Jodi Arias GUILTY Of 1st Degree Murder

Jodi Arias has been found guilty of first degree murder for the June 4, 2008 killing of Travis Alexander. Arias sat with her attorneys, dressed in black as the jurors entered the courtroom. She tries to make eye contact with each one of them, even taking a step behind Jennifer Willmott to look directly at them as they are taking their seats.  It was a packed courtroom, they were filled to capacity and then some while hundreds of people assembled outside the Superior Court building to be a part of the resolution of this tragic 5 year case.

Jodi Arias appeared genuinely surprised when the guilty verdict was read, her mouth dropped slightly - as she looked to attorney Jennifer Willmott and then looked at the jurors. The Judge announced that 5 jurors found Arias guilty of premeditated 1st degree murder and 7 jurors found Arias guilty of both premeditated AND felony murder. I can't say enough about the job prosecutor Juan Martinez did with this case, granted he had a lot of evidence in his favor going into this case, but the way he presented the idea of premeditated and felony murder to this jury left little doubt that she was quite possibly guilty of both. Jodi Arias' downfall was not only her lack of honesty, but the unbelievable and distasteful allegations she made about the man that she murdered. She not only blamed the victim, she portrayed Travis as a perverted sex fiend, who used her for sex much like a prostitute. Yet in her journal entries and in her own testimony she talked about how much she admired and loved this man. Her emotions were not genuine, her stories were not believable and she absolutely dragged his name through the mud. All the while, knowing there really was no way for the prosecutor to disprove the things she was saying. Who does that? A manipulator and sociopath does that. 


As the jurors were excused, again Arias took a step back behind Jennifer Willmott in an attempt to make eye contact with the jurors.  She reportedly gave a brief interview after the guilty verdict to Fox affiliate KSAZ and said she was overwhelmed and surprised by the verdict because she doesn't believe she committed first degree murder. She reportedly would prefer death over life in prison. She was also quoted as saying "death is the ultimate freedom".

"No jury will ever convict me, mark my words". I wonder if those words are as bitter to swallow as she told the jury they would be? We didn't get to see much of Arias after the verdict was announced and the jurors were individually polled and then excused for the day. It has been reported that Arias was seen lashing out at her attorney(s) after the jurors left the room. Is she really going to blame her attorneys now? I doubt self defense was their first choice when they were assigned to this case. Arias wanted to get off completely, as in a justifiable homicide - a big gamble that she lost. Thanks to NancyB, we know that Jodi Arias personally appealed to the judge in a 5 page handwritten letter in which she was insistent that Kirk Nurmi remain on as her counsel. She said that he was a person she trusted and who knew her case inside and out, and she felt if he were to be replaced it would be highly detrimental to her case. She wanted Nurmi on the case, and that was in her own words. 

The Alexander family cried and hugged one another. Their journey isn't over, but it just took a mighty step in the right direction with Arias' conviction on the highest charge. The jurors were polled one by one by Judge Sherry Stephens, as Arias looked each and every one of them in the eyes as if she were pleading for mercy as they confirmed their guilty verdicts. They were instructed to be back in the court room tomorrow at 1:00PM to begin hearing arguments on the next phase of this trial. Aggravating factors will be argued as the jury decides if the State has proven at least one of these factors has been met. The aggravating factor in this case is the cruel and depraved manner of death inflicted on Travis Alexander.  How in the world does the defense argue against this, the most obvious of all facts in this case? Whether or not Travis was shot or stabbed first, we do know by the evidence and crime scene photos that he was still alive after the initial wound, as he bled over the sink and staggered down the hallway in an attempt to escape his killer. The blood evidence suggests she chased him down and executed him by slicing his throat while he was on the ground, already dying from the stab wound to the chest. What could the defense possibly say? This was the definition of cruel and depraved.

After hearing arguments over the aggravating factors, the jury will then decide whether Arias should be eligible for the death penalty. They will then deliberate again and they must be unanimous in their decision. If they are unable to reach an unanimous decision, a new jury could be empaneled for this phase of the trial!

Next would be the mitigation phase - the mitigation specialist and attorneys would argue the reasons that Jodi Arias' life should be spared, what her positive attributes are and how she could contribute to society. The jury would likely hear from family and friends and Jodi Arias herself during the mitigation phase of the trial.

