First-degree Murder Trial of Jodi Arias
California woman, Jodi Arias is put on trial for the murder of one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander.
The first-degree murder trial of Jodi Arias is creating a lot of controversy in the media. Arias, 32, is accused of brutally murdering her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in June of 2008.
According to ABC news, investigators say Arias stabbed Alexander 27 times, slit his throat and shot him in the head at his home in Mesa, Arizona. Arias has been locked up since her arrest and has pleaded not guilty.
Since her arrest in the summer of 2008, Arias has denied any involvement in the crime. She later stated that it was other people, two unknown men, who were to blame for the murder. Recently she has claimed that it was self-defense due to years of abuse.
According to ABC news, Alexander had met Arias in Sept. of 2006 at a work conference in Las Vegas. Arias, who had been living in 
Yreka, California, says the two fell in love and traveled the country together. She even converted to Alexander’s religion, who was a devout Mormon, in order to become closer with him. Alexander’s friends say that he tried to break it off many times after just a few short months of dating. In June of 2007, the couple split up but remained in a sexual relationship.
When the trial opened on Jan. 2, prosecutors described Alexander as a “good man,” who was stalked and seduced by Arias. She killed him in a jealous rage when she learned that he was dating other women.
Arias’ defense team says that she finally became fed up and moved back to California. They say that Alexander was the one that could not let her go, and he had kept pressuring her to stay in contact with him. Arias also claims that he was a sexual deviant who was abusive and controlling.
When Alexander’s body was found, police discovered a camera in his washing machine. Evidence showed that Arias was literally trying to wash the evidence away. Police were able to recover a memory card from the camera that had photos of the two’s last sexual encounter, as well as shots of Alexander seconds before the murder. Apparently the camera was dropped and proceeded to take pictures. One of the images depicts Alexander’s bloody body, and another shows Arias dragging his body across the ground. Arias was indicted for first-degree murder on July 9, 2008.
The trial, which began in Jan.of this year, is expected to continue until the end of April. If found guilty, Arias will be eligible to be put on death row. If convicted and sentenced to death, Arias would be the fourth woman in Arizona to receive the death penalty.
