ROME - Amanda Knox flew home Tuesday after four years in an Italian prison, as the dramatic reversal of her murder conviction stunned the victim's family, angered the prosecution and left questions unanswered over who killed her British roommate.
Prosecutors who saw their case collapse over discredited DNA evidence have announced they are appealing the innocent verdicts of Knox and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito to Italy's highest court.
Knox, cleared of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher by an appeals court on Monday night, flew from Rome to London, where she took a direct flight to Seattle, surrounded by family members.
Reporters on board the British Airways flight hoping to talk to Knox, now a tabloid staple on two continents, were blocked on the stairs by a flight attendant who politely informed them that the family would speak publicly after the plane touched down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It was unclear whether Knox herself would speak then.
Dave Marriott, a spokesman for Amanda Knox's family, says Knox and her parents are on a British Airways flight from London due to land at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at about 5:15 p.m.
Marriott confirmed Tuesday morning that a news conference will be held at the airport about a half-hour after the plane lands.
He says Knox's parents, Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, and legal adviser Ted Simon are expected to speak to reporters. Marriott says whether Amanda Knox will talk is up in the air.
To Knox, the verdict means freedom after four years behind bars.
"Those who wrote, those who defended me, those who were close, those who prayed for me," Knox wrote in a letter released just hours before leaving the country, "I love you."
"During the trip from Perugia to Rome, Amanda was serene," said Corrado Maria Daclon, the secretary general of the Italy-US Foundation, who was with Knox in the car. "She confirmed to me that in the future she intends to come back to our country."
Amanda Knox thanks supporters, heads for home
Knox is speaking to family and friends in a very "healthy, strong and happy voice" now that she's been released from an Italian prison, her friend Giulia Alagna told CBS' "The Early Show."
"We only had a couple minutes to talk, and it was very emotional," Alagna told "The Early Show" from Perugia, Italy. "Actually, hearing me emotional, the first thing she said was why I was sad. And I explained that I was actually happy for her.
"She just couldn't wait to get on the plane. She told me that even though she wasn't yet on the plane, she felt like she was already flying. ... She was just very, very happy to get on that flight."
Amanda Knox friend: She feels like she's flying
"We were overjoyed and very happy for the family, and mostly very grateful that Amanda is in transit," said Tom Wright of the group Friends of Amanda Knox. "She is an extraordinary young woman and she will be welcome back to the community with open arms."
The group had created a website and support network for Amanda and her family. When asked if he thought the day of Knox's release would come, Wright told "The Early Show," "You bet we did, and we've been working very hard to make it happen.
"We will support her any way she feels is appropriate," Wright said. "At some point there will be a celebration at a time and place of her choosing."