The same jury that found Arias guilty of first degree murder could sentence her to death in the coming weeks. The guilt phase is over, but this story is far from over. I'm satisfied and relieved that this jury saw through the "field of lies" that indeed sprouted around Arias on that witness stand. But it was the nature of the lies about Travis Alexander were especially cruel and heinous. She went for the most vile accusations you could make about a person, she went for the hot-button topic of pedophilia - something people do not tolerate in others. The Maricopa County jury pool was right on the money, they found the truth through the fog of lies.  Juan Martinez got more than half of the jurors to agree that Arias was guilty of both felony and premeditated murder, and that bodes very well for the State.

Tomorrow will be a riveting day in the Superior Courtroom we have become so familiar with. A collective sigh of relief can now be breathed as the Alexander family can now rest assured that Jodi Arias did not and will not get away with murder. My faith in the justice system has been fully restored. I can't wait to discuss this and hear all of your reactions to the verdict and look forward to continuing our forum all the way through sentencing!  Have a fabulous day and thank you for stopping by to take part in this blog. I really appreciate each and every comment.

Congratulations to Juan Martinez and Esteban Flores for putting together an air tight case. Great police work from the lead detective, who has one of the best interview styles I've seen in a long while. And say what you will about Juan Martinez, and his pit-bull style - but the man gets the job done!! Seeing Juan Martinez standing next to Kirk Nurmi during a sidebar gave you the feeling of David vs. Goliath. Our justice system worked today. We didn't have to sit through the agony of another OJ Simpson or Casey Anthony moment and the truth finally shined through.

Looking forward to seeing this trial out to the very end! Goodnight one and all.

Wendi Andriano Jury Speaks To The Arizona Republic

This is off topic, but since the Wendi Andriano murder trial has been compared to the Jodi Arias trial because of the similarities (outrageous self-defense and abuse claims) between the cases - including having the same prosecutor, I wanted to post a link to an Arizona Republic article where the jurors discussed the great emotional toll the case had on them.

It's such an interesting read that I thought it would be worth posting it here, especially in light of the fact that Jodi Arias is facing similar charges, and was prosecuted by the same man who put Andriano on Death Row. The article outlines all of the things that happen after the guilt or innocence phase of the trial is over. This may be a template for Jodi Arias' immediate future. Somebody had posted a comment here yesterday asking where I got the jury deliberation time for the Andriano case (15 minutes), this is one of the sources I used when I was researching Andriano's trial.

I've also heard the 15 minute time frame discussed recently on HLN during the Arias deliberations. The Andriano jury took much longer to decide other issues following the guilt phase. If you have an interest, here is the link to the Arizona Republic article from Jan 24, 2005 called "Deciding life, death takes toll on jurors". Have a great day!

http://www.nlada.org/DMS/Documents/1106668066.47/0124deathjurors24.html

Jodi Arias Jury Reaches A Verdict!

It was just announced that a verdict has been reached in the Jodi Arias murder trial! The verdict will be announced at 1:30PST, according to HLN News. This is the moment we have all been nervously waiting for folks. I have to admit to being very very nervous about this verdict. After hearing months of testimony, the jury realizes the seriousness of the charges and the potential implications for Jodi Arias. 

Arias reportedly has been held in a cell or room in the basement level of the Superior Court House during jury deliberations for the last several days. This has to be surreal for her - nearly 5 years after killing Travis Alexander, she will finally be held accountable for this brutal crime. The only thing that remains to be seen is the extent of her punishment. As she sat through her own death penalty trial, often times she seemed disconnected to what was going on around her as she doodled and wrote in the small composition book at her defense table. It was almost as if this was somebody else's reality, not hers. Do you believe Arias thinks there was any way she would be acquitted for this murder? Does she seem remorseful, all these years later?

I'm surprised that Arias' attorneys haven't come down on her for continuing to send tweets via Donovan Bering from behind bars. Her often snide comments about the prosecutor and the media may very well come back to haunt her during sentencing. It certainly doesn't make her look good to be carrying on as if she was a misunderstood B-List celebrity wanna be. She never really showed any real compassion for Travis Alexander or his family, although she really wanted the world to think she was protecting his secret. Kirk Nurmi kept referring to sex, lies, love and dirty little secrets during his closing arguments. I'd say a more accurate depiction would be dirty little lies. 

