It was a tearful Amanda Knox, flanked by her family and new fiance, who stepped out on her mother's porch to announce she was "still absorbing the present moment, which is full of joy".

The 27-year-old said she was "grateful to have my life back" after a labyrinthine court battle in which she was convicted, imprisoned, acquitted and then convicted again.

Asked what she would say to the Kercher family, she answered: "Meredith was my friend. She deserved so much in this life. I'm the lucky one."

At nearby Salty's, a West Seattle seafood bar, a group of supporters agreed with her. They had been nervously awaiting the verdict for hours. Several fortifying themselves with wine, one with a pint glass of margarita. This disparate group of believers, some of whom have stood with Knox from almost the very beginning of her ordeal, had barely allowed themselves a glimmer of hope that the decision would go this way after eight years of legal twists and turns.