The Prosecution Rests In The Jodi Arias Murder Trial

Wow - the State of Arizona just rested it's case this morning in the Jodi Arias Murder Trial after calling the "Custodian of Records" from Sprint phone company, Detective Esteban Flores and Leslie Udy, a friend of Arias who saw her on June 5, 2008 in Utah.  

The Sprint representative explained phone records, but Leslie Udy provided a look into how Jodi Arias behaved when she saw her the day after Travis Alexander was killed.  Leslie Udy met Jodi Arias at a Pre Paid Legal conference in June of 2007, and they continued to keep in touch.  Udy stated that when she saw Jodi Arias on June 5, 2008 "she was Jodi", nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Arias told her that Travis Alexander had invited her to stop in Mesa on her way to Utah, but she declined in part to put some distance between them.  She further stated that although they were no longer together, they were "best friends".

I was fairly surprised when Prosecutor Juan Martinez rested his case this morning.  It seemed sudden.  They have put on a ton of evidence in the case already, still it seemed sudden.  The judge instructed the jury that they would not be required to come back to court for an extended period of time, I believe  she said January 29th?  The defense is arguing for the dismissal of some charges at the moment.  I believe they are arguing about the first degree murder charge specifically.

There are numerous problems with the self defense claim by Arias.  As we have seen by the layout of Travis Alexander's home, it was a fairly large master suite they were in during the June 4, 2008 visit.  They took nude photos of each other, Jodi Arias took photos of Travis Alexander while he was in the shower.  He appeared to be in a relaxed state.  What the recovered photos show me is that he was completely unaware of what was about to happen to him. He was posing for the camera.  There are no weapons showing in the shower or bathroom photos - Travis Alexander did not have ANY weapons with him.  This means that Jodi Arias HAD TO HAVE taken a knife into that master bathroom with her.

She had to have gone presumably into the other room, perhaps in her purse - and get that knife.  There is no evidence that the knife came from the crime scene, she brought it with her.  Had he "lunged" at her as she has alleged - that would put him OUT of the shower.  The State believes he was stabbed inside the shower, at least initially.  The attack appears to have moved into other areas of the bathroom, but it began while he was in the shower.  Defenseless.  I believe she caught him completely off guard and he probably was so shocked at what was happening that he had no time to react.  He had defensive wounds to his hands, he was stabbed in the back and head. All evidence points to Arias as being the absolute aggressor in this case.

Jodi Arias has lied from the very start.  She stuck to the "I wasn't there, I didn't do it" story right up until the time that Detective Flores put the recovered photos in front of her.  Even then, she says "that LOOKS like me".  She also asserts that photos can be "altered" and that she doesn't trust date and time stamps.  ONLY WHEN she couldn't deny that she wasn't there did she change her story.  And even then she didn't tell the truth.  She simply altered the story to fit the evidence she believed the police had against her.  Deny deny deny.  Detective Flores never believed the first or second stories she told him.  During the second police interview shown from July 16, 2008 (the day after her arrest), Arias is still lying and won't tell him the truth.

She tries to sell a story that two masked/armed intruders came into the home and killed Travis and threatened to do the same to her.  This was her opportunity to tell the police that she was abused and acted in self defense!  If it had truly been self defense, why would she make up these stories?  Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell the truth?  I believe if the police hadn't been able to recover those deleted photos, she may never have admitted to anything!

There are just too many things that point to premeditation and against self defense.  The 2,834 mile trip in a rental car, the .25 caliber gun that was "stolen" from Jodi Arias's grandparents home in Yreka, CA, the photos that appear to show a very consensual interlude between Arias and Alexander - Arias remaining at the crime scene and washing the sheets/camera and the victims body, Arias appears to have called Travis Alexander's voice mail and listened to his personal messages 6 hours after she killed him, Arias herself called Travis's cellphone several times and left messages for him - in an appearance to create an alibi - I could go on and on and on!

