The latest chapter in Amanda Knox's long legal battle began Monday in Florence, Italy, with a retrial over the 2007 killing of her British roommate Meredith Kercher. 

But Knox, 26, who has expressed concern about returning to a country where she spent four years behind bars, was not in court. 

Neither was Kercher's family, which said in a statement submitted by their lawyer in court on Monday that they would be following the new trial closely from the United Kingdom. 

Knox was convicted in 2009 of murdering Kercher, a 21-year old British exchange student who was found stabbed to death in November 2007 in the villa the two young women rented in the central Italian university town of Perugia. 

Family: Amanda Knox won't return to Italy for new trial 

The convictions of Knox and her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were overturned in 2011 for "lack of evidence." 

After her acquittal, Knox returned to her hometown of Seattle, where she has been living since. 

Knox: Sometimes, I can't stop crying 

But Italy's Supreme Court decided last year to retry the case, saying the jury that acquitted Knox didn't consider all the evidence, and that discrepancies in testimony needed to be answered. 

The retrial's opening day Monday was dominated by procedural items. The presiding judge, Alessandro Nencini, read out the facts of the case, including the conviction of Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede for his role in Kercher's murder. 

The defense teams asked for several items of evidence to be retested for DNA, and Nencini agreed that a knife found in Sollecito's apartment would be re-examined. The court also agreed to hear testimony from Luciano Aviello, who served time in jail with Sollecito and claims that his brother killed Kercher. 
Where did Knox's legal battle start?
what was she convicted of?
What is her home town?
When was she convicted?
Is she in prison now?
Why not?
Why did that happen?
When was Kercher found stabbed to death?
Will she be back in Italy for the retrial?
Why not?
Italy
Family: Amanda Knox won't return to Italy for new trial 
killing of her roommate
The latest chapter in Amanda Knox's long legal battle began Monday in Florence, Italy, with a retrial over the 2007 killing of her British roommate Meredith Kercher. 
Seattle
Knox returned to her hometown of Seattle
2009
Knox was convicted in 2009 of murdering Kercher
No
After her acquittal, Knox returned to her hometown of Seattle, where she has been living since. 

The jury acquitted
But Italy's Supreme Court decided last year to retry the case, saying the jury that acquitted Knox didn't consider all the evidence
They didn't consider all the evidence.
saying the jury that acquitted Knox didn't consider all the evidence,
November 2007
Knox was convicted in 2009 of murdering Kercher, a 21-year old British exchange student who was found stabbed to death in November 2007
No
Family: Amanda Knox won't return to Italy for new trial 
Knox has expressed concern about returning.
Knox, 26, who has expressed concern about returning to a country where she spent four years behind bars,