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Jodi Ann ARIAS
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Jealous rage after learning that Alexander wanted to date another woman
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder: June 4, 2008
Date of arrest: July 15, 2008
Date of birth: July 9, 1980
Victim profile: Travis Victor Alexander, 30 (her ex-boyfriend)
Method of murder: Stabbing with knife
Location: Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
Status: Found guilty of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013
 
 
 
 
 

Photo galleries
 

Jodi Arias 1

Jodi Arias 2
 

Jodi Arias Trial

Jodi and Travis
 

Travis Alexander

Books
 
 
 
 
 

Crime scene & autopsy photos
 

WARNING: The following photos are graphic and may be disturbing
 

very graphic! photo gallery 1 very graphic!
 

very graphic! photo gallery 2 very graphic!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Detective Flores Investigation Report (6.4 Mb)
 

Jodi Arias Court docs 1 (1.4 Mb)
 

Jodi Arias Court docs 2 (0.2 Mb) (Sandy Matthews - Wildabouttrial.com)
 

Jodi Arias journal entries (0.4 Mb)
 

Travis Alexander autopsy report (0.4 Mb)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Murder of Travis Alexander

On June 4, 2008, Travis Alexander, a salesman, was killed at his home in Mesa, Arizona; his murder and the subsequent criminal trial have received widespread media attention. Alexander's injuries consisted of multiple stab wounds, a slit throat, and a shot to the head; the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Jodi Arias, Alexander's ex-girlfriend, was charged with his murder, and her trial began on January 2, 2013. Arias testified that she killed Alexander in self-defense. She was found guilty of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013.

The case gained significant attention from the news media, and was considered by many as an example of both trial by media and a media circus.

Background

Travis Victor Alexander was born on July 28, 1977, in Riverside, California. After his father's death, Alexander and his siblings were taken in by their paternal grandmother, Norma Jean Preston Alexander Sarvey (1932–2012), who eventually introduced them to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Alexander was a salesman for the multilevel marketing company Prepaid Legal Services; he also worked as a motivational speaker.

Jodi Ann Arias was born on July 9, 1980, in Salinas, California. She and Alexander met in September 2006 at a Prepaid Legal Services conference, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. On November 26, 2006, Arias was baptized into the Latter-day Saint faith by Alexander. As of February 2, 2007, Alexander and Arias were a couple. After the two broke up on June 29, 2007, Arias moved to Mesa, Arizona, until April 2008, at which time she moved to her grandparents' house in Yreka, California.

Death

Alexander's body was discovered in a shower at his home. His throat had been cut; as well, he had been shot in the head and stabbed multiple times. There have been conflicting reports over the number of stab wounds, with some reports stating 29, many stating 27 and after the verdict "more than 20". Maricopa County Medical Examiner, Dr. Kevin Horn, testified that Alexander's jugular vein, common carotid artery, and windpipe had been slashed. Alexander's hands also had defensive wounds. Horn further testified that Alexander "may have" been dead at the time the gunshot was inflicted. Alexander's death was ruled a homicide.

Discovery and investigation

Alexander had scheduled a trip to Cancun, Mexico. He had also missed an important conference call on the night of June 4, 2008, at 7 pm. On June 9, having been unable to reach Alexander, people from Prepaid Legal Services went to his home to check on him. His roommates said he was out of town. After some searching, they found a key to Alexander's master bedroom. When they entered it, they noticed large pools of blood in the hallway leading to the master bathroom, where his body was discovered in the shower.

The 9-1-1 call they made notifying authorities of the discovery mentioned an ex-girlfriend, Arias, who Alexander said was stalking him, hacking into his Facebook account, and slashing tires.

On May 28, 2008, a burglary occurred at the residence of Arias' grandparents, with whom she was living in Yreka, California. A .25-caliber gun and other objects were taken. The grandparents' gun was never recovered. The prosecutor argued that the burglary was staged by Arias and the stolen gun was used to shoot Alexander.

Several days before the trip, Arias repeatedly contacted her ex-boyfriend, Darryl Brewer, asking to borrow two 5-gallon gas cans for a trip to Arizona. The cans were not returned to Brewer. Receipts presented at trial also showed that Arias had purchased a third 5-gallon gas can, sunblock, and facial cleanser from Walmart in Salinas, California, on June 3, 2008.

That evening, at an ARCO gas station in Pasadena, California, she purchased 8.301 gallons of gasoline with her debit MasterCard, and four minutes later purchased 9.59 gallons of gas with cash. The MasterCard was used again on June 6, 2008, three times at a Tesoro gas station in Salt Lake City, at a Pilot Flying J travel center in Winnemucca, Nevada and a 7-Eleven in Sparks, Nevada.

After Alexander's death but before his body was discovered, Arias had continued to call him and had left him several voicemail messages. It was later alleged that she had accessed Alexander's voicemail messages after his death. She said that Alexander had originally planned to visit her in May 2008 but that his plans had changed.

On June 2, 2008, Arias rented a white Ford Focus in Redding, California, about 100 miles south of her residence. She told the Budget Rent a Car staff that she would only be driving the car locally, but when the car was returned on June 7, it had been driven about 2,800 miles. It was also missing all of its floor mats, and there were what looked like Kool-Aid stains on the front and rear seats. The car was cleaned before police were able to examine it.

A spent .25 caliber round was located near one of the sinks in the master bath. Alexander's damaged digital camera was located in the downstairs washing machine. The camera was new. Detective Flores, via phone interview with Arias, asked her if she knew a possible motive for why someone would want to damage Alexander's camera. Although images had been deleted, Mesa Police were able to recover the images. The recovered images included Arias and Alexander, both in sexually suggestive poses, at approximately 1:40 pm on June 4, 2008. The last photo of Alexander alive, and in the shower, was taken at 5:29:20 pm on June 4. Moments later, images appear of an individual, believed to be Alexander, "profusely bleeding" on the floor.

A bloody palm print was located in the bathroom hallway, which DNA revealed to be a mixture of Arias' and Alexander's DNA. Arias continued to insist that she had last seen Alexander in April 2008 despite being presented with DNA and photographic evidence by Detective Esteban Flores.

Ryan Burns and others who met Arias in Utah after the killing indicated she had bandages on her hands and she wore long sleeves on days when it was very hot. She told different stories about how she received the cuts to her hands. Burns was told they were from an injury while working at "Margaritaville" restaurant. At the trial, it was revealed by Siskiyou County, California, authorities that no such restaurant exists, nor ever existed in the area. At the time of the killing, she worked at Casa Ramos in Yreka.

On June 5, 2008, West Jordan, Utah, Police Officer Michael Galieti pulled Arias over while she was in the rented vehicle driving to a meeting with Burns. The front license plate of the car was missing and the rear plate was upside down. Arias attributed this to some kids at a Starbucks playing a trick on her. Burns helped Arias fix the license plate, and Galieti did not cite her for the infraction.

Arias was indicted by a grand jury on a first-degree murder charge on July 9, 2008, and arrested at her grandparents' home on July 15, 2008. She was extradited to Arizona on September 5, 2008, where she pled not guilty on September 11, 2008.

Arias gave three different accounts of her whereabouts. She originally told police that she had not been in the home at the time of Alexander's death. She later told police that two intruders had broken into Alexander's home and that they murdered him and attacked her. Finally, she stated that she killed Alexander in self-defense and she was a victim of domestic violence.

Pre-trial

In March 2009, because of expressed concerns about possible violation of victim's rights by holding ex parte mitigation status conferences, it was ordered that the appointed mitigation master was relieved of further duties, with limited exceptions. In May 2009, the Court could not determine whether IQ testing and/or competency screening had been previously ordered, so it was ordered that Arias submit to IQ testing, and that she should be tested for competence.

In August 2009, Victoria Washington and Kirk Nurmi were appointed as defense counsel, replacing Maria Schaffer. In September 2009, a defense motion to extend the last day beyond March 3, 2010, was denied, but in November 2009, another motion was granted after the State did not file a response, and the last day was set to August 31, 2010.

In April 2010, a motion to disqualify the Maricopa County Attorney's Office was denied. In December 2010, after a rule of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure was amended changing the "last day" in capital cases from 18 to 24 months from arraignment, the State sought the death penalty.

In January 2011, a defense filing detailed the efforts Arias' attorneys went to obtain text messages and email. Initially the prosecution told the defense attorneys that there were no available text messages sent or received by Alexander and then was ordered to turn over several hundred. Mesa police Detective Esteban Flores told defense attorneys that there was nothing "out of the ordinary" among Alexander's emails; about 8,000 were turned over to the defense in June 2010. In March 2011, the court ruled that the office of the public defender did not have unilateral authority to dismantle the defense team.