There hasn't been a single person the defense could call to the stand to verify Arias's claims of abuse at the hands of Travis Alexander.  The defense hasn't put on their case yet, but I expect the only witnesses they will call will be "expert witnesses" to testify about the way a "battered woman" would act.  It will be interesting to see what the defense tries to do when they put on their case in chief when the trial resumes.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez secured a first degree murder conviction with the death penalty attached just about 8 years ago when he prosecuted Wendi Andriano in 2004 for the murder of her terminally ill husband Joe.  Andriano also claimed she killed her in self defense.  Her husband was terminally ill, yet she tried to poison him with sodium azide, and when that didn't do the trick she struck him more than 20 times with a bar stool before stabbing him.  She is sitting on death row in Arizona, and Juan Martinez put her there.

Wow, what a day in that courtroom!

Lies, Lies, Lies - Jodi Arias Murder Trial Continues

My, my, my!  The Jodi Arias murder trial continued yesterday and oh my - the lies just get more outlandish every time Jodi Arias opens her mouth.  Yesterday, the jury was shown parts of the 7/15/08 and 7/16/08 police interviews/interrogations between Arias and Detective Esteban Flores.  Knowing what we now know about what Jodi Arias's role was in this senseless and brutal murder, it's just unreal to watch and listen to what she initially tells Detective Flores during those two interviews following her 7/15/08 arrest in Yreka, CA.

I think Detective Flores did an outstanding job with these interviews with Arias.  One of my biggest pet peeves is that often times during these interviews, the detectives interrupt the perpetrator or don't allow them to fully answer a question before moving on to the next question.  This doesn't appear to happen here, and Detective Flores just lets Arias talk, and talk, and talk!  If Arias doesn't end up taking the stand, the jury will have at least had an opportunity to view these interrogations and see how easily she seems to formulate her stories and lies.  During the 7/15/08 interview, Arias sticks to her story "I wasn't there", even when Flores states that he has proof she was.

You can almost see the wheels turning in Arias's head at those points - I really don't think she believed she would be suspected or caught for this murder.  As she tries to explain away things that Detective Flores confronts her with, such as the pictures recovered from the digital camera - it's almost as if she truly believes if she adds just one more tidbit of information or another detail that her story will be believed.  Flores doesn't give an inch - he is calm and very confident. 

Story/Version #2 is given by Arias during the 7/16/08 interview, where she concedes that she WAS there, but they were both attacked by two armed intruders.  She gives small details to Flores, about what the "intruders" said to her and even to one another.  Her story is so unbelievable - she clearly didn't think this through when she fabricated story #2! It makes absolutely no sense that these two intruders would come into the house, kill Travis Alexander and let a eyewitness walk away.  It's also unbelievable that HAD that really happened, SHE WOULD'VE DIALED 911!  Is it reasonable to believe she could really just walk away from the scene she described, in which she claims Travis Alexander was still alive when they let her go?  Lame story.

My thoughts are this:  how is a jury going to believe anything that Arias says after seeing and hearing the numerous lies and stories she has been telling law enforcement officials throughout these interviews?  Credibility is the one asset that a defendant MUST have, and she clearly has blown hers out of the water.  Her lies don't even make sense, they are self serving and I think the jury will see through the "self defense" claim.   Wow, the prosecution has done an excellent job putting forth this evidence in a clear and concise manner.  There is so much physical and forensic evidence against Arias, the defense has to be reeling at this point.

As an average citizen, I personally don't feel that Jodi Arias acted in self defense - rather, this was a rageful, spiteful, callous execution.  She couldn't stand the though of Travis Alexander moving on in his life without her in the picture.  The 6/10/08 Cancun trip may have pushed her over the edge - here they are, taking pictures of one another with the brand new camera he purchased - possibly to take on the Cancun trip, and he was taking another woman.  She snapped.  She would've been much better off just telling the truth from the beginning.  I think people would be more compassionate for somebody who "snapped" and did something they really regretted, IF they took responsibility for the crime right away.  She did the opposite.  She lied and tried to cover her trail.  

She is probably kicking herself in the a@@ for leaving that digital camera behind....the weapons have not been recovered, but if the police didn't have that camera, she may have been able to weave a little more elaborate web of lies.  It certainly would've left more room for "reasonable doubt" if not for the photos, but those photos tell the truth for Travis Alexander.

Coverage continues today!

