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.