Trial

Jury selection

The trial commenced on December 10, 2012, in Maricopa County Superior Court before Judge Sherry K. Stephens. During jury selection on December 20, Arias' defense attorneys argued that the prosecution was "systematically excluding" women and African-Americans; prosecutor Juan Martinez said that race and sex were irrelevant to his decisions to strike certain jurors. Judge Stephens ruled that the prosecution had shown no bias in the jury selection.

Guilt phase

In opening arguments on January 2, 2013, prosecutor Juan Martinez sought the death penalty. Arias was represented by appointed counsel L. Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott, who argued that Alexander's death was a justifiable homicide committed in self-defense.

A man testified that Arias visited him in Utah on June 5, and that she told him she had cut her hands on broken glass while working at a restaurant called Margaritaville. A detective testified no restaurant by that name had ever existed in the Yreka area. At the time, Arias was working at a restaurant called Casa Ramos. Later, Arias testified that after she cut her finger: "I had a bazillion margaritas to make."

The prosecution argued that since a .25 caliber round was found near Alexander's body, and a week before a gun of the same caliber went missing during a burglary of the Yreka home where Arias lived with her grandparents, she had staged the burglary and used the gun to kill Alexander.

Arias took the stand in her own defense on February 4, 2013, testifying for a total of 18 days; the sheer length of time Arias spent on the stand was described by criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos in a report compiled by the Associated Press "Crimesider Staff" as "unprecedented". On the first day of her 18-day testimony, she told of being violently abused by her parents beginning when she was approximately seven years old. Arias testified that she rented a car in Redding because a budget website gave her two options, one to the north and one to the south, and her brother lived in Redding.

On her second day on the stand, Arias said that their sex life included oral sex and anal sex; she said the anal sex was painful for her the first time they experienced it together and that while she considered oral sex and anal sex to be real sex, Alexander did not and he believed these forms of sexual activity, in contrast to vaginal sex, were technically not against Mormon rules. She said that they eventually had vaginal sex, but less often. A phone sex tape was played, in which Alexander said he wanted to zip tie her to a tree while she was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. She testified that Alexander secretly found young boys and girls sexually attractive and she tried to help him with these urges.

Arias testified that her relationship with Alexander became increasingly physically and emotionally abusive, some of which caused Travis' sister to continuously roll her eyes and shake her head in disbelief. Arias said that Alexander shook her while saying "I'm fucking sick of you", then began "screaming at me", after which he "body slammed me on the floor at the foot of his bed" and taunted her, saying "don't act like that hurts", before he called her a bitch and kicked her in the ribs. Afterward, Arias said "he went to kick me again, and I put my hand out." Arias held up her left hand in the courtroom showing that her ring finger was crooked.

According to Arias, the dysfunction of their relationship reached its climax when she killed Alexander in self-defense after he became enraged following a day of sex and a gun accident, forcing her to fight for her life. This was the third different account of how Alexander's death had occurred that Arias had offered police, which both prosecutors and observers felt severely damaged Arias' credibility as a witness, a sentiment later echoed by jurors upon the completion of the guilt phase.

Arias addressed comments she made in a September 2008 television interview that had been played earlier in the trial. In the interview, she had said: "No jury is going to convict me ... because I am innocent. You can mark my words on that." Discussing the statement during her testimony, Arias said, "At the time [of the interview], I had plans to commit suicide. So I was extremely confident that no jury would convict me, because I didn't expect any of you to be here." At the close of his cross-examination of Arias, Martinez replayed the video and prompted Arias to affirm that she had said during the interview that she would not be convicted because she was innocent.

At the end of the guilt phase, the jury's foreman, William Zervakos, expressed an opinion common to both jury members and courtroom observers when he told ABC's Good Morning America that Arias' testimony didn't do her any good. "I think 18 days hurt her. I think she was not a good witness," he said.

Starting March 14, psychologist Richard Samuels testified for the defense for nearly 6 days. He said Arias was likely suffering from acute stress at the time of the killing, sending her body into a "fight or flight" mode to defend herself, which caused her brain to stop retaining memory. In response to a juror question asking whether this scenario could occur even if this was a premeditated murder, as the prosecution contended, he responded: "Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No." Samuels also diagnosed Arias with post-traumatic stress disorder. Prosecutor Juan Martinez attacked Samuel's credibility, accusing him of forming a relationship with Arias and being biased. Samuels had previously testified he had compassion for Arias. Beginning on March 26, Alyce LaViolette, a psychotherapist who specializes in domestic violence, testified that Arias was a victim of domestic abuse, and that most victims don't tell anyone about abuse because they feel ashamed and humiliated. LaViolette summarised emails from Alexander's close friends "They have basically advised Ms. Arias to move on from the relationship .. that Mr. Alexander has been abusive to women." The jury posed nearly 160 questions to LaViolette, many of them focusing on Arias' credibility.

Clinical psychologist Janeen DeMarte testified for the prosecution that Arias did not suffer from PTSD or amnesia, and that she found no evidence Alexander had abused Arias. Instead, DeMarte said Arias suffered from borderline personality disorder, showing signs of immaturity and an "unstable sense of identity." People who suffer from such a disorder "have a terrified feeling of being abandoned by others," DeMarte told jurors.

On April 24, in response to previous testimony given by Arias about buying a five-gallon gas can from a Walmart store in Salinas, California, on June 3, 2008, that she returned on the same day, the prosecution called Amanda Webb, a Walmart employee from the only Walmart in Salinas, to the stand. The employee said she had reviewed all of the records for that store for June 3, 2008 and found no return of a five-gallon gas can; while there was a record of such a can being sold on that date, there was no record of any gas can return subsequently for over a week, according to Ms. Webb.

The final defense witness was psychologist Dr. Robert Geffner, who said that DeMarte's borderline diagnosis was "not appropriate" and that all tests taken by Arias since her arrest pointed toward an anxiety disorder stemming from trauma. He also said the tests indicated that she answered questions honestly, without lying.[68][69] Following Geffner's testimony, the state recalled Dr. Horn who testified further on the gunshot wound, and called Dr. Jill Hayes, a forensic neuro-psychologist, who disputed Geffner's testimony that the MMPI test was not geared toward diagnosing borderline personality disorder, concluding a long day in court at 8:29 p.m.

In closing arguments on May 4, Arias' defense argued that the premeditation theory didn't make sense. "What happened in that moment in time? The relationship, the relationship of chaos, that ended in chaos as well. There is nothing about what happened on June 4th in that bathroom that looks planned ... Couldn't it also be that after everything they went through in that relationship, that she simply snapped? ... Ultimately, if Miss Arias is guilty of any crime at all, it is the crime of manslaughter and nothing more." In rebuttal, prosecutor Martinez described the extent and variety of Alexander's wounds. "There is no evidence that he ever laid a hand on her, ever. Nothing indicates that this is anything less than a slaughter. There was no way to appease this woman who just wouldn't leave him alone," he said.

Arias' 18-day testimony added to a very long defense portion of the guilt phase of the trial, which led to problems with retention of jury members. On April 3, a member of the jury was dismissed for "misconduct". The defense team asked for a mistrial, which the judge denied. On April 12, another juror was excused for health reasons. A third juror was dismissed on April 25 after being arrested for a DUI offense.

On May 8, 2013, after 15 hours of deliberation, Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder. Out of twelve jurors, five jurors found her guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, and seven jurors found her guilty of both first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder. As the guilty verdict was read, Arias struggled to repress tears as Alexander's family smiled and hugged each other. Several people who had gathered outside the courtroom began celebrating by cheering and chanting.

Aggravation phase

Following the first-degree murder conviction, the prosecution was required to convince the jury that the murder was "cruel, heinous, or depraved" in order for them to determine that Arias was eligible for the death penalty.

The aggravation phase of the trial started on May 15, 2013. The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy. Arias' attorneys, who had repeatedly asked to step down from the case, gave only brief opening statements and closing arguments, in which they said the adrenaline rushing through Alexander's body may have prevented him from feeling much pain during his death. Prosecutor Martinez showed photos of the corpse and crime scene to the jury, then paused for two minutes of silence to illustrate how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands. After less than three hours of consideration, the jury determined that Arias was eligible for the death penalty.

Penalty phase

The penalty phase began on May 16, 2013, when prosecutors called Alexander's family members to offer victim impact statements, in an effort to convince the jury that Arias's crime merited a death sentence.

On May 21, 2013, Arias offered an allocution, during which she pleaded for a life sentence. Arias acknowledged that her plea for life was a reversal of remarks she made to a TV reporter shortly after her conviction, when she said she preferred the death penalty. "Each time I said that, I meant it, but I lacked perspective," the former waitress said. "Until very recently, I could not imagine standing before you and asking you to give me life." She said she changed her mind to avoid bringing more pain to members of her family, who were in the courtroom. At one point, she held up a white T-shirt with the word "survivor" written across it, telling the jurors that she would sell the clothing and donate all proceeds to victims of domestic abuse. She also said she would donate her hair to Locks of Love while in prison, and had already done so three times while in jail.

