(AP) -- An Italian appeals court has thrown out Amanda Knox's murder conviction and ordered the young American free after nearly four years in prison for the death of her British roommate.
Knox collapsed in tears after the verdict was read out Monday.
In its ruling, the court also cleared Knox's co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, of murder.
The Kercher family looked on grimly as the verdict was read out by the judge after 11 hours of deliberations by the eight-member jury.
Outside the courthouse, some of the hundreds of observers shouted "Shame, shame!"
In Seattle about a dozen Amanda Knox supporters burst into applause and cheers when they learned the murder charge against the Seattle native was being overturned.
The supporters, from the group called Friends of Amanda, were gathered at a downtown Seattle hotel to watch the proceedings on TV.
They breathlessly waited for the slow translation of the verdict.
When they learned Knox was being freed, they began chanting, "She's free!" and "We did it!"
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