Inside this Italian courthouse, lawyers for Amanda Knox delivered a letter from the American student explaining why she was not present for her retrial.<br/> <br />The presiding judge read the letter in which Knox pleaded her innocence in the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercer.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRESIDING JUDGE, ALESSANDRO NENCINI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"I am innocent. I did not kill, I did not rape, I did not steal, I did not plot or instigate. I did not kill Meredith, I did not take part in her murder. I did not have any prior knowledge of what happened that night. I was not there and had nothing to do with it."<br/> <br />Knox was released from an Italian prison in 2011 and returned to the U.S. after she was acquitted on appeal.<br/> <br />But Italy's supreme court overturned the acquittal ordering a retrial.<br/> <br />In the letter, Knox says she's too afraid to return to Italy.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRESIDING JUDGE, ALESSANDRO NENCINI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"I am not present in court because I a