That evening, in a joint jailhouse interview with The Arizona Republic, 12 News and NBC's Today show, Arias said she didn't know whether the jury would come back with life or death. "Whatever they come back with I will have to deal with it, I have no other choice." Regarding the verdict she said "It felt like a huge sense of unreality, I felt betrayed, actually, by the jury. I was hoping they would see things for what they are. I felt really awful for my family and what they were thinking."

On May 23, 2013, the sentencing phase of Arias's trial resulted in a hung jury, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial for that phase. CNN reported the vote was 8 to 4 in favor of death.

After the mistrial was declared and the jury discharged, the jury foreman stated that he believed Arias was mentally abused, but that had not been enough to excuse her crime. He also said, "I think 18 days hurt her, I think she was not a good witness. We're charged with presuming innocence, right? But she was on the stand for so long, there were so many contradicting stories." He said the jury found the responsibility of weighing the death sentence overwhelming, but were horrified when their efforts ended in a mistrial. "By the end of it, we were mentally and emotionally exhausted," he said. "I think we were horrified when we found out that they had actually called a mistrial, and we felt like we had failed."

On May 30, 2013, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery discussed the next steps at a news conference. He said he was confident an impartial jury could be seated, but it was possible that lawyers and the victim's family could agree to scrap the trial in favor of a life sentence with no parole. Arias had said "I don't think there is an untainted jury pool anywhere in the world right now. That's what it feels like. But I still believe in the system to a degree, so we'll just go through that if that happens." Defense attorneys responded "If the diagnosis made by the State's psychologist is correct, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office is seeking to impose the death penalty upon a mentally ill woman who has no prior criminal history. It is not incumbent upon Ms. Arias' defense counsel to resolve this case."

As of April 25, 2013, defense costs had reached almost $1.7 million, paid by taxpayers.

The penalty phase of the trial is ongoing. A tweet sent on Arias' behalf indicated she may be considering a plea deal. On October 22, 2013, Arias filed a motion requesting that Nurmi be replaced as her lead counsel. Arias met with the prosecution to discuss a settlement on October 24, 2013.

Appeals

During the trial, defense attorneys filed for mistrial in January, April and May 2013.

Arias' lawyers argued in January that Detective Esteban Flores, the lead Mesa police detective on the case, perjured himself during a 2009 pretrial hearing aimed at determining whether the death penalty should be considered an option for jurors. Flores testified at the 2009 hearing that based on his own review of the scene, and a discussion with the medical examiner, it was apparent that Alexander had been shot in the forehead first. Contrary to Flores' testimony at the 2009 hearing, the medical examiner told jurors the gunshot probably would have incapacitated Alexander; given his extensive defense wounds, including stab marks and slashes to his hands, arms and legs, it was not likely the shot came first. Flores denied perjury and said during his trial testimony that he just misunderstood what the medical examiner told him.

In April, the defense claimed the prosecutor had acted inappropriately and said the case resembled a modern-day equivalent to the Salem witch trials. In the motion the defense team contended "the prosecutorial misconduct has infested these proceedings with a level of unfairness that cannot be cured by any others means." The motion also stated there is a "circus-like atmosphere inside the courtroom" and prosecutor Juan Martinez had yelled at witnesses, attacked witnesses on a personal level, and had thrown evidence. The motion also alleged that Martinez chose to release evidence and to pose for pictures with his fans on the steps of the courthouse. The attorneys claimed Arias was in a position where she could not present a complete defense and the only constitutional course was to declare a mistrial.

On May 20, 2013, defense attorneys again filed for mistrial. The motion alleged that a defense witness who had been due to testify Friday began receiving threats, threats that included threats on her life if she were to testify on Ms. Arias' behalf, and that on May 19, 2013, the witness contacted counsel for Ms. Arias stating that she was no longer willing to testify due to these threats. The motion continued, "It should also be noted that these threats follow those made to Alyce LaViolette, a record of which was made ex-parte and under seal." The motion was denied, as was a motion for a stay in the proceedings that had been sought to give time to appeal the decisions to the Arizona Supreme Court.

On May 29, 2013, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal filed three months earlier, also refused by the mid-level Arizona Court of Appeals. Nurmi had asked the high court to throw out the aggravating factor of cruelty because the judge had allowed it to go forward based on a different theory of how the murder occurred. The state had originally claimed that Arias first shot Alexander; based on that theory, Stephens ruled there was probable cause to find the crime had been committed in an especially cruel manner, an aggravating factor under state law. Right before trial, prosecutor Martinez revealed his new theory that Arias had shot Alexander after he was already dead.

Media

The case featured on an episode of 48 Hours Mystery: Picture Perfect in 2008, an interview which, for the first time in the history of 48 Hours, was used as evidence in a death penalty trial.

On September 24, 2008, Inside Edition interviewed Arias at the Maricopa County Jail where she stated, "No jury is going to convict me ... because I am innocent and you can mark my words on that. No jury is going to convict me."

The Huffington Post reported that the Arias case "instantly commanded headlines around the world". The Associated Press said the case was a "circus", a "runaway train" and said the case "grew into a worldwide sensation as thousands followed the trial via a live, unedited Web feed". They added that the trial garnered "daily coverage from cable news networks and spawned a virtual cottage industry for talk shows" and, at the courthouse, "the entire case devolved into a circus-like spectacle attracting dozens of enthusiasts each day to the courthouse as they lined up for a chance to score just a few open public seats in the gallery"; "For its fans, the Arias trial became a live daytime soap opera." The Toronto Star stated, "With its mix of jealousy, religion, murder, and sex, the Jodi Arias case shows what happens when the justice system becomes entertainment."

During the trial, public figures freely expressed their opinions. "Jodi Arias has stated that she follows me on Twitter so I really hate to be saying that she is guilty but sadly, she is as guilty as it gets," Donald Trump wrote. He also offered Arias legal advice on how she could avoid the maximum sentence. "Jodi should try but the govt. should not make a deal – no jury could be dumb enough to let her off (but you never know, look at OJ & others)," Trump suggested. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer told reporters after an unrelated press event that she believed Arias to be guilty. She sidestepped a question about whether she believed the one-time waitress guilty of manslaughter, second-degree murder or first-degree murder, but said “I don't have all the information, but I think she's guilty.”

HLN staff and their commentators compared the case to the Casey Anthony case for the perceived similarities between Anthony and Arias and the emotions that the cases incited in the general public. Additionally, HLN aired a daily show covering the trial called HLN After Dark: The Jodi Arias Trial. The cable network sent out a press release titled "HLN No. 1 Among Ad-Supported Cable as Arias Pleads for Her Life", bragging that they led in the ratings. The release stated: “HLN continues to be the ratings leader and complete source for coverage of the Jodi Arias Trial.

On Tuesday May 21, HLN ranked No.1 among ad-supported cable networks from 1:56p to 2:15p (ET) as Jodi Arias took the stand to plead for her life in front of the jury that found her guilty of Travis Alexander's murder. During that time period, HLN out-delivered the competition among both total viewers (2,540,000 million) and 25–54 demo viewers (691,000). HLN also ranked No.1 among ad-supported cable networks for the 2p hour delivering 2,227,000 million total viewers and 620,000 25–54 viewers.”

Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret, a made for television movie, stars Lost actress Tania Raymonde as Arias and Jesse Lee Soffer, of The Mob Doctor, as Travis Alexander. Prosecutor Juan Martinez was played by Ugly Betty actor Tony Plana and David Zayas, of Dexter, portrays detective Esteban Flores. Created for and distributed by the Lifetime Network, the film premiered June 22, 2013.

Social media

In late January 2013, artwork drawn by Arias began selling on eBay. The seller was her brother; he claimed that the profits went towards covering the family's travel expenses to the trial and "better food" for Arias while she was in jail.

On April 11, USA Today reported that during the testimony of defense witness Alyce LaViolette, tweets and other social media posts attacked her reputation. "You can show your disgust with LaViolette," they posted her office phone number and her website, and they suggested that people write negative reviews of her bestselling book on Amazon.com. There were more than 500 of them, panning the book and calling LaViolette a fraud and a disgrace. "It's the electronic version of a lynch mob," said retired Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields. Attorney Anne Bremner, who said she received death threats after she provided legal counsel in the Amanda Knox case, told The Huffington Post that the kind of online ridicule LaViolette received could affect attorneys and witnesses in high-profile trials. "It's something to take into account," Bremner said. "If I had kids I would consider it even more so."

