Now that Jodi Arias has been convicted of murdering ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander, Arizona's "Son of Sam" law should prevent her from profiting from the notoriety of her crime. The law that was named after serial killer Sam Berkowitz prohibits convicted felons from cashing in on their dirty deeds. Will the law be enforceable and encompass Arias' immediate family members and friends? The Alexander has announced they will bring a wrongful death suit against Arias now that the criminal trial is concluding. I can't imagine they would have any problem winning any civil trial, which should put an end to any additional money making schemes Arias may have in the future.
Jodi Arias has been creative in the way she has utilized people on the outside to further her own agenda and spread her thoughts a la Twitter and on a website that features and sells her artwork. Will she find a way around this law as well? If there's a will, there's a way - as far as Jodi Arias is concerned, I wouldn't be surprised if she found a loophole to shimmy through. After viewing a good portion of her post-verdict interview with Fox affiliate KSAZ's Troy Hayden, a few things stood out. Number one, just minutes after the guilty verdict was read, Arias appeared to have makeup on, lip gloss and all. No evidence of tears or running mascara under her eyes. Number two, she continues to contend that Travis Alexander abused her, even after the jury rejected her claims.
Number three, she clearly despises Juan Martinez. She called him "shady" and "a hypocritical liar", and accused him of hiding evidence that could have helped her case. Is she referring to the letters from Travis Alexander that were found to be forgeries? I can't imagine Juan Martinez would risk a potential mistrial or having a conviction overturned by "hiding evidence". The state had so much evidence of Arias' involvement and guilt, they didn't need to resort to hiding evidence. Arias acknowledged the public's perception of her was mostly negative, but blamed that on the public's need to persecute people. She says persecute, we say prosecute.
Troy Hayden asked her if she looked at Travis Alexander's siblings during the trial. She told him that she avoided eye contact with them, but not for the reasons you might expect (like guilt or sorrow). Instead, she told him she avoided eye contact with them because of the family resemblance they have to one another, "looking at them was like looking at the man who abused me", she said. Wow. No remorse for killing him or lying about things he allegedly did to her.
When asked about her controversial use of Twitter, she admits it was her idea to begin the activity back in February. She though it was a good way to express her thoughts and ideas. That's funny, seems to me that half of her tweets were quoting somebody else's pearls of wisdom. The only time Arias seemed to have a genuine moment of regret or sorrow was when she was asked about her mother Sandy's attendance throughout her trial. She covered her face and began to cry and had a difficult time speaking. After composing herself, she said of her mother "I don't deserve her" and "I haven't treated her well". This is the only emotion I've seen in her that is appropriate and real, she said she feels bad for her entire family.
In an ironic moment, Arias adamantly denied Martinez's allegations about her desire to be in the media; as she sat before a camera crew - only minutes after becoming a convicted murderer. Now I've heard it all. I find myself trying to find some reason to cut Jodi Arias a break and try to empathize with what she must be going through right now. Her behavior doesn't allow me to feel anything for her. I'm glad that she will be held accountable for the life that she took. This is not a happy moment. It will always be a tragedy for both families, neither of which will ever be the same again. I wonder if Jodi Arias will ever tell the truth about what happened that night, and will she ever admit to the lies that she's told on the witness stand?
If Arias is sentenced to death, will she take these secrets to her grave? I've heard that prison tends to bring people closer to God. Many inmates have found religion as their only comfort when confronting a life behind bars, and it sometimes compels them to finally be honest about their crimes. Even the infamous Aileen Wuornos came clean and told the world that she hadn't killed in self defense as she claimed throughout her trials. In a statement to the court, Wuornos said she "wanted to get things right with God".
This story is far from over! Have a fantastic weekend.
MY CRIMETIME BY MY FORTE. A DISCUSSION OF MURDERS IN THE NEWS.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Most popular posts
-
Dr. Janeen DeMarte is expected to take the stand in the Jodi Arias murder trial as a key witness for the prosecution. Think of DeMarte as th... -
As the defense finishes questioning their star witness, domestic abuse expert Alyce LaViolette, many are disillusioned by her choice to take...