Jodi Arias had a big credibility issue going into this trial, before she ever opened her mouth on that witness stand. Her outrageous accusations against the man she murdered made her appear even more cold blooded, manipulative and just plain evil. Had there been just one little fact that could back up any part of her abuse claims, she may have stood a chance at selling the self-defense story. But to get on the witness stand and call someone a pedophile is just as heinous as the murder was. Jodi Arias knew that Travis or anybody else wouldn't be able to prove that she was lying. She carefully chose her accusations so they could not be disproved by the prosecutor or any other witness. Big miscalculation on her part, because if it comes down to believing Jodi Arias or believing Deanna Reid, Lisa (Andrews) Daidone or Mimi Hall about the way Travis Alexander treated women - Jodi Arias will lose the credibility battle. Has the nature of her lies angered and outraged the jury? 

We are very close to finding out! The verdict will be announced in 90 minutes, there's little we can do but wait - but I'm still praying the verdict is fitting for this crime. There should be no room for compromise with murder - manslaughter should not even be a consideration, and I hope the jury didn't split the difference and go with second degree murder. There is no verdict that can bring Travis Alexander back to his family and his friends. There is only one just verdict in this case. May the verdict bring a little peace and comfort to everybody who has followed this case. Updates to follow!

Will Today Be The Day Travis Alexander Receives Justice?

It's Tuesday, May 7th 2013.  The Jodi Arias jury will begin their second full day of deliberations this morning after a 5 month journey through the lives of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander - sadly, much of this trial has been about Jodi Arias the victim and Travis Alexander has been portrayed as the perpetrator.  The defense went for broke on this case, taking every opportunity to trash the man who was savagely murdered and taken from his family and friends far too soon.

Throughout the trial, self-defense has been the theme. "Jodi had to kill Travis". She had to? Really? For all of the reasonable people out there watching this trial, can you count all of the opportunities Arias had to escape if she were really in danger that fatal evening of June 4, 2008? She had ample time and opportunities to leave that house. Would a naked and wet man really chase her outside into his own neighborhood? Were there no working telephones in that house, how long does it take to just DIAL 911 - even if you don't speak a word to the dispatcher, the call is quickly traced and there would've been police there within minutes. She had to kill him, is that really what you want the jury to believe? Good luck with that.

After hearing for months about the abuse and battery Jodi Arias suffered, and how she had to defend herself or she would've been the murder victim - now Kirk Nurmi wants the jury to consider a new theory.  In the heat of the moment, Jodi just snapped. Something happened, something made her snap. Again, it's not her fault! She was provoked, right? Juan Martinez was right on the money when he began his closing argument with the "it's not her fault" rants. At the time, I thought it was a bit dramatic and overly sarcastic, but having time to reflect on his entire closing arguments I've changed my opinion - it was brilliant. Nothing is ever Jodi Arias' fault. What little blame she does choose to accept are simply small concessions, the sole purpose of which is to make her seem more believable. She has to admit to some not-so-nice things doesn't she? She believes that will boost her failing credibility in the eyes of the jury.

Will today be the day that justice cries out for Travis Alexander? Will this be the day that Jodi Arias' lies come back to haunt her? Will today be the day she eats the most bitter words she ever has spoken "no jury will ever convict me, and you can mark my words on that"?  As we eagerly wait for her fate to be sealed, may the justice be swift and the penalty severe - and may the countless friends and family of Travis Alexander finally have peace and an end to this tragedy.  In life, Travis Alexander touched and inspired the people around him. In death, he continues to touch and inspire the lives of total strangers like you and I. Long after the news dies down and Jodi Arias is forgotten, Travis Alexander's legacy and memory will live on. NancyB posted a link to a handwritten letter from Jodi Arias to the Judge (not Judge Stephens) about her need to retain Kirk Nurmi as her attorney. Very interesting read! I thought I'd post the link here, in case you can't find it in NancyB's comments. It's a 5 page hand written letter:

