The strung-out, incredibly divisive murder trial of American college student Amanda Knox is awaiting a third verdict that is expected to arrive on Thursday.

Knox, who is accused of murdering her former roommate, the British student Meredith Kercher, has already faced a jury twice. The previous verdict were split, with the first returning guilty and the second innocent. Knox is currently attending the University of Washington and refuses to return to Italy, citing injustice in the country’s legal system.

Kercher’s body was discovered in her bedroom in November of 2007, and since then Knox has been tied up in a legal purgatory that is unlikely to end anytime soon regardless of the verdict, which would then go to Italy’s supreme court. That process could take a year or more, so those looking for closure in the case will have to keep waiting.

Knox’s alleged motives have been driven home by prosecutors, although they have also changed from drug-fueled sexual predation to an argument over an unflushed toilet. She has maintained that she is innocent throughout, and a major debate surrounding the trial is the effectiveness of the Italian justice system, which some see as being outdated and biased against the young American.

Luckily for Knox, Italy is unlikely to seek extradition until an absolutely final verdict is reached. However, if the court found her presence to be an urgent matter they could force extradition.

[Image via ABC News on YouTube]