Phone Records Examined in Jodi Arias Murder Trial

The jury in the Jodi Arias murder trial is hearing testimony this morning from a representative from Verizon, Jody Citizen.  Mr. Citizen is breaking down the phone activity on Travis Alexander's cell phone on June 4, 2008 - the day he was murdered.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez has been able to show the jury, through the phone records that somebody used Travis Alexander's phone for approximately 16 minutes AFTER the time he was presumably dead.  The photo evidence shows that he was more than likely dead around 5:32PM on June 4, 2008.  The records show that later that evening, well after 5:32PM, someone accessed his  phone for nearly 16 minutes.  The most likely scenario is Jodi Arias taking the time at the crime scene to listen to Travis's voice mails.

Wow.  How does the defense recover from this type of phone activity and testimony? What explanation can they come up with to counter this?  Further, the phone records show that two calls were made from Travis Alexander's phone to Jodi Arias's cell phone after the time of his death.  Was she trying to further bolster her alibi? 

The defense is going to have a hard time explaining these details. Defense attorney Jennifer Willmott looks a little bewildered as she hears these details.  This would seem to support the "stalker" mentality of Jodi Arias. She remained at the crime scene long enough to clean herself up, wash off Travis Alexander's body and "stage" the scene with him stuffed into the shower - and then she took the time to call his voicemail and listen to his messages?  Do these sound like the actions of a woman who killed only in "self defense"?

If I'm a juror, my thoughts would be NO!!  I don't envy the defense in this case. If there are two calls from Alexander's phone to Arias's phone AFTER the time he was known to be dead - who else could've made those calls, and WHY?  Wow.  Thank God for technology!

More Testimony on Recovered Photos - Jodi Arias Murder Trial

During the first two weeks of this action packed trial, the jury has heard from several first responders, the friends of murder victim Travis Alexander - who had the unfortunate task of finding him dead in his home after he had been killed 5 days earlier, forensic experts, latent print experts - all from Maricopa County law enforcement agencies as well as hearing from an officer who responded to a reported gun theft from Jodi Arias's grandparents home in Yreka, CA just about a week prior to the murder.

30 year old Travis Alexander was found dead in the shower of his Mesa, AZ home on June 9, 2008. He had been stabbed more than 27 times, had his throat slit and had been shot in the face.  Evidence recovered from the crime scene included a bloody palm print of Jodi Arias, as well as several photos that had been previously deleted from the victim's digital camera that placed Arias at the scene on the day police believe he was killed - June 4, 2008.  Photos that were taken, and later deleted (presumably by Arias) captured Alexander and Arias in various states of undress and they appeared to have been having consensual sex during that visit.

The recovered photos also depict some photos of Travis Alexander that were taken in his shower, while he was alive - followed by pictures that would seem to represent a fierce struggle between the two.  Finally, photos of a dead or dying Alexander were captured, then deleted.  It is unknown if Arias meant to take those final pictures.  The recovered photos have been essential in breaking down Arias's previous lies to police - she denied seeing Travis in several months, then claimed 2 armed intruders killed him. When the overwhelming forensic evidence started coming back proving she was there, she adjusted her story and claimed she killed him in self defense.

Just to recap - my understanding of self defense is, that you defend yourself with enough force to escape the immediate danger.  This killing involved the victim being stabbed 27-29 times, several of those stab wounds were to his back, his throat was slit from ear to ear before finally being shot in the face with a .25 caliber gun.  Coincidentally, Arias's grandparents - where she was living in Yreka, CA reported a break-in at their home on 5/28/08 where a .25 caliber gun was "stolen". The prosecution has alleged Arias took the gun with the intent of using it on Travis.

Alexander was set to leave on a Cancun, Mexico vacation with friend Marie "Mimi" Hall on June 10, 2008.  When she hadn't heard from Travis in several days, friends went to his house to see if he was alright.  How horrifying to walk into that bloody crime scene where Travis's body lay for 5 days.  Nobody should have to see things like that.

Arias's demeanor in court has been somewhat subdued - she seems to cry at the appropriate moments. It's hard to tell if she is really upset, seeing what she ultimately did to this man that she loved or if she is crying for her potential death sentence she faces if convicted. Maybe it's a little of both?  She has been taking notes and sharing them with her attorney Jennifer Willmott throughout the testimony of the Yreka police officer. Perhaps she's offering insight into things that are being alleged? Who knows for sure.  