On May 9, The Republic commented: "The Jodi Arias trial has been a social-media magnet. And when Arias was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder, Twitter and Facebook exploded with reaction. Much of it was aimed at Arias, though plenty of people tweeted at the media coverage, such as the antics of HLN host Nancy Grace. During the trial, hardcore followers of the proceedings were accused of trying to use social media to intimidate witnesses, or otherwise influence the outcome. Whether it had any effect is questionable, but it's a notable development."

On May 24, Victoria Washington, who was one of Arias' attorneys until she had to resign in 2011 because of a conflict, said “Arias' lead attorney, Nurmi, was pilloried in social media. At one point, Internet denizen photoshopped his face onto a crime-scene photo of Alexander dead in the shower of his Mesa home. I know people were aggravated with him constantly filing for mistrial, but you have to make and preserve the record for federal review (on appeal). If you don't file for mistrial, the appeals courts will say you waived it.”

On May 28, Radar Online reported the jury foreman had been receiving threats ever since the panel deadlocked on the sentencing phase, and now his son was claiming he's receiving death threats. “Today I read hate mail my dad had gotten. Some person had sent him a threatening message complete with his email address, full name, and phone number (which at the very least means that this guy should retake Hate Mail 101). I also read some comments on an article online about my dad. Surreal. They say my dad was fooled by the defendant, that he was taken with her, that he hated the prosecutor” his son wrote on his public blog.

The Twitter account in Arias' name is operated by Arias' friends on her behalf. On June 22, from that account, Arias tweeted, "Just don't know yet if I will plea or appeal."

Wikipedia.org

  
  

Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder; death penalty possible

By Catherine E. Shoichet - CNN.com

May 9, 2013

(CNN) -- After months of twists and turns in a dramatic trial rife with sex, lies and digital images, an Arizona jury Wednesday found Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander.

Jurors will return to court Thursday for the aggravation phase of the trial -- an important step in the next key decision they face: determining whether Arias lives or dies.

"Now the odds, I think, shift somewhat in her favor, because it's a very different thing to sentence someone to die than to convict them," CNN senior legal analyst Jeffery Toobin said.

In a television interview minutes after the verdict was announced, Arias said she'd prefer a death sentence.

"I said years ago that I'd rather get death than life, and that still is true today," she told Phoenix television station KSAZ. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I'd rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

The comments prompted authorities to place Arias on suicide watch in an Arizona jail, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

"Until she is released from suicide protocol by Sheriff's officials no further media interviews of inmate Arias will be permitted," the office said in a statement.

Arias was stoic in court Wednesday. Her eyes briefly welled up with tears as a clerk announced that the jury found her guilty of first-degree murder for killing Alexander in June 2008.

Friend: "We have waited five years through the circus"

Alexander's sisters cried and consoled each other after the verdict was read in the packed courtroom.

Crowds outside the courthouse erupted in cheers as news of the jury's decision spread.

Several of Alexander's friends told HLN they were relieved.

"It just feels so good ... to finally have the truth and be vindicated," said Dave Hall, choking back tears.

But that relief isn't enough, Elisha Schabel said.

"It's not going bring Travis back. He was such a light to this world," she said. "And it's important that we forgive Jodi, so she doesn't have that power to destroy our lives."

Another friend, Clancy Talbot, said she was grateful for the verdict.

"Looking at Jodi's face, I think this is probably the first time in her life she has ever been held responsible for what she's done, ever, and I think she's in shock," she said. "We have waited five years through the circus that Jodi has created."

Trial moves into next phase

But the trial isn't over yet, and Arias -- who testified for 18 days during the trial -- could speak to jurors again in court.

In the next step of the case, known as the aggravation phase, prosecutors will have a chance to present additional evidence and jurors will decide whether Alexander's death was caused in a cruel manner.

If they decide that was the case, the trial would move to the penalty phase, where jurors would decide whether Arias should receive a death sentence.

If the jury decides on a death sentence, the judge is bound by that decision. But if the jury decides against the death penalty, the judge would have two options: sentencing Arias to life in prison without the possibility of parole, or sentencing her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after at least 25 years.

There are currently 127 people on death row in Arizona. If Arias is given a sentence of death, she would be the fourth woman on death row in the state.

As jurors prepare for the sentencing phase of the criminal trial, family members of Alexander are preparing to file a civil wrongful death lawsuit, attorney Jay Beckstead told reporters outside the courthouse. Alexander's siblings won't speak publicly about the case until Arias is sentenced, Beckstead said, adding that the family is grateful to prosecutors and detectives for their work.

Massive crowd surrounds courthouse

Since Friday, jurors had been deliberating evidence surrounding a key question: Did Arias kill ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in self-defense? Or did she commit murder?

Alexander was stabbed repeatedly, shot and nearly decapitated five years ago. Arias says she killed him in self-defense after he attacked her, but the grisly slaying caused even some anti-domestic violence advocates to doubt her case.

The jury, which has been in court since January 2, heard closing arguments on Friday. Jurors deliberated for 15 hours and five minutes.

As they took a lunch break after revealing they had reached a verdict Wednesday, some jurors were seen smiling and breathing sighs of relief. One juror returning from lunch wiped her eyes.

A massive crowd swarmed around the Maricopa County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon. Some onlookers said they had been following the trial for months.

The case has drawn worldwide attention and followers lined up daily for courtroom seats.

"We are here every day to support Travis' family 100%," said Kathy Brown, who got a cane she uses autographed by prosecutor Juan Martinez and cried outside the courthouse after the verdict was announced Wednesday.

"I am so thankful," she said. "I knew the Lord would do the right thing."

Case marked by dramatic arguments

In the trial, both sides dramatically presented their arguments with details about Arias' love affair with Alexander.

"She rewarded that love from Travis Alexander by sticking a knife in his chest," Martinez said in his opening statement. "And you know he was a good man, according to her. And with regard to being a good man, well, she slit his throat as a reward for being a good man. And in terms of these blessings, well, she knocked the blessings out of him by putting a bullet in his head."

But defense attorney Jennifer Willmott countered: "Jodi Arias killed Travis Alexander. There is no question about it. The million-dollar question is what would have forced her to do it?"

Willmott said Arias was the victim of a controlling, psychologically abusive relationship, and Alexander considered Arias "his dirty little secret."

Martinez accused Arias of playing the victim. He alleged she staged the crime scene to make it look like self-defense.

He also accused her of actively seeking to profit from her media attention.

That's something Alexander's family hopes to stop with its civil lawsuit, Beckstead said Wednesday.

"The law in Arizona states that people should not be benefiting from their wrongdoing in a criminal case, and my law firm is going to do the best it can to make sure that she does not benefit from her wrongdoing or her notoriety," he said.

Arias: "I would much rather die sooner than later"

In her interview with KSAZ Wednesday, Arias said she was surprised by the jury's verdict.

"It was unexpected, for me, yes, because there was no premeditation on my part," she said. "I can see how things look that way."

Arias told KSAZ that longevity runs in her family, and that the worst possible outcome in the case would be a life sentence without parole.

"I would much rather die sooner than later," she said.

Several members' of the Arias family were at the jail where Arias was being held Wednesday night, waiting for a chance to meet with her.

Mother Sandra Arias said she had heard about her daughter's post-verdict TV interview, but hadn't watched it.

She appeared to be very emotional and concerned about her daughter.

While serving time, Sandra Arias said, her daughter "can do a lot of good for others."

  
 

You're a s*** and a w****: The abusive emails sent by ‘sexually deviant Mormon stabbed to death 27 times by his ex-girlfriend’

  • Jodi Arias 'was obsessed with Travis Alexander, 30, and stalked him after he broke up with her and started dating someone else'

  • He was stabbed 27 times and was shot in the head in June 2008

  • Arias initially denied seeing him until police discovered naked photos of her on his camera taken on the day of his murder

  • Arias told police that she and Alexander exchanged their online passwords because they distrusted one another

By Lydia Warren and Snejana Farberov - DailyMail.co.uk

January 3, 2013

Defense attorneys for the Arizona woman accused of stabbing her ex-boyfriend to death 27 times presented emails in court Thursday in which the victim, a devout Mormon, called his former paramour a 's***' and a 'w****.'

Jodi Arias, 32, is on trial for allegedly murdering 30-year-old Travis Alexander by stabbing him in the shower, slitting his throat and then shooting him in the face in June 2008, months after the two had broken up.

Arias, a photographer who had dated Alexander for nearly five months in 2007, has been in jail since her arrest. She has pleaded not-guilty to first degree murder. If convicted, Arias could become the fourth woman on Arizona's death row.

