Italy’s highest court has upheld Amanda Knox’s slander conviction, closing a chapter in a legal drama that has captivated audiences for over 17 years. The American, who was previously convicted and later cleared of the 2007 murder of her British housemate, Meredith Kercher, was found guilty of falsely accusing an innocent man in the case.

Knox, now 37 and living near Seattle, was not present during Thursday’s hearing. Her lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, shared that she was “very, very disappointed” by the decision. “She had been hoping to close this chapter,” he said.

The court confirmed Knox’s three-year prison sentence, though she won’t serve additional time. She already spent four years behind bars from 2007 to 2011. This latest ruling stems from her accusation against Patrick Lumumba, a bar owner, during the initial investigation into Kercher’s death.

The case began in November 2007 when Knox, then 20, and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were arrested for the murder of Kercher, a 21-year-old British student. Kercher was found dead in her apartment in Perugia, Italy, with her throat slashed. The case drew global attention due to its sensational details, including claims of a “sex game gone wrong.”

Knox and Sollecito were initially convicted in 2009 but later acquitted on appeal. After years of legal battles, Italy’s highest court dismissed the murder charges in 2015, citing weak evidence and a rushed investigation.

While Knox has been free since 2011, this slander conviction has lingered as the final legal hurdle. Despite the disappointment, the ruling brings a long-awaited end to a story that has fascinated—and divided—people on both sides of the Atlantic.