It took nearly six months since they were reconvicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher, but lawyers for American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have officially filed the final appeals to overturn the convictions once and for all.

DNA Used In Amanda Knox Trial No Good?

The news was first reported in Italian on Go News Italy, but has been translated to English and reveals that the attorneys representing the two have requested an appeals trial, which would overturn January convictions that gave Sollecito a 25-year prison sentence and Knox a 28-year one.

The two reportedly filed for not only appeals on June 16, but also asked for absolution -- which would give them full acquittal in the case. The process will likely begin later this year, with a final decision being reached by early 2015.

Feminists Failing Amanda Knox?

Knox, Sollecito and a third man, Rudy Guede, were all arrested in connection to Kercher's death back in 2007. While Guede was convicted of murder and given a 16-year sentence, Knox and Sollecito pleaded not guilty and served four years in an Italian prison before their convictions were overturned in 2011.

However, in January of this year, the Italian Court reconvicted Knox and Sollectio at a trial that was reportedly focused on DNA evidence. Sollecito received a 25-year sentence, while Knox was hit with a 28-year one.

The Nencini report, which detailed the reason behind Knox and Sollecito's reconvictions, was released in April, and also detailed other reasons outside of reported DNA evidence for the decision, including the presence of multiple knife wounds on Kercher's body that left reason for prosecutors to believe that multiple assailants were involved, as well as reports that Kercher and Knox had quarreled over money on the day of the murder.

After the findings were released, Knox appeared on CNN to maintain her innocence again, saying that the motives were all false.

"I did not kill my friend," she said. "I did not wield a knife, I had no reason to. In the month that we were living together, we were becoming friends. A week before the murder occurred we went out to a classical music concert together. We never fought."

She also reiterated that the lack of DNA evidence at the crime scene further proved that both she and Sollecito were not involved.

"There is no trace of us. If Rudy Guede committed this crime, which he did, we know that because his DNA's there, on Meredith's body, around Meredith's body, his handprints and footprints in her blood," she said. "None of that exists for me, and if I were there, I would have had traces of Meredith's broken body on me, and I would have left traces of myself around Meredith's corpse, and I am not there, and that proves my innocence."

Now that the reasoning for the reconvictions has been released, the verdict has officially been opened to appeals by both Knox and Sollecito. However, if the Supreme Court of Cassation confirms the convictions, Sollecito, who is still in Italy, will be brought to prison.

Knox, who resides in Seattle, Wash., could then become the focus of a potentially long extradition fight between the U.S. and Italy.

Tags
Amanda knox