-
Marie "Mimi" Hall was the first prosecution witness to take the stand in the Jodi Arias Murder trial. She took the stand on Janua...
-
Yesterday, as Dr. Richard Samuels finished up his testimony the Jodi Arias defense team called their next expert witness to the stand, Alyce...
-
Episode 3 of TNT's Cold Justice uncovered a 31 year old blunder, or a mystery - depending on how you look at it. In last night's e...
Here is what Ryan Burns has to say about Jodi after the verdict if anyone of you did not see it yet.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgmHSxIlXMU
My Forte, Please write a book on this woman! I'm not kidding, you have such an insight into her evil soul, yet you write everything so eloquently, without hatred in your heart.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, that we have all tried to empathize we've Jodi...we've tried to relate to her in some way...but it's just not possible. Juan was SO correct when speaking about her need to be in the public eye, and she proved that after her Guilty in the 1st degree conviction.
Ooops, that should have been "with Jodi", not "we've Jodi":)
ReplyDeletefter composing herself, she said of her mother "I don't deserve her" and "I haven't treated her well". This is the only emotion I've seen in her that is appropriate and real, she said she feels bad for her entire family.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see this emotion as authentic or real at all, just more fake crying. If she really cares about her mom then why didn't she admit to throwing her under the bus to save her own ass?
Anon - I'm in agreement with you - all of JA's attempts to exhibit real emotion fail big time. Even when we finally see a REAL tear, it was only for herself and more bad acting.
DeleteI read this article last night and I was mind-blown!! The article by Kristina is excellent as always BUT the article from Psychology Today, that she referenced in her article was CHILLING. It really is a truly EXCELLENT descriptor of sociopath from one that is self identified as one.
http://kristinarandle.com/blog/jodi-arias-trial-the-true-nature-of-the-relationship-between-jodi-and-travis/#more-7896
She will live the rest of her days lying. She supposedly already found God, so what is left to make her see the light? Maybe, if the devil himself took her to Hell for a preview...
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Cheryl,
DeleteI think one of my favorite Juan Martinez statements to the jury was "she's JUST AS Mormon as he was". She had a lot of nerve blaming him, as her spiritual advisor - as if she couldn't interpret the Book of Mormon or grasp the basic vows of chastity. And she has called Travis a hypocrite? Wow. Just when I think I've heard it all, she opens her pie-hole and something even more outrageous comes out. Thank you for your post!
You may have addressed this in an earlier post, but what got me about the portion of her interview that I saw was her saying she was "surprised" by the Murder 1 conviction because she hadn't premeditated the murder at all. She seemed thoroughly perplexed by the jury's decision. It is hard to feel anything at all for her when she comes so far out of left field. Delusinonal for sure. Maybe it's all part of a master plan where she will now be portrayed as insane in some way to avoid the death penalty. Did I hear right that she has asked that the Alexanders be taped and not speak in person in front of the jury? Another insane request. I'm guessing the delay now is all about her side again but since I only read today's post and not yesterday's I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous (5/10 @ 10:28PM),
DeleteYes, you are correct. The defense wants the victim impact statements to be VIDEOTAPED!! Can you believe that? I don't think she has a chance in hell of Judge Stephens granting this motion. The family has an absolute right to make these impact statements, after having to keep all emotions inside throughout this trial. But the sheer GALL to ask that just shows you the type of person we are dealing with. I am looking forward to hearing the victim impact statements. She has been given so much latitude in this trial and has become so accustomed to getting things to go her way. That's over now - she's been convicted, Thank you for your comments!