(Posted by NancyB)
This is very interesting - 2011 hand-written letter from Arias to Judge Duncan, concerning the ‘precarious circumstances of her legal defense’…especially the letter from Sandy Arias. The hand-written letter from JA, to Judge Duncan is also revealing. To read the letter from Mrs. Arias you’ll need to go to the Bottom of Page 5. Below the TwitterDoc box on the RIGHT side click NEXT. http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=94223&sid=20PB&ext=PDF&lcl=JA-Letter-from-Jodi-to-Judge-re-Nurmi-Motion-to-Withdraw.pdf&usr=zou2&doc=139833553&key=key-2gxotllz9sge8erm21fo on

Have a beautiful day!

PS - I sent Dr. DeMarte an e-mail after she testified in this case, thanking her for showing such professionalism and courage in providing what appeared to be the most accurate diagnosis of Jodi Arias of any of the experts. I wasn't expecting any type of response, but she actually did. It's brief, but I thought I'd share it with you all. Thank you again, Dr. DeMarte!!

jdemarte@sentiencepsych.com	Apr 21
to me

Hello, Your email was very thoughtful. I appreciate your kind words and support.

Janeen DeMarte, PhD

Sentience Psychological Services, PLLC

300 W. Clarendon, Suite 215

Phoenix, AZ 85013

No Verdict Yet in Jodi Arias Murder Trial

The first full day of jury deliberations in the Jodi Arias murder trial have concluded with no verdict. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations tomorrow at 10:00AM instead of the normal 9:00AM start time. It's unclear why they are beginning a little later tomorrow and I'd hate to speculate!  It's possible one of the jurors has an appointment? Or perhaps they are very very close to a verdict, and wanted to go home and sleep on it? Who knows! 

While I understand the financial constraints the county is under, I am still surprised this jury isn't being sequestered during deliberations. The trial is already reportedly costing $1.7 million dollars, what's a few thousand dollars more versus risking the cost of a mistrial?  As we all watch and wait on verdict watch, I'm so curious as to what these jurors are discussing. Which way are they leaning? Did they take an initial vote to see how close they were to begin with?  I believe their instructions are to first consider the most serious charge(s), first degree premeditated murder and first degree felony murder. If they don't agree on that, they move on to second degree murder and so on.

I found it so interesting to hear Judge Belvin Perry's interview on the Today show this morning. As you know, Judge Perry presided over the Casey Anthony murder trial. Perry said that when the verdict slip was handed to him, he had to read it twice to make sure he was reading "not guilty" correctly. He admitted to being very surprised by the jury's verdict, and he talked candidly about the two very different sides he saw of Casey Anthony. He said she was a much different person in the presence of the jury than she was without.

I thought Judge Perry did a pretty good job keeping the trial moving forward, and that was a full-fledged media circus. I haven't seen anything like for a non-celebrity trial. Oh my!  Apparently at some point Anthony's attorneys wanted to discuss a plea deal to aggravated murder with her,  Perry said Anthony could be heard screaming and cussing at her attorneys. Obviously there were no plea deals in that case, but that's the first I've ever heard of any potential plea deals. Many Monday morning armchair attorneys believed the State of Florida overcharged Anthony, although Perry said he believed there was sufficient evidence to convict Casey Anthony, albeit it was circumstantial.

I do not believe they overcharged Arias, in fact if there were a HIGHER charge.....another case that still haunts me is the murders of Sheri, Garrett and Gavin Coleman at the hands of husband, father and MONSTER Christopher Coleman. That trial was not televised, but after seeing the photographs of this beautiful family I felt compelled to follow the case. It was fairly obvious Christopher Coleman was the killer early on, although you never want to believe a man could murder his two young boys. His story never rang true - similar to Josh Powell's lame story about taking his young sons on an impromptu overnight camping trip in the freezing snow.

