Knox: I'm Willing to Become a 'Fugitive'

If convicted again of murder, Amanda Knox says she won't willingly return to Italy to face punishment; instead, she told an Italian journalist, "I will be—how do you put it?—a fugitive," the Guardian reports. The reporter, Meo Ponte, who interviewed her over Skype, has previously called Knox innocent of the murder of former roommate Meredith Kercher; he says her "fugitive" comment was likely a joke, the Daily Beast notes. But in a statement to the Today show, Knox was clearer:

"(If convicted), legally I'll be defined a 'fugitive,' but I will continue to fight for my innocence," she said. "I will not willingly submit myself to injustice." Such a verdict would need to be upheld by the country's top court, and even then it's not clear whether Italy would ask the US to extradite her, or how the US would respond (double jeopardy could be at play, but it's complicated). Still, such a comment may not serve her well, the Daily Beast points out: US officials may now have to keep her on their radar in case she is found guilty. The verdict is due Jan. 30. (More Amanda Knox stories.)