To My Forte from the Anon, who compared Arias to Nora Desmond (Gloria Swanson in SUNSET BOULEVARD): Son of Sam laws were named after David Berkowitz because he called himself, "the Son of Sam" (as in Sam Carr, a guy from Yonkers whom Berkowitz called his "master" & communicated orders to kill to Berkowitz through his dog), in a 4 page letter to NYPD Det. Borrelli left at the Suriani-Esau crime scene. Many years ago, I read a book entitled THE ULTIMATE EVIL, written by police investigative reporter Maury Terry. It was probably the most frightening & fascinating true crime I've ever read, re: the correlation between the Manson & Berkowitz murders. What is most interesting is that after many years in prison, Berkowitz has taken full responsibility for his crimes, has declined all parole hearings & dedicates his incarceration time to helping young inmates turn their lives around. He feels it is the only way to try to do something good w/ the time he's allotted, since he can never undo the heartache & suffering he created. I believe him, unlike the Manson women, who say they're "so sorry" but actively seek parole. In my mind, as a family member & friend of 3 murder victims, if they were truly sorry, they would accept their life sentences & not seek parole because they can never make up for the lives they stole. They would say to the families, "Because we are sorry, we accept our fate of life in prison to give the surviving relatives some justice & peace." But hey, I'm skeptically optimistic. My family members' murderers haven't done this yet, nor do they seem inclined to, in the near future (it's been 20 years). I don't believe Arias was feeling anything for her mom. In her world, people are props or extras in her movie. It was all an act to humanize herself for & elicit sympathy from Troy Hayden. She was feeling sorry for herself, again. As I've written before, co-morbidity in the Cluster B personality disorders presents a lack of real empathy. That's why personality disorders are much deeper than a mere character flaws. They seem to inflict themselves on the rest of us. I believe we are only seeing the surface of how severe Arias' pathology is. Prison may modify her behavior, but it will not change it.
ReplyDeleteTypo: should read, "lives they've stolen." It's early & I haven't had my coffee, yet!
DeleteAnonymous (5/11 @ 3:01AM),
DeleteAnother early riser! I noticed the time of your posting, and I am a morning person too. If I can manage to sleep until 3:00AM, it's a luxury. My internal clock has been set due to working in the financial services industry for more than 25 years and having to be at work by 5:30AM-6:00AM. I love the early morning hours when it's very quiet and everything is still. It's a shame that the person/persons who murdered your loved ones has not come clean after more than 20 years. I think you are right that some people are beyond redemption. I've always been a fan of MSNBC's "Lockup", where I've heard some chilling stories from murderers who seem to still revel in their crimes - but I've also seen some stories of criminals who truly do seem to be sorry for the lives they have destroyed. I guess it depends on the individual. It seems to me that Arias has tried to appear as normal as possible during the trial, yet there were flashes of what the real JA is like and the jury saw that. The confrontational tone she took with Juan Martinez is a perfect example of her narcissistic side. The media interviews are another example. Who does that, after being convicted of such a serious crime? And her post-conviction comments have been completely self-serving and without remorse. She is still playing the victim. I think she knows her 15 minutes of fame is nearing an end and I think that's what she fears the most. Being irrelevant again! While I understand your stance on whether Arias was putting on an act when asked about her mother during the interview, to me that is the only time I've actually believed that she was feeling some emotion. She's right, she doesn't deserve her mother's devotion. The request to have the victim impact statements played via videotape is outrageous and will not be granted. The Alexander family has rights, and they have patiently waited for their voices to be heard and she will not be able to take that away from them! Looking forward to hearing those statements, and I hope they look Arias in the eyes as they finally are allowed to confront their brother's killer. Have a great weekend!
To My Forte from the early-rising, classic film fan: I agree the family's impact statements must be read. They need to voice their feelings in person & she should have to face the music, the same way she was allowed to face her accusers. She wants to stifle that voice, as she stifled Travis' forever. She is still only concerned w/ how she's portrayed in her movie. Yes, narcissistic. I wish our prison system was much tougher than it currently is. I think that's why many favor the death penalty. I think all inmates should have hard labor, no luxuries like cable tv/Internet access or weight lifting (hard labor is plenty of exercise & would leave them too exhausted to act out criminal behavior or have time to engage in other criminal schemes). Currently, prison is much too lenient & is basically a crime school, where criminals can continue to manipulate & operate evil empires. It should be a punishment that forces them to reflect on their crimes, get therapy & education; not join gangs. There are programs called "Shock Camps" which are in essence boot camps (like military basic training) that are for lower felony & non-felony crimes. Inmates can choose them in exchange for shorter prison terms. I think all prisons should implement this as standard. The benefits include learning a disciplined & orderly lifestyle, group responsibility (so they can see first hand how their behavior impacts the whole), time management & other life skills so many criminals are lacking. They have uniforms that must be spotless & checked daily & visitation is 2x per month w/ phone time once per week. Again, all prisons should be structured this way & maybe we'd see a drop in the crime rate. Good, hard labor never hurt anyone & it actually has been proven to help w/ many psychiatric disordes. Something about accomplishing a physical task & expending tremendous physical energy along w/ finding order vs. continued chaos helps improve overall mental health. Prison is a punishment for society's worst & should be viewed as such. Prisoners shouldn't be afforded a standard of living better than hard working, law-abiding members of a society, otherwise, what's the deterrent to committing crimes in the 1st place?
