Amanda Knox 'Saddened' By Guilty Verdict

Amanda Knox said Thursday she is "frightened and saddened" by the guilty verdict handed down Thursday in the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher.

"Having been found innocent before, I expected better from the Italian justice system," Knox said in a statement provided to The Huffington Post by her spokesman, David Marriott.

"The evidence and accusatory theory do not justify a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," the statement continues. "Rather, nothing has changed. There has always been a marked lack of evidence. My family and I have suffered greatly from this wrongful persecution."

Knox said it's also important to recognize that there is no consolation for the Kercher family. "Their grief over Meredith's terrible murder will follow them forever," she said. "They deserve respect and support."

Thursday's verdict followed a four-month trial, the result of prosecutors' request for a new trial after a prior guilty verdict against Knox was overturned.

Anne Bremner, a Seattle attorney and spokesperson for the Friends of Amanda Knox organization, said she is shocked. "I and the Friends of Amanda Knox are confident that if the facts had been fairly viewed, [she would have] been acquitted. There is no justice ... in Italy in this case."

Moments after the verdict was announced by an Italian court, thousands took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.