Former Convicted Murderer Amanda Knox Attends Cocktail Party Ahead of Criminal Justice Festival

Happy Times

The 31-year-old wore a purple dress while she chatted with other people in a gardenlike setting. Amanda seemed to be in a great mood since she was laughing and smiling throughout the night.

Back to the Scene of the Crime

Amanda announced she was heading back to the country where she studied abroad in 2007. “Three days ‘till I return to Italy for the first time since leaving prison. Feeling frayed, so I made my own inspirational workplace poster. ‘Hang in there!’ Just imagine I’m a kitten,” the former University of Washington student captioned a photo of herself on a cliff at Rattlesnake Ledge.

Speaking Out

The Scarlet Letter Reports host is speaking at the festival, which is being hosted by the Italy Innocence Project on June 13, 14 and 15. Amanda will speak on a panel about wrongful convictions and judicial populism.

Bad Timing

In 2007, Amanda and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were accused of murder after her roommate was found dead on her bedroom floor in their apartment in Perugia. A few days later, the Washington native was arrested along with her boyfriend at the time.

Free at Last

Amanda was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years in prison but was eventually acquitted in 2015 — after spending four years of her life behind bars. Rudy Guede was found responsible for the crime and is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Moving Forward

The European Human Rights Court ruled in January 2019 that she was owed $20,000 in damages, legal fees and to cover other expenses. “I never should have been charged, much less convicted, of slander,” the book author said at the time. “Scapegoating the wrongfully convicted for the mistakes and misconduct of the police prevents us from reforming the system, leading to further miscarriages of justice.”

Luckily, things are looking up for Amanda — she is currently happily engaged, and she even landed her own true crime podcast.