DeleteOh, My Forte, I wish you a wonderful weekend, too! I also agree that maybe you've ventured into a new profession as an author. I can't thank you enough for your blog. Again, check out TCM for classic films. It may offer some inspiration for embarking on your new career, as a writer since you do have great insight, skill, flair & humor. I wish you much success, should you choose to persue this & will look forward to your work, in this field.
DeleteHere's the defendants request that victims evidence be presented via videotape
ReplyDeletehttp://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kpho/KPHO%20NEWS/defensemotion.pdf
Thanks for that link, NancyB. OMG! I can't believe that the defense is seriously trying to claim that Travis's family be kept to "quick" statements regarding how the loss is affecting them financially, emotionally etc. while they kept that evil witch on the stand with her lies for 18 days!!!!!!!!
DeleteEvery time I think we've seen the bottom of their depravity from the defense team they prove that they can continue to sink lower and lower into the slime that they love so much. I thought that my rage and frustration would diminish after the guilt phase of this trial. If only! Why are those bottom feeders still trying to destroy Travis and his family?
Wow, I really hope this gets denied, it it hasn't already been. If they allow, I hope they inform the jury that it was at Ms. Arias' request. She says she wants the death penalty but she clearly does not. If she did, she would not care about "emotional outbursts" from the family. What about her disgusting ally Donovan laughing out loud in court? It was okay when it applied to her. She is so disgusting, vile and filthy. She's a human cess pool of nastiness.
DeleteI’ve thought about how tortuous Travis’ death was over and over again for months. When I first read the autopsy in Jan. I immediately became persuaded that JA definitely knew “how” to thrust a knife quite savagely. One of the anterior chest thrusts disturbed the costochondral cartilage so severely that the ME cut out the specimen to save for further analysis. That she made so many shallow cuts was initially puzzling to me. For instance, the cluster of stab wounds on Travis’ back were an average of only an inch deep. It appeared to me from this pattern of stabs that she didn’t intend to stab deeply in the back. There is no mention of the knife becoming stuck in the posterior ribs, or damaging the posterior ribs. It appears to me from the AR that these cuts were made at that depth “on purpose”– and not because she inadvertently kept hitting ribs. And they sure don’t look or sound like “hesitation” wounds.
ReplyDeleteAnd so I begin to think more about this, I kept thinking that it’s more than possible that she was taunting and torturing him while he was still very much conscious at the sink and spewing blood from the perforated Superior Vena Cava vein that she transected when she stabbed him in the heart. Intentionally not stabbing too deeply, as opposed to wondering “why won’t you die” and continuing to stab.
JA definitely knows where the vital organs are in a person. She also has a good idea how deep inside the body they are. I kept wishing that the ME had talked about this more in his testimony– the clusters of shallow wounds, versus the very savage wounds. But perhaps that was felt to be too speculative, since the sheer number of wounds are so savage.
Then in Juan’s sur sur-rebuttal he spoke about the possibility that JA had already cut the tendon in her ring finger and that stabbing any deeper was painful. That also has the ring of truth.
Weeks ago when I saw JA’s 7/16/2008 interrogation with Detective Flores and this next part gave me *chills*.
At one point, Flores asks: What injury did Travis have other than the gunshot?