On Thursday, jurors heard testimony from lead detective Esteban Flores and a recording of a conversation he had with Arias in June 2008.

On the call, Arias denied being involved in the death and calmly told the detective that she had not seen Alexander in two months.

According to Flores, the defendant told him during questioning that she and Alexander were so distrustful of each other that they shared their Facebook, MySpace and Gmail passwords in a failed bid to patch up their unraveling relationship, ABC News reported.

During the first full day of testimony, the prosecution introduced emails between the couple. On cross examination, defense attorney Kirk Nurmi asked Flores whether Alexander referred to his ex-girlfriend in those missives as a s*** and a w****, to which he detective answered in the affirmative.

Flores testified that the communique included the 30-year-old Mormon writing to Arias: 'I think I was little more than a dildo with a heartbeat to you.'

Attorneys in the trial painted opposing pictures of Alexander, with prosecutors describing him as a person of faith and a 'good man,' and the defense saying he was violent and abusive.

Prosecutors argue Arias was a jealous woman who brutally attacked Alexander after he tried to end their relationship.

'This is not a case of whodunit,' Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Juan Martinez said in his opening statement. 'The person who committed this killing sits in court today - Jodi Ann Arias.'

Jennifer Willmott, an attorney for Arias, told jurors her client acted in self-defense after Alexander 'lunged at Jodi in anger' in his suburban Mesa home after she dropped his new camera.

'Jodi's life was in danger. He knocked her to the ground in the bathroom where there was a struggle,' Willmott said. 'If she did not have to defend herself, she would not be here.'

Since the murder, investigators said Arias has changed her story three times. Initially, the woman denied being at the scene of the crime until officials found her bloody hand-print on the floor of Alexander's bathroom.

Arias later told police that two masked intruders attacked her and killed Alexander, and she didn't call police because she was scared.

She then offered an alternative version of events, claiming that she killed Alexander in self-defense because he got violent.

Alexander had told friends Arias had become too possessive and was acting like a stalker, so he ended their relationship to see other women. But phone and email records indicate the pair continued to carry on a sexual relationship, The Arizona Republic reported.

Flores downplayed the stalker description, saying Alexander was inviting Arias to his home and the phone calls between them 'were back and forth.'

Arias' attorneys have said she was not the sexual instigator in the relationship and pointed to provocative photos Alexander had sent her in an attempt to paint him as a sexual deviant who sought to control his on-again, off-again lover.

Willmott showed the jury a T-shirt she says he made Arias wear emblazoned with the phrase 'Travis Alexander's' across the front.

'That t-shirt is the perfect example of how Travis treated her,' she said.

According to court records filed by Arias' attorneys, Alexander persuaded her to come to his home on June 4, 2008. They claim the couple had sex, then took provocative photographs of each other, one even showing Alexander posing naked in the shower.

Authorities said a camera found in the washing machine at Alexander's home contained a memory card with the photos, including one taken minutes after Alexander posed naked showing his bloody body in the shower.

Another photo allegedly showed Arias dragging Alexander across the floor.

The couple had met at a work conference in Las Vegas in September 2006 and began speaking on the phone every day. Court records show they exchanged as many as 82,000 emails.

They started dating in February 2007 and, because Alexander was a Mormon, Arias chose to be baptized into the church. But they broke up in June 2007, with Arias telling police jealousy on both sides was to blame.

In December 2007, Alexander began dating another girl and allegedly told friends that Arias became so jealous that she slashed the tyres on his car twice.

In June 2008, Alexander told friends he thought Arias might have hacked into his Facebook account and told her to stay away.

Yet on June 4, she visited his home and they had sex before he was murdered. She later told police that they had maintained a secret sexual relationship despite breaking up, ABCreported.

'There's nothing about her that I see in marriage material - or wife material,' Alexander had said, according to his friend, Dave Hall. 'But it's hard to say no to a woman that sneaks into your house, crawls in your bed and tries to, you know, seduce you.'

At first she denied being at his house the day he was killed, yet police found a camera in Alexander's washing machine containing graphic pictures of the pair having sex.

The water-logged camera, which belonged to Alexander, had been damaged in the washing machine, but the Mesa police crime lab was able to recover images, some of which had been deleted.

Among those deleted were pictures showing Alexander posing naked in the shower at 5.22pm, with the last picture showing him alive at 5.30pm. Later photos showed him bleeding while on the floor.

The camera also contained pictures of Arias posing naked on Alexander's bed at 1.40pm.

On June 9, his friends went to his upscale home after he had failed to return their calls. They found him dead in his shower and his body was 'well into the decomposition process'.

Wounds show that Alexander attempted to fight back, court records show. An autopsy found he sustained 27 puncture wounds and one gunshot wound, with the bullet found in his left cheek.

Investigators also found a bloody left palm print with Arias' DNA on the bathroom wall. Her DNA was also found in hair recovered from a bloody wall, according to the Arizona Republic.

After initially claiming that she had not been at his home that day, Arias changed her story to admit she had been there - but had not killed her ex-boyfriend.

'I witnessed Travis being attacked by two other individuals,' she told Inside Edition. 'Who were they? I don't know. I couldn't pick them up in a police lineup.'

She later changed her story once again, telling the court that she killed Alexander in self defense after he became angry when she dropped his camera.

She claims he had been sexually and physically abusive throughout their relationship.

'It makes me sick because I know her true side,' Steven Alexander, Travis Alexander's brother, told ABC. 'And I ask people to please not buy into this sweet innocent personality that she puts on.'

As well as the inconsistencies in her story, Arias' case has been plagued with difficulties with her legal representation.

She asked to represent herself but when she submitted letters to the court that she claimed Alexander had written - saying he was a pedophile - they were found to be forgeries, and she told a judge she was in 'over her head'.

Her defense team was reinstated but in December 2011, her attorney, Victoria Washington, was granted a motion to withdraw from the case.

Jennifer Willmott, a death penalty-qualified defense attorney, had now been assigned to represent Arias. In January 2012, a judge denied a motion asking for the death penalty to be rejected.

 
 

The mind of a killer: Unraveling the lies of Jodi Arias

Convicted of murder, "48 Hours" interviews were used as evidence in her trial. Will Arias get the death penalty for killing Travis Alexander?

Produced by Jonathan Leach, Josh Gelman, Tom Seligson and Jamie Stolz

CBSNews.com

May 17, 2013

"48 Hours" first introduced viewers to Jodi Arias in 2009, when she sat down to talk shortly after being arrested and charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. Since then, she has become a national sensation, the focus of newspaper and magazine profiles and the subject of 24-hour cable news coverage.

"48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher interviewed Arias at the Estrella Jail four-and-a-half years ago, when she agreed to tell CBS News her story of how Alexander had been murdered -- an interview which, for the first time in the history of "48 Hours", was used as evidence in a death penalty trial.

During the three-hour interview, Arias told Maher a tale of secret intimacy, the drama of masked intruders and, ultimately, a desperate escape. It was an incredible story.

As it turned out, that incredible story was an incredible lie. At her trial, Jodi Arias told the world a new story, weaving a tale of fear and abuse.

"48 Hours" returns to our first meetings with Arias for insight into the mind of a killer.

Like Casey Anthony and O.J. Simpson before her, Jodi Arias captured the attention of the country. Now, looking back at these interviews, it would appear that Arias thought she could fool everyone. But in the end, Jodi Arias could not have been more wrong.

"I have nothing but time on my hands to think. And that's when I really begin to try and remember and relive that day. And-- and then, it just gets so horrible that I shut it out and I don't want to think about it," Arias told "48 Hours".

It all started in 2008. When Travis Alexander was found dead in his bathroom, the first question homicide investigator Estaban Flores had was "who?"

"When did you first hear the name Jodi Arias?" Maher asked Flores.

"We heard that name from day one -- there were certain individuals who -- who gave us that name and said, 'You need to look into Jodi Arias,'" he replied.

Now, four-and-a-half years after Jodi Arias was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, the question that needed to be answered was "why?"

"Travis Victor Alexander ... an individual that was one of the greatest blessings in her life. Well she knocked the blessings out of him by putting a bullet in his head," prosecutor Juan Martinez addressed the court in his opening statement.

Martinez wasted no time exposing the jury to the brutal reality of this homicide.

"There was a hallway leading up to the bathroom where the shower stall was that was all covered in blood. I noticed large amounts of blood pooling and smears," Officer Sterling Williams testified.

When Maher first walked through the crime scene in 2008, she was struck by the echoes of the extraordinary struggle that had taken place there. And it was the evidence of that struggle collected at the scene that spoke volumes to the jury:

"That's a photograph of the staining on the sink and some of the spatter inside of the sink running down," Crime Scene Investigator Heather Connor testified. "That is red staining on the tile floor in the bathroom."