What we do know is that she FINALLY, when backed into a corner of physical and forensic evidence admitted to killing Travis Alexander. I don't believe this was a case of self defense, as the defense has alluded. This was a rageful and out of control blitz attack on Travis Alexander. I don't think Arias could handle the fact that Travis chose to take another woman on the Cancun trip - a respectable woman from the Mormon church.  She was not going to let that trip happen!  Just my humble opinion.

She's going to have to take the stand if she's going to claim self defense....or will she?

Jodi Arias Murder Trial Enters Into Third Week

Testimony continued this morning in the Jodi Arias murder trial.  This morning, the jury has heard testimony from Officer Kevin Friedman from the Yreka Police Department in regards to a reported burglary on 5/28/08 at the home of Jodi Arias's grandparents home - where she was living at the time.  Among the few items reportedly stolen from the home was a .25 caliber handgun, the same caliber used to shoot Travis Alexander in the face on 6/4/08.

Jurors viewed photos of Arias's grandparents home and heard from Officer Friedman on the items that were reportedly taken:  the handgun, $30 in cash and a DVD player were taken. Just as importantly, Prosecutor Juan Martinez pointed to items that weren't taken, such as the television, Arias's laptop, and stacks of quarters were located immediately above the cabinet where the 25 caliber gun was taken.  Other guns remained untouched in the home.

The prosecution is trying to show the link between the reported burglary of this gun and suggest this was the gun used to shoot 30 year old Alexander in his Mesa Arizona home on 6/4/08.  This would go a long way to show Arias's intents on that fateful night.  

Arias's credibility has been greatly damaged due to the many stories, outright lies and inconsistencies she has given about these events in a very public fashion. She gave at least 2 interviews while being held on $2MM bail at the Estrella Jail in Maricopa County where she first denied seeing Travis Alexander for several months prior to his murder, then changed her story to say that 2 armed intruders came into the home and attacked them both - she was able to escape unharmed but never reported the attack on Alexander to police.

Finally, when confronted with indisputable evidence that she was in the house on 6/4/08, she confessed to killing Travis but said she did so in self defense.  The jury is out on a lunch break now, but when they return they will hear more testimony from Maricopa County Office Michael Melendez - he is the technician who recovered deleted photos from Alexander's digital camera that seem to show the crime as it was happening.  The pictures have been called the "smoking gun" in the case, but Arias also left a palm print and other DNA evidence at the crime scene.

More to follow as the day progresses.

Ryan Burns Takes The Stand In The Jodi Arias Murder Trial

Testimony continued yesterday in the Jodi Arias murder trial. The jury heard from the newest man in Jodi Arias's life - Ryan Burns.  Arias met Burns at a Pre Paid Legal conference, where Burns had received a "Rising Star" award and the two began corresponding.  At the time, Arias was living in Yreka, CA while Burns lived in Utah.  After killing Travis Alexander in his Mesa, Arizona home on 6/4/08, Arias drove her rental car to visit Burns in Utah.  Arias maintains she killed Travis Alexander in self defense.  

Ryan Burns testimony provided crucial insight into Arias's state of mind just one day after the brutal murder. The jury heard from Burns that Jodi Arias arrived dressed in a long sleeved shirt despite the summer heat. He saw no major injuries on Arias, with the exception of some cuts on her hands. She told him the cuts were a result of breaking a glass. He testified that Arias never mentioned having seen Travis Alexander, let alone being in a "life or death" struggle with him. She arrived a day later than Burns expected. He reportedly called her several times around 6/4/08 - when he finally reached her, she told him she had gotten lost and pulled over to sleep.  

Knowing what he now knows about where Jodi Arias really was, and what she allegedly did to Alexander, he was "shocked" at her lack of effect. She kissed Burns "aggressively", and climbed on top of him at one point, but Burns stopped the advances before "any clothes came off".  He described Arias as "stronger than she looks", stating that despite her small stature, she knew how to handle herself.

