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Probably no one has ever been happier to see Seattle than Amanda Knox was this when she touched down at Tacoma this evening, a day after having her murder conviction overturned in Italy.

And we don't blame her! Even Seattle is better than Italian prison—though apparently Knox made some friends there.

[USA Italy Foundation secretary general Corrado Maria] Daclon said Knox walked back into the prison through its central square, surrounded by blocks and blocks of prison buildings with small windows. Two to three prisoners crammed into each small window, cheering and waving clothing in the air, like flags.

"All the prison was greeting her like a champion," he said.

An elated Knox returned the greeting.

Poor Knox, who's now fluent in a language only spoken in a country she will probably never revisit! She spent the trip from London with her family in business class, and the journalists who'd landed a spot on the flight were blocked from bugging her by a protective flight attendant; on arrival, Knox gave a short, emotional statement to the large gathering of reporters who, having tracked her movements all day, had assembled to greet her. "Thanks to everyone who believed in me, who has defended me, who supported my family" she said. "My family's the most important thing right now and I just want to go be with them."

[ABC, CBS, CNN, photo via AP]