"That is red staining that was on the carpet in master bedroom," Connor continued. "Latent print 169A was individualized as the left palm of Jodi Ann Arias."

"Is that the bullet?" Martinez questioned Crime Scene Investigator Elizabeth Northcutt.

"Yes, it is," she replied. "This is consistent with the 25 auto bullet."

One by one, Mesa County Medical Examiner Kevin Horn, listed each of Travis Alexander's devastating wounds:

"Most significant wounds are going to be the neck wound ... the stab wound that penetrates the heart ... and then also the gunshot wound," he testified.

"She really slaughtered him. This was overkill," said criminal attorney Linda Kenny Baden, who worked on the defense teams of Casey Anthony and Phil Spector.

Baden has seen more than her share of murders, but few like this. "This was -- showed that she was an incredible, incredibly angry young woman," she said.

"What piece of evidence sticks out the most in your mind?" Maher asked Baden.

"Well, the piece of evidence that to me is amazing is the -- slit neck wound," she said. "Because it was the coup de grace, in my opinion. It was the ultimate control over him. When he wasn't going to say anything bad to her ever again. ... To me, that was just vicious."

Since her arrest in Yreka, Calif., in 2008, Arias has always insisted that she did not viciously murder Travis Alexander. But her details of how he died have changed repeatedly:

Juan Martinez: "Ma'am, there's -- a number of stories that you gave in this particular case -- involving the killing. There was one that you gave to Detective Flores, right?

Jodi Arias: Yes.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "He was, like, on his knees like this doing something like this or something like -- I don't know. And I was like -- I was like, 'Are -- are you OK? What's going on? What's going on?' And he was like, 'Go get help, go get help.' And I said 'OK' ... And I turned around, there were two people there, one was a guy and one was a girl."

Juan Martinez: But then you still gave another view of what happened to "48 Hours", right?

Jodi Arias: I think I was inconsistent in my lies. Yes.

Juan Martinez: So let's take a look at -- what you may have said to "48 Hours."

In the 25 years that it's been on the air, this is the first time a "48 Hours" interview has been used as evidence in a death penalty trial:

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "I was hit on the back of the head. I don't think I was out very long, but when I came to ... Travis was on all fours on the tile -- and well, I say all fours, but one of his hands was actually holding his head."

Juan Martinez: And that's -- another version of the events that occurred on June fourth of 2008, correct?

Jodi Arias: Yes.

Juan Martinez: And they're not true? Right?

Jodi Arias: Neither -- of them. Well, it's all the same thing. It's just different versions. Couldn't keep my lies straight.

But Baden says that her experience with other defendants suggests that the story Arias told "48 Hours" may contain elements of the truth.

"Jodi gave us secrets in those interviews. She gave us an insight right into what she is thinking," she explained.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "She was in the bathroom standing over Travis and I charged her."

"She talked about having a fight with a woman. And she describes the woman who attacked Travis as being, you know, about her height and Caucasian. That's her," said Baden.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "I ran down that hall and I pushed her as-- as hard as I could and she fell over him."

"She then talks about power later on in that interview, and she talks about having a gun," said Baden.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "They just kept arguing back and forth-- whether or not, you know, to kill me."

"And if somebody has a gun to your head, you have the ultimate power," Baden continued.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "It's like everything just stops. When you -- when someone else is sitting there with a gun pointed to your head deciding your fate."

"So I think that a lot of what she was saying about what happened was what happened with her and Travis the day he died," said Baden.

Jodi's various stories aside, the prosecution says there are critical pieces of evidence that speak for themselves.

"These are accidental photographs. These are photographs that the killer did not want taken," Martinez told jurors.

"Jodi, when she did the interview. She at one point says she likes to document everything," Baden pointed out.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court]: "I've always had my camera. Always. It goes everywhere I go."

"So it's kind of amazing that she actually documented herself committing this murder," said Baden.

"This individual here, you see her foot. You see Mr. Alexander's head, you see his arm, you see him bleeding profusely," told the court, referring one of Arias' photos from the crime scene.

After nine days and 20 witnesses, Martinez believed his case against Jodi Arias was ironclad.

Now, despite all the lies and deceitful behavior that the court has heard, the defense would have to convince the jury that on the day Travis died, it was actually Jodi Arias who was the victim.

Even in jail awaiting trial, Jodi Arias had little trouble keeping herself in the spotlight and caught the attention of the media, when she won a jailhouse Christmas singing competition.

And when the defense finally presented its case, Arias took the spotlight again, taking the stand to tell her unbelievable story of self-defense.

Among those listening were her mother, her aunt and Travis's family:

Kirk Nurmi: Did you kill Travis Alexander on June 4, 2008?

Jodi Arias: Yes, I did.

Kirk Nurmi: Why?

Jodi Arias: The simple answer is that he attacked me and -- I defended myself.

But according to trial lawyer Linda Kenney Baden, putting a defendant like Jodi Arias on the stand can be extremely problematic.

"The biggest hurdle is Jodi herself," she said. "Because then the case only becomes about the client and what she said. And that jury is always going to go back to what Jodi said."

And what Arias had to say was shocking:

Jodi Arias: ...I'm taking pictures of him. We were trying out different poses. ...And when I went to delete the photos -- as I moved the -- the camera, it slipped out of my hand.

Kirk Nurmi: ...what happens after you drop the camera?

Jodi Arias: Travis flipped out ... And he stepped out of the shower... and he lifted me up ... And he body slammed me again -- on the tile.

Jodi Arias: I remembered where he kept a gun, so I grabbed it. ...He was chasing me. ...I turned around we were in the middle of the bathroom I pointed it at him with both of my hands. I thought that would stop him, but he just kept running I didn't even think I was holding the trigger I was just pointing it at him ...I didn't even know that I shot him. It just went off and after I broke away from him ...he said, "F----n' kill you, bitch."

Arias' memory of how Travis allegedly attacked her was striking. And yet, she was at a loss for words when asked to explain her actions:

Kirk Nurmi: Once you broke away from him, what do you remember?

Jodi Arias: Almost nothing...

Kirk Nurmi: Do you remember stabbing Travis Alexander?

Jodi Arias: [Crying] I have no memory of stabbing him.

Kirk Nurmi: Do you remember ... dragging him across the floor?

Jodi Arias: No. ...I just remember screaming. I don't remember anything after that.

"...There are many people that never remember the actual events," Dr. Richard Samuels testified.

To help the jury understand why Arias had trouble remembering, the defense called Samuels, a clinical psychologist, who tested Jodi for PTSD.

Juan Martinez: Her first scores on the post-traumatic stress disorder scale, confirmed the presence of PTSD, right?

Dr. Richard Samuels: Yes.

Samuels concluded that Arias suffered amnesia from the trauma of the attack:

Dr. Richard Samuels: ... And its clear from the research a large percentage of individuals who are in such settings do not remember or have cloudy and foggy memories of what has transpired.

Juan Martinez: How many hours did you spend with her?

Dr. Richard Samuels: Between 25 to 30 hours.

But the prosecution insisted that Samuels' diagnosis was flawed, because when he examined Arias three years ago, she still maintained the intruder story:

Juan Martinez: You ... confirmed the presence of PTSD, even though you've just now told us that this is based on a lie?

Dr. Richard Samuels: Perhaps I should have re-administered that test.

"Altered mental states which are of such magnitude that a person has little or no awareness of their behavior are very, very uncommon, if not rare," Dr. Stuart Kleinman, a forensic psychiatrist and consultant for "48 Hours", explained. "So it's very reasonable to ... conclude, this person ... acted out their rage and told lies about it afterwards.

Jodi Arias claims she not only has no memory of stabbing Travis more than two dozen times and slitting his throat, but she also has no memory of altering the scene.

It wasn't until after driving hundreds of miles into the desert that her mental fog apparently lifted and she suddenly realized she had done something horribly wrong:

Kirk Nurmi ...Did you believe he was alive?

Jodi Arias (crying): I didn't know but I didn't think he was. ... I was scared. And I couldn't imagine calling 911 and telling them what I had just done.

"...If someone after a crime engages in behavior which ... suggests an effort to cover it up ... then ... that would not be consistent with ... amnesia," Kleinman explained. "If you didn't remember what had happened ... what's the need to cover up something?"

Juan Martinez: You did grant interviews to people from "48 Hours", didn't you?

Jodi Arias: Yes.

Juan Martinez: There were two interviews right?

Martinez hoped that by exposing Arias as a liar, he would discredit her with the jury and once again presented clips from her "48 Hours" interviews:

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court: "Travis' family deserves to know what happened. And because I may be the only person that will ever be able to say what happened that day. ... I wrote them a letter.

Juan Martinez: In that letter, you actually tell the family that the people that did it were this male and this female, right?