Christopher Coleman is one of the most despicable murderers in recent memory.  This is a man who strangled his 31 year old wife Sheri, and then strangled his 11 and 9 year old sons as they slept in their bedrooms. What kind of father could do that to his own sons? What kind of monster wipes out his whole family, and does it by ligature strangulation? The kind of man who wants a new life with his wife's old high school friend - that's the kind of coward Christopher Coleman is. These two boys were absolutely gorgeous, and wife Sheri was a beautiful woman - inside and out. Coleman thought he was smarter than law enforcement, he plotted for several months - sending himself threatening letters via e-mail, and once the threats were reported to police he went about the business of eliminating his entire family. Coleman reportedly left his home around 6:00AM to go to the gym. When he couldn't reach wife Sheri after several attempts, he called a neighbor to go check on his family. The neighbor happened to be a member of law enforcement, and when he and other officers entered the Coleman home, they were not prepared for what they saw.

The walls inside the home had bizarre messages spray painted on them. They discovered Sheri's body first, followed by Garrett and Gavin. All three were strangled to death in their own beds. One of the boys had a spray painted message on the sheet that covered him. Coleman's grief didn't fool law enforcement. After arriving at home to a sea of police and crime scene tape, he was told his family didn't make it. He never even asked what happened to them or how they died. He was taken to the police station to give a statement, which is when an officer noticed fresh scratch marks on Coleman's arms. Sheri Coleman fought hard for her life. In addition to being strangled, she had two black eyes. The coward then took the life of each of his sons in the same manner.

Staged crime scene - Coleman house

The jury in that case deliberated for 15 hours over 2 days and delivered their guilty verdict on the second anniversary of the murders. Cowardly Coleman deserved the death penalty, but instead he was sentenced to life in prison by a Judge. This was due to the timing, the Governor of Illinois commuted all death sentences given before the state's execution ban kicked in on July 1, 2011 so Coleman escaped the death penalty he so richly deserved. All murders are horrific, but there are some stories that just stick with you and touch you in a way that's hard to describe. I think we all feel that way about what happened to Travis Alexander.  Take a look at the beautiful family Christopher Coleman killed, I feel the same sense of tragedy for them.

Christopher, Sheri, Gavin & Garrett Coleman

How could a man wrap a ligature around the neck of his wife, then repeat the torture in each of his sleeping children's bedrooms? He did this THREE TIMES. Is there even a punishment that equals this kind of depravity? The Coleman trial was full of adultery, sex, lies and religion. Coleman worked as head of security for Joyce Meyers Ministries, and his father was a preacher. There is a special place in hell for people like Christopher Coleman - and for Josh Powell, who also killed his two young sons and himself after allegedly killing his wife Susan. Sadly, her body has never been found.

Sorry, I didn't mean to get so far off track - back to the Arias trial. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a verdict tomorrow. There was a ton of evidence presented during the trial, hundreds of exhibits and hoards of text messages, journal entries etc. - but the jury asked Arias so many questions following her 19 days on the witness stand, I think they have a pretty good idea of what Arias is all about. I'm praying they do. I don't want to think about Jodi Arias out there in the free world ever again. She forfeited that right nearly 5 years ago. Have a great evening and pray for justice!

Arias Jury Begins 1st Full Day of Deliberations

It's Monday, May 6th 2013. Today marks the first full day of jury deliberations in the Jodi Arias murder trial. While it's impossible to guess how long the deliberations will go, or what the outcome will be nonetheless the end of this long journey from arrest to conviction is nearing. There's less than zero chance that Jodi Arias will be acquitted of this brutal and violent crime. Many people were shocked and outraged when Casey Anthony was found not guilty of all of the serious crimes she was charged with, but this is a whole different matter and I whole heartily believe there will be a just outcome. The Casey Anthony verdict was unpopular - the jury deliberated for 10 hours and 40 minutes before she was found not guilty of anything but lying to the police. 

Quite possibly the most outrageous not guilty verdict was that delivered in the OJ Simpson case. Jurors deliberated for less than 4 hours before letting the former football star walk. Jodi Arias is not OJ Simpson. Don't expect her to walk due to popularity or  questionable police work. The police work done in this case was by the book. Arias made a few key mistakes that prevented her from getting away with this crime. Kirk Nurmi tried to capitalize on the IQ test results and turn her mistakes into evidence - suggesting that she was smart enough to not leave so much incriminating evidence behind. The kind of argument that bordered on silly. So Jodi Arias is not an accomplished murderer, but make no mