Knox heads home to US after dramatic acquittal

AP - Amanda Knox was leaving Italy a free woman Tuesday, the morning after an Italian appeals court dramatically overturned the American student's conviction of sexually assaulting and brutally slaying her British roommate.

The Italy-US Foundation, which has championed Knox's cause, said the American was at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome boarding a flight to London, where she will catch a connecting flight to the United States.

AP photographers and camera crew at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome saw Knox family members in a terminal. Knox was not immediately seen, and was believed to have been escorted by police through a non-public entrance to the airport.

The cottage on via della Pergola in Perugia that Knox shared with victim Meredith Kercher.

Back in Perugia, the family of slain British student Meredith Kercher remained stunned by the verdict and searching for answers.

``It was a bit of a shock,'' said Stephanie Kercher, the victim's sister. ``It's very upsetting ... We still have no answers.''

Lyle Kercher, a brother, said the family is still trying to understand how a decision that ``was so certain two years ago has been so dramatically overturned.''

Lyle Kercher said the family has been left to wonder who is guilty in the 21-year-old Kercher's death after the release of Knox and her one time boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito on appeal. A third man has been convicted in the brutal slaying, however his trial concluded that he did not act alone.

``If they two released yesterday were not the guilty parties, we are obviously left to wonder who is the other guilty person or people. We are left back at square one,'' Lyle Kercher said.