her...she must pay court fees to a club owner she wrongly implicatee in thee case.the family of the slain woman. meredith kercher, were also on hand for the reading of the verdict.they offered a ssatemmnt:"we respect the decision of thh judges but we do ot understand how the ddcision of the first

people who took the time to research the case and could see that amanda and rafael raffaele sollecito were innocent. at last, we're thankful to the court for having the courage to look for the truth and to overturn this conviction. >> amanda knox's family has been spotted at an airport in rome this morning. amanda is expected to board at any moment and head back to the united states via london. meanwhile, the victim's family has already spoken at a press conference about an hour and a half ago. we'll have that reaction coming up in the next half hour. >> thank you, surae. >>> former prince george's county councilwoman leslie johnson wants to put her sentencing on hold for awhile. johnson's attorney filed a motion in federal court seeking to delay her october 13th sentencing date. she resigned last june following her admitting in federal court she tried to conceal bribe money given her husband former county executive jack jon. >>> it appears 300 new d.c. police recruits are coming just in the nick of time. authorities say the force loses 15 veteran officers every month to retirement. t

she and her ex-boyfriend, rafael raffaele sollecito were convicted. >> reporter: this case captured the world's attention, with hundreds of reporters and camera crews coming to italy for the verdict. >> reporter: kercher's family flew in. they say meredith has been forgotten in all of this. >> the fear she went through, and not knowing why. and she didn't deserve that. >> reporter: but knox's case got a big boost, when evidence linking the former couple to the crime was unreliable and possibly tainted. >> she suffered for four years for a crime she did not commit. >> reporter: for knox and her family, it's been a long road, but one that will end with knox back in the u.s. in perugia, italy, monique ming laven. >> knox will leave italy with her family tomorrow. >> you watched a fire destroy a northwest automobile fire here on wjz. the flames could be seen for miles. and now, police say the man who started it worked there. he now faces a host of charges. wjz is live at city police headquarters. derek valcourt has more on the reason he said he did it. derek? >> reporter: detectives say tha

they should have thrown out that gut feeling about amanda knox and rafael sollecito. >> let me pauseg to put this on a split screen. these are live pictures. there is a little bit of activity just outside of the courthouse. we'll keep our eyes on it that as i have you talking to me about dna evidence. that procedure was all well and good and done up to snuff. >> yes. >> then, though, it was ultimately the trial and these two key pieces of, what, evidence. >> yes. >> you have the kitchen knife. >> yes. >> and kercher's bra clasp. >> yes. >> and what was found, amanda knox was found on the handle and sollecito, her former boyfriend, was found on the clasp. >> that's right. >> why didn't that stand? >> we're calling it key pieces of evidence. we're saying that because in the appeal we're showing, in fact, the italian experts appointed by the judge have shown those are unreliable pieces of evidence. they were used as the key pieces against amanda and raffaele. >> yes. >> that was the game-changer. hold your thought. got to take a quick break. [♪...] >> male announcer: now, for a limited

rafael sollecito plans to visit knox at her home in washington. while they are not together as a couple, he can't wait to see amanda again and talk to her about the experience that nearly crushed them. >>> champagne still on ice for the texas rangers who lead 3-2 over the st. louis cardinals. game six in st. louis was rained out. rangers and cards will try again tonight with texas. one win away from the first world series win. if the cards win a seventh and deciding game will be played on friday, unless it rains. >>> the next generation of american drones could operate under war. barba sta a starr tells us ab. >>> and hurricane rina has cancun bracing. >>> and president obama's memoir required reading? the state department under fire for spending thousands of dollars on president obama's best sellers. 13 minutes past the hour. are y you are watching "american morning." [ woman on radio, indistinct ] ♪ bum-bum ♪ bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum ♪ ♪ ai, ai, ai ♪ bum-bum ♪ bum-bum, bum-bum ♪ [ ice rattles rhythmically ] ♪ [ imitates guitar noise ] the redes

knox, amanda is free and so is sollecito, rafael, as well. silence, please. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com [ speaking italian ] >>> there you have it. you heard it in italian. bott bottom line, amanda knox, 24 years old after four years in prison is about to become a free woman. also her boyfriend rafael sol eito, 27 years old, about to become a free man. both their guilty verdicts in the murder of meredith kercher, 21 years old at the time four years ago, overturned by six jurors, two judges in a dramatic moment we all saw live here on cnn. you're looking at these live pictures coming in from perugia. we want to welcome our viewers from united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer in "situation room." let's listen in right now. amanda knox's sister speaking in perugia. >> not only did they defend her brilliantly, but they also loved her. we are thankful for the support we have received from all over the world. people who took the time to research the case and found that amanda and raffaele sollecito were innocent. we thank the