Both Travis Alexander and Ryan Burns worked for Pre Paid Legal, and both men met Arias at conferences related to their work for the firm.  Although Burns knew Alexander professionally, the two weren't friends. He further testified that he believed that Arias and Alexander had ended their romantic relationship months prior to his death in June of 2008. 

Jurors also heard more testimony from the medical examiner, who described many of the stab wounds to victim Travis Alexander. More graphic crime scene photos were entered into evidence and shown to the jury.  Alexander's body lay undiscovered in the shower of his Mesa home until friends made the horrific discovery on June 9, 2008.  Friends became concerned when they were unable to reach Alexander for  several days. He was due to leave on a trip to Cancun, Mexico on June 10, 2008 with a woman he met through his Mormon church, Marie "Mimi" Hall.  

Testimony continues today.....

Medical Examiner Testifies In Jodi Arias Murder Trial

Medical examiner Kevin Horn took the stand in the Jodi Arias murder trial in Phoenix, Arizona and described the numerous wounds to Travis Alexander's body which resulted in his death.  30 year old Travis Alexander was murdered on June 4, 2008 in the bathroom of his Mesa Arizona home. His body lay undiscovered for nearly 5 days, until concerned friends entered the home and found him on June 9, 2008. He was due to leave on a trip to Cancun, Mexico on June 10th, with a woman he had met through his Mormon church.

32 year old Jodi Arias, Alexander's ex-girlfriend has admitted to killing him, but claims it was in self defense. The self defense story is her third account of what happened that awful night.  Arias initially claimed she was not involved, but after police discovered her bloody palm print and photographic evidence on a digital camera, Arias adjusted her story and claimed that she and Travis were attacked by two armed intruders. Her third and current claims are that she killed him in self defense.

The trial began on January 2, after more than 4 1/2 years of delays. Travis Alexanders sisters and brother have been seated in the front rows behind the prosecution team's table every day. The testimony has been difficult. The crime scene photos have been unbearable for them.  The medical examiner has been explaining to the jury the effects of decomposition on the body and the wounds. The very graphic photos depict a violent and vicious attack, in which Travis Alexander did not die quickly.  The State believes Arias attacked an unprepared Alexander while he was in the shower.  His injuries include 27-29 stab wounds, a gunshot wound to his head and his throat was slit from ear to ear.

This was a life and death struggle. The defense has alleged that Alexander become "enraged" after Arias dropped his new digital camera - the same camera that captured this attack unfolding. Arias attempted to delete those photos, but police technicians were able to recover the deleted photos. These are being shown to the jury as well.  As the medical examiner described each wound, Alexander's sisters shielded their eyes and faces from the graphic photos - they left the courtroom for part of this testimony. I can't imagine seeing a loved one in that state. My heart goes out to them.

The prosecution has alleged that Arias blitz attacked Alexander while he was in a seated position in his shower.  A struggle ensued, yet he was able to get out of the shower and was at the sink/basin area, bleeding profusely.  The blood spatter evidence led Prosecutor Juan Martinez to believe that Travis was leaning on the sink when Arias slit his throat. The medical examiner testified that the neck wound was so deep it nearly severed his spinal cord.  9 of the 27 stab wounds were to his back, some were deep enough to nearly reach his heart. He was stabbed in the head with enough force to chip bone away from his skull.

The medical examiner believes Travis Alexander was dead by the time he was shot in the head with a 25 caliber gun. The defense has alleged the gunshot occurred first, after Alexander initiated the attack on Arias, and the other wounds occurred during a "life and death" struggle for her life. They are attempting to paint Arias as an abused woman who was seduced, used for sex and kept hidden from friends before being discarded by Alexander.  Alexander was a devout Mormon, and much has been made about the sexual relationship between he and Arias.

Testimony continues today. On deck:  the male friend who Arias visited less than 12 hours after killing Travis Alexander.  Arias drove from Mesa Arizona to Utah in a rented car, and never mentioned anything about the incident to this man. He has reportedly said that despite the seasonal heat, Arias arrived dressed in a long sleeved shirt and had dyed her hair brown.  

This is a death penalty case - will Arias become Arizona's fourth woman on death row?