Jodi Arias: Yes.

Juan Martinez: So you lied to them, didn't you?

Jodi Arias: Yes.

Arias' "48 Hours" interview [shown in court: "When you asked me if I was angry and outraged. I'm more angry and outraged that his life was taken and that he had so much potential.

"I know that I'm innocent and though this is a very serious thing to be charged with there's no reason for me to be sad because I know that that I'm not - that I had never hurt Travis.

"I did see Travis the day he passed away and a lot of things happened that day. I almost lost my life as well."

Juan Martinez: Nowhere -- in that recitation or in any of the interviews that you gave with "48 Hours" did you ever indicate that you had memory loss, correct?

Jodi Arias: That's correct.

"...It takes a certain kind of ... person with great chutzpah to go on national television and tell a big lie to the entire world," said Kleinman.

And Arias displayed that same tenacity during her 18 days on the witness stand.

Juan Martinez: You say that you have memory problems but it depends on the circumstance, right?

Jodi Arias: That's right.

Juan Martinez: What factors influence you're having a memory problem?

Jodi Arias: Usually when men like you are screaming at me or grilling me or someone like Travis doing the same.

Throughout the heated cross examination, Martinez vigorously attacked Arias' story:

Juan Martinez: Ma'am were you crying when you were shooting him?

Jodi Arias: (Crying) I don't remember.

Juan Martinez: ...Were you crying when you were stabbing him?

Jodi Arias: (Crying) I don't remember.

Juan Martinez: ...How 'bout when you cut his throat? Were you crying then?

Jodi Arias: (Crying) I don't know.

But to save their client's life, the defense tried to destroy the only thing left of Travis Alexander: his reputation.

"...The instances of violence were becoming more frequent and more severe," defense attorney Kirk Nurmi told the court. "...Fear, love, sex, lies and dirty little secrets will help you understand ... I think what happened in those three minutes."

For the entire time that Jodi Arias' fate hung in the balance in court, her defense was on a mission to save her life by proving Travis Alexander left Jodi no choice but to defend herself.

"Jodi's life was in danger. ... She would either live or she would die," defense attorney Jennifer Willmott told the jury. "Jodi had to make a choice.

"The million-dollar question is what would have forced her to do it?" Willmott continued.

Arias' answer? An accusation of her own.

"It was Travis's continual abuse. And on June fourth of 2008, it had reached a point of no return," said Willmott.

Jodi Arias now claimed there was a dark side to Travis and that she lied to cover up the truth about domestic abuse in their relationship.

"Her fear and her panic about what had happened led her to tell different stories," Willmott continued. "He threatened to kill her, and given her experience with him, she had no reason to not believe him."

It was a challenging defense -- one that, in addition to her story of intruders, Arias may have been considering when she spoke with "48 Hours" just after her arrest.

"Was he ever abusive to you in any way?" Maher asked Arias in 2009.

"He lost his temper a few times, and it wasn't anything that really required me to -- I never felt my life was in danger, I'll say that," she replied.

"Did you show the physical signs of it? Maher asked.

"Yes, but I was able to hide it pretty well, I think," Arias said. "Arms, legs, torso."

But Arias testified to several incidents of alleged abuse:

"He body slammed me on the floor at the foot of his bed," she testified. "He called me a bitch and he kicked me in the ribs. He went to kick me again and I put my hand out ... And it clipped my hand and hit my finger."

Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi even had Arias display her injuries to the jury:

Kirk Nurmi: Could you hold up your hand for us so we could see?

Jodi Arias: [Jodi displays a crooked finger to jury]

Kirk Nurmi: Why didn't you call the police?

Jodi Arias: I would've never called the police on Travis.

There is no record of Arias reporting this abuse, and his friends, Chris and Sky Hughes, say that is not the Travis they knew.

"We've never, ever seen any evidence of abuse," Chris Hughes said.

"They couldn't find one human other than Jodi, who we know is a liar. ...

They couldn't find one person -- that had a story of being abused by Travis."

"She's making it up as she's going along," said Sky Hughes.

And they say Arias' most appalling lie came next:

Jodi Arias: I walked in and Travis ... started grabbing at something on the bed ... it was a photograph.

Kirk Nurmi: What was the photograph of?

Jodi Arias: It was a picture of a little boy. ... he was dressed in underwear. ... He seemed very ashamed with himself.

"She's saying this whole time she knew he was a pedophile," Sky Hughes said. "They're just lies."

Juan Martinez: You saw him do that? That's a lie, isn't it, ma'am?

Jodi Arias: I wish it was a lie.

Prosecutor Martinez wasn't buying it either.

"It is a hateful allegation with nothing to support it," he told the jury. "It's so easy for her to make these allegations. ...It's so easy for her to get on the witness stand, as you've seen, and lie. And this is really the pinnacle."

Trial attorney Linda Kenney Baden says if the defense couldn't prove Arias' allegations, they would come back to haunt her.

"To say that she was physically abused and she was fighting for her life that day -- and that's why she had to kill him, that's just gonna get the jury angry," she said.

To convince jurors that Arias was a battered woman, her attorney, Jennifer Willmott, called domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette - who testified for several days:

Jennifer Willmott: And do you believe in your expert opinion that Jodi was a battered woman or is a battered woman?

Alyce LaViolette: Yes, I do.

Jennifer Willmott: How would you characterize ... their relationship at this point in time given your expertise in the area?

Alyce LaViolette: I would call it a domestically abusive relationship.

LaViolette testified that Jodi and Travis's relationship was abusive both verbally and physically:

Jennifer Willmott: Does he call her names like bitch?

Alyce LaViolette: Yes.

Jennifer Willmott: ... and calling her a whore?

Alyce LaViolette: Yes. ...He grabbed her by the shoulders, threw her to the ground and then told her she wasn't leaving...And when she hits the floor, she makes a sound and he says basically, "Don't act like that hurts, bitch."

"As a defense attorney, how would you use this relationship between the two of them? Maher asked Baden.

"You can't go after a victim," she replied. "Going after a victim in a courtroom, you might as well just turn in your license really. ...So you have to be able to be very soft with regard to Travis here."

The prosecutor was anything but soft during heated cross examination:

Juan Martinez: You actually are -- biased in favor of the defendant, aren't you?

Alyce LaViolette: I don't believe I'm biased. You're mischaracterizing what I do Mr. Martinez?

Juan Martinez: One of the questions here is why is it that you felt the need to caudle her?

Alyce LaViolette: Mr. Martinez are you angry at me?

Juan Martinez: Ma'am, is that relevant to you? Is that important to you? ...Does that make any difference to your evaluation whether or not the prosecutor is angry? Yes or no?!

Alyce LaViolette: If you were in my group I would ask you to take a timeout, Mr. Martinez.

More layers of Arias' complicated psyche were peeled away when the state called its expert witness, Dr. Janeen DeMarte.

"This --reporting of domestic violence has changed over time frequently," DeMarte testified. "My opinion is that there did not appear to be significant - abuse."

Dr. DeMarte also dismissed defense claims that Arias suffered memory loss from post traumatic stress.

"She indicated to me that she had a very large gap in her memory," she told the court. "That's not how it typically presents with traumatic memories."

Instead, DeMarte testified that tests she administered suggest Arias may have a borderline personality disorder.

"You could see it in her journal entries that went from happy to sad very quickly," DeMarte continued. "There is some indication that she has some anger problems. That she had some ... strong feelings of anger internally."

"She couldn't let him go. Even from Yreka she couldn't let him go," Martinez told jurors.

The prosecutor said Arias' desire to be with Travis had no bounds and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

"Her motivation for this was that she just wanted him," he said.

Asked if Arias could have just snapped, Baden told Maher, "No. ...This was a buildup that led to her ultimately making a decision in a passionate way."

By continuing to have sex with Arias -- on and off -- for at least nine months after they broke up, Baden says Travis may have unknowingly sent Jodi mixed signals.

"He really didn't know and probably didn't care, because ... you're young. You're having sex. The way Jodi made it very easy for him. And he didn't realize that he had this rattlesnake by the neck. Whatever he did fed into her craziness, fed into her insanity, fed -- her desire that she wanted him, and she wanted to control him, and she wanted to have a life with him," Baden explained. "...it was the perfect storm that something had to happen."

"She had a vision that they were going to get married. And from that point, she would not let that go and she would not let Travis go," Sky Hughes said. "Jodi could not deal with the rejection ... Lots of people told Jodi to move on. ...And she said, 'I can't ... he'd be the most amazing husband. I can't picture anyone else being the father of my children.' ...She was obsessed."

Dr. Stuart Kleinman says obsession can have dangerous consequences.