ReplyDeleteJA says:
TA and JA were about halfway in the hall. There was a little bit of a struggle. The female intruder had a knife – and JA demonstrates it in her left hand (but then says it was in the right) Travis was naked, but JA didn’t care. JA was saying, “c’mon, c’mon”
Travis said: “But I can’t… I CAN’T FEEL MY LEGS.” (emotionally)
The last statement made my hair stand up.
My immediate thought was that TA sustained an injury to something called the “dorsal columns” in the spinal cord just above the midpoint of his back. Then, I reviewed the ME report, and knew that kind of injury could occur with some of the middle back stabs if they penetrated between the vertebrae.
There is a good medical reason that Travis couldn’t feel his legs – he sustained stab wounds to the center of his back that could have cut the part of the spinal cord (the dorsal columns) that carries the sensory feelings from the legs to the brain.
Losing feeling in the legs and not also the arms is too highly a specific symptom to just randomly make up. How could she make up the neurologically rare syndrome of not feeling one’s legs with only an 11th grade education, unless it actually happened? But, it is entirely plausible given TA’s stab wounds.
Two conclusions:
1. The fact that she stated the medically unique symptom that TA reported (indeed, so unique that she is unlikely to be able to make it up), indicates she remembers a lot more of the knife struggle than she admits and probably remembers every moment of it.
2. And, I’m so sorry to say this… It helps further demonstrate how tortured TA was during the struggle. TA was conscious, getting weaker, and eventually by the end of the hall where she caught up to him, he could no longer move because of blood loss, but likely also because he had now lost sensory function below the navel. Was this when she stomped on his feet and lower legs, I think so. And, worst of all….he would have been totally aware that all of it was happening and that includes when next she slashed his throat from ear to ear.
To NancyB: I remember Arias' statement too, when she told Det. Flores that Travis was crawling "on all 4 legs" (those were her words- like he was a dog! Maybe the story of the one she kicked- as she also told Flores- that never came back?) Her stories are "desperately random; like the elaborations of a bad liar," to borrow a quote from Psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, from THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. While I don't believe she'd know the effects of knife wounds to the UMNs & LMNs as pertains to SCIs; the fact that those wounds occured between C7 & T8, there's a good indication that he may have had poor trunk (abdominal/bowel) control & or lower extremity paralysis. If the ininjuries were between T9-T12, his hip flexors & legs may have had feeling, but may present w/ impaired coordination/balance of one side or the other, dependent upon complete or incomplete injury (as pertains to S4-S5) & levels (sensory/motor) of damage sustained. SCIs between T2 & S5 are where papraplegia occur generally. Lower SCIs, L1-L5 & S1-S5 would also result in lower extremity paralysis (paraplegia). There were 1 or 2 stab wounds to the back of his neck. If C1 or C2 were injured, his ability to breathe (remember para sympathetic & sympathetic CNS) would be impaired as well as arms/hands. Upper SCIs (above C4) present in tetraplegia, & tetraplegia may occur between C1-T1. In any event, Travis most definitely suffered a most horrific, cruel death. I hope the ME defines this clearly for the jury.
ReplyDeleteAnon (5/13 @ 2:21AM),
DeleteI can only imagine how painful and terrifying the attack on Travis Alexander was for him. It sickens and saddens me that he had to go through so much before he died. I really hope the jury takes a good look at those crime scene/autopsy photos. Arias showed him no mercy and his death had to be absolutely agonizing. Her getting "the needle" would be generous compared to his death!
Yes, My Forte (look at my posting time- it was actually an hour later than 2:21am, but rising early, always!) I do agree that the needle is too generous. I just keep thinking of Travis, the kind human being she so savagely ripped from this earth & praying whatever fate befalls her, she doesn't enjoy it. At first, I conjured up visions of Dante's Inferno, for my family's & friend's murderers, but I've let that go. I didn't want their crimes killing my spirit, too. Letting go of that anger took a very long time. I agree w/ your statement of her becoming irrelevant. That's probably the ultimate punishment, for her. Like I wrote before, she should be condemned to fade away, in a haze of obscurity.
Delete