Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have been acquitted by Italy’s Supreme Court for the murder of Meredith Kercher.

Amanda Knox Acquitted

Knox learned that the court had acquitted her of the grisly murder late Friday night, reported the BBC. The ruling comes following three previous court decisions. Knox and Sollecito were initially found guilty of Kercher’s murder, but were released in 2011 after spending four years in jail, when the convictions were overturned. The convictions were reinstated in 2014, but were not upheld by the Italian court this week.

The court’s reasoning for acquitting Knox and Sollecito will be made public in 90 days.

Upon learning that her conviction for Kercher’s murder would not be upheld, Knox said from outside of her mother’s Seattle home, “I’m still absorbing the present moment,” she said, going on to share her gratitude “for the justice I’ve received and for the support I’ve had from everyone,” and adding, “Meredith was my friend. She deserved so much in this life.”

In an official statement, Knox said, “The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal. And throughout this ordeal, I have received invaluable support from family, friends and strangers. To them, I say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness has sustained me. I only wish that I could thank each and every one of you in person.”

Knox’s family released their own statement to express their own thanks for the support their daughter has received and for the justice that was served. “We want to express our profound gratitude to all of those who have supported Amanda and our family,” the family’s statement read. “Countless people — from world-renowned DNA experts to former FBI agents to everyday citizens committed to justice — have spoken about her innocence. We are thrilled with and grateful for today’s decision from the Supreme Court of Italy. And we are grateful beyond measure for all that so many of you have done for her.”

As for Arline Kercher, the surviving mother of the deceased, she said she was “very shocked” to hear the court’s decision. She said, “They have been convicted twice so it’s a bit odd that it should change now.”

Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede is currently serving a 16-year sentence for Kercher’s murder. The ruling on his guilt has been overturned, but he has not yet been released from prison.