"If a person has an intense need for something and a clear, consistent boundary is put up by another individual, that will probably help both of those individuals," he explained. "And ultimately, if that need is never ... going to really be satisfied creates an intense level of rage."

"Was sex a tool for Jodi? Of course it was," Baden said. "But was Travis playing with fire? Absolutely."

For the families of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander, enduring the trial was a trial in itself.

Juan Martinez: What are we looking at here?

Officer Sterling Williams: That's the shower stall with the body crammed down in the bottom of it.

"Oh, it's very, very hard. I mean, they're-- they're never gonna get over this," trial attorney Linda Kenney Baden said. She knows the price both families paid. "Just as much as Travis lost his life, there's gonna be parts of that family there that have died in the process."

It was an unthinkable crime -- as Travis' siblings, Samantha and Steven, told "48 Hours" in 2008.

"It's just this-- horrible, horrible thing happened to the best person," Samantha said. "And you would never in a million years think that that would happen to Travis. Because ... things like this don't happen to people like Travis."

"You're the one who did this, right?" Martinez asked Arias on the witness stand as he put a picture of Travis' body on a projector.

"Yes," she replied, crying.

The family of Jodi Arias had to endure their own torment. First, watching as she was cast as a cold-blooded killer.

"And you would acknowledge that a lot of the stab wounds ... were ... to the back of the head and back of the torso, correct?" Martinez asked Arias.

"OK," she said in tears. "I didn't count them. I don't know. I'll take your word for it.

And then hearing Arias tell the world that she's been abused her entire life:

Defense attorney: You told us that dad hit you with a belt after age 7. Did he leave welts?

Jodi Arias: He didn't leave welts as often as my mom. She also used a belt. My dad was very intimidating, so I don't think he needed to hit as quite as hard to get the point across.

"She's lying. She's making it all up," Martinez told the court in his closing. "She has staged her defense by lies."

"Do you think jurors are impacted by family who are in the courtroom, their reaction to say crime scene photos or even testimony by the defendant?" Maher asked jury expert Richard Gabriel.

"I think they are," he replied. "They do a very good job of compartmentalizing it."

Gabriel, who has worked with the defense teams for Casey Anthony and O.J. Simpson, says jurors are able to separate themselves from courtroom drama.

"Does it impact them when they hear sobs in the galley? Yes. They absolutely hear that,' Gabriel said. "But -- they do a pretty good job of trying to divorce themselves from that."

"The jury's not gonna feel sorry for Jodi. They can only feel sorry for her family, and hope that the sorrow they feel for her family is more merciful than -- what she felt for Travis," said Baden.

And during her 18 days on the stand, Baden says, Arias thought she could win the mercy of the jury.

"Some defendants are manipulative. And -- they think they can manipulate the police ... they also think they can manipulate the courtroom. And that's the problem. You can't manipulate everybody," she pointed out.

Travis' friends, Chris and Sky Hughes, believe Arias relished her months in the spotlight.

Her being on the stand for so long was just disgusting," Sky Hughes said. "She enjoyed it. She enjoyed every moment of it. She enjoyed the attention. She enjoyed toying with people. She enjoyed, you know, looking over and making up these just disgusting stories for the jury."

Jodi Arias may have felt there was no question she would be found innocent, but the jurors had some questions of their own -- over 200 questions read by the judge. Arizona is only one of three states that allows jurors to ask questions:

Question: How could you kiss another man when you knew what you just did to Travis?

Question: Why were you afraid of the consequences if you killed Travis in self-defense?

Question: You said that one of your worse fears was for everyone to find out what was going on in your relationship. So why did you talk to "48 Hours" and other TV stations...?

"I thought that the jurors in this case had better questions than the prosecutor or defense many times," Baden commented.

She says those jury questions were telling. "They really got to the heart of the matter."

Judge: After all the lies you have told, why should we believe you now?

Jodi Arias: The lies that I've told in this case can be tied directly back to either protecting Travis' reputation or my involvement in his death.

In the end, both sides agreed it came down to one question: do you believe Jodi Arias?

"...she premeditated it, you now have a duty," said the prosecutor. "You are to reach a decision as to whether or not the defendant committed first-degree murder."

"So what I'm saying to you ladies and gentlemen is ultimately if Miss Arias is guilty of any crime at all, it is the crime of manslaughter and nothing more," urged the defense.

But for the family and friends of Travis Alexander, there was no debate and there never had been. There was only one verdict - one punishment - appropriate for Jodi Arias.

"I want the maximum that the law will allow," said Chris Hughes.

"Ultimately, I really hope that she gets the death penalty," said Samantha Alexander.

Justice, and what it would finally look like, would depend on just which Jodi Arias the jury in this tense Phoenix courtroom ultimately bought into.

"She does seem to adapt, which is why I think she is like a praying mantis -- here ... that she is a chameleon," said Linda Kenney Baden.

"Jodi's a manipulator. That's what she does," said Chris Hughes.

Through 18 days of her testimony, the world had witnessed the many faces of Jodi Arias.

"She's always reading the environment, right, trying to determine how she's supposed to act. She's always tryin' to be something that she's not, right?" said Chris Hughes.

"When I see Jodi Arias, I just ... feel utter disgust," Sky Hughes said. "...she's not human ... she doesn't feel like normal people feel."

For Travis Alexander's loved ones, Jodi Arias is nothing but a fake.

"Don't be fooled by Jodi's -- sweet demeanor .She's a liar. And she's evil. And-- and she deserves to be judged and convicted," Travis' sister, Samantha, said.

The stories told by the 32-year-old California waitress were consistent with just one thing: a defendant who lied from the start -- to family, police and to "48 Hours".

"How do you feel about being accused of this crime?" Maker asked Arias.

"I know that I won't be held accountable for killing him. Because I had nothing to do with that," she replied. "I had everything to lose and nothing to gain if I were to kill Travis."

It seems like a lifetime ago, but it was only four years.

"If a conviction happens I know I won't be the first person wrongfully convicted, and possibly wrongly sentenced to prison or the death penalty," said Arias.

Then, that story evaporated in the Arizona desert. What was left was an admission:

Juan Martinez: And that's when you shot him in the face, right?

Jodi Arias: Yeah, that's when the gun went off.

And an excuse:

"An he's screaming angry. He had already almost killed me," she testified.

For those who loved him, the thought that Travis Alexander somehow had it coming to him was the final crime against a murdered man.

"She slaughtered him on June fourth, and then she slaughtered him everyday for the last five years with the lies that she's told," said Sky Hughes.

After three days of deliberations there was a verdict:

The State of Arizona versus Jodi Ann Arias, verdict, count one. We the jury duly impaneled and sworn in the above and type of action upon our oaths do find the defendant, as to count one, first-degree murder, guilty.

Guilty of first-degree murder -- the highest charge the jury had.

Justice, and what it would finally look like, would depend on just which Jodi Arias the jury in this tense Phoenix courtroom ultimately bought into.

The death penalty was now on the table. Jody Arias seemed shocked, holding back tears of sadness. Travis' family could not hold back their tears of joy.

"I'd rather have Travis Alexander back. I'd rather have my buddy back, but we can't have him back so I'm as happy as I can be given the circumstances," said Chris Hughes.

A week after the verdict, the sentencing phase begins with the prosecutor trying to convince the jury Jodi Arias deserves death.

"The last thing that Mr. Alexander felt was this knife coming towards him," said Martinez.

The first decision comes quickly. The jury rules the murder was "especially cruel," clearing the way for the penalty phase.

On Thursday, May 16, the jury heard from those who loved Travis Alexander.

"Why him? Unfortunately I won't get an answer to my questions, like how much did he suffer?" said his brother, Stephen.

"Travis was not shy. He was full of life," said Samantha.

And the jury heard from the defense, that Arias would testify one more time.

"And talk to you about how she viewed her life," Kirk Nurmi told jurors.

That should be next week, when we may also find out whether Jodi Arias lives in an Arizona prison for a minimum of 25 years or dies there.

Four years ago she seemed to sense her fate.

"If I had my choice I would take the death penalty because I don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison," Arias told "48 Hours".

After her guilty verdict, Arias seemed almost wistful in talking to a local reporter.

"I believe death is the ultimate freedom so I'd rather just have my freedom - as soon as I can get it," she said.

Freedom wasn't an option for Travis Alexander. He is buried in Riverside, Calif.; his image silent and cold, carved in his head stone.

And soon we'll see if Jodi Arias gets her wish ... joining three other women on Arizona's death row and perhaps making one final headline, becoming the first woman executed in that state since 1930.

If Jodi Arias is given the death penalty, there will be at least one mandatory appeal. It could take to 20 years to carry out her sentence.

If sentenced to death, Arias will spend 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.
 

 
 
 
 
 
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