Media caption The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says there could still be "years to go" in the case 
 
 Amanda Knox and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have had their acquittals for killing Briton Meredith Kercher in 2007 overturned and face a re-run of their appeal, Italy's top court has ruled. The Associated Press writes that "Italian law cannot compel Knox to return from the U.S. for the new trial. The prosecution argued successfully that the appellate court's decision to quash the original convictions had been made by a judge who had "lost his bearings". Knox issued a statement Tuesday, the BBC writes, saying, "It was painful to receive the news that the Italian Supreme Court decided to send my case back for revision when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair. She added: "No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity." Miss Knox, now 25, and Mr Sollecito, 29, were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher. They were arrested in 2007 after Kercher's body was found in a pool of blood in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia — where they were exchange students. A judge rules Sollecito and Knox will face a murder trial 4 December 2009: Knox and Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual violence, and jailed for 26 and 25 years 
 
 Knox and Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual violence, and jailed for 26 and 25 years 3 October 2011: Knox and Sollecito acquitted 
 
 Knox and Sollecito acquitted 26 March 2013: Re-run of appeals ordered. Acquittals overturned Kercher murder: Timeline Profile: Amanda Knox Profile: Raffaele Sollecito 
 
 Rudy Guede was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years. Kercher's body was found in November 2007 in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox and others in Perugia, an Italian university town where the two women were exchange students. Her semi-naked body had more than 40 knife wounds, including a deep gash to the throat. The AP adds that in the original trial, "prosecutors alleged Kercher was the victim of a drug-fueled sex game gone awry. Media caption Stephanie Kercher: "It's a step forward for us" 
 
 Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito were acquitted in October 2011 by an appeals court that criticised the prosecution case and noted that the murder weapon had never been found, that DNA tests were faulty and that no murder motive was provided. Lawyers for Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito looked grim as they huddled with prosecutors and court officials to get details after the ruling was issued. And, the AP adds: 
 
 " 'If the court orders another trial, if she is convicted at that trial and if the conviction is upheld by the highest court, then Italy could seek her extradition,' Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said Monday. The Court of Cassation ruled that an appeals court in Florence must re-hear the case against the American and her Italian-ex-boyfriend for the murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher.
– The Amanda Knox legal drama isn't over yet. Italy's highest criminal court today overturned her 2011 acquittal in the slaying of her British roommate and ordered a new trial, reports the AP. The Court of Cassation ruled that an appeals court in Florence must re-hear the case against the American and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, for the murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher. What this means for Foxy Knoxy: The issues under question: ...are still unknown. The specific issues that have to be reconsidered will be revealed when the court releases its full ruling—within 90 days. The BBC notes that the court didn't review the details of the case, but instead considered whether procedural irregularities occurred. What did the prosecutor say? NPR reports that he argued that the appeals court had been too quick to disregard DNA evidence. Will Knox have to go back to Italy? Nope. Italian law can't force her to do so, though she could be found in contempt of court if she doesn't show up. There are no penalties for being in contempt, however. And if she's convicted? It's unclear what would happen next, though her lawyer yesterday said such a ruling could prompt Italy to seek her extradition. The US would then have to decide whether it will comply. Alternatively, the two countries could work out a deal that would allow Knox to stay in the US. How her lawyers reacted: They looked "grim," noted the AP. How Knox reacted: In a statement, she called the move "painful." She described prosecutors' theory on her role in the murder as "completely unfounded and unfair," and said, "No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."