Amanda Knox

While Amanda Knox enjoys her freedom after four years in an Italian prison, the prosecutors who accused her of murder may be in their own legal trouble.

Two prosecutors in the Knox murder case are now under investigation for abuse of public funds used to produce an animated video used during Knox's 2009 trial.

Giuliano Mignini and Manuela Comodi are accused of spending $240,000 for a 20-minute animated video, using avatars, to explain their theory of how victim Meredith Kercher was murdered.  The graphic 3D video shows Kercher being held down by Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.  Knox is shown wielding a knife.

The video was shown to Italian judges and jurors during the 2009 trial where Knox and Sollecito were ultimately convicted.  Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Umbria audit court prosecutor Agostino Chiappiniello is investigating whether the video was a necessary part of the prosecutors' case. If found guilty of misusing public funds, the pair could be forced to pay the money back to the prosecutors' office.

This is the second time Mignini, the lead prosecutor,  has been investigated since first indicting Knox nearly five years ago.

In a separate case, Mignini was convicted of obstruction of justice and abuse of power during an unrelated Florence murder case.

In October, Knox and Sollecitio were acquitted on appeal and released from prison.  Knox returned to her home in Seattle, where she is currently writing a book to be published by Harper Collins.

A third person, Rudy Guede, is serving a 16-year sentence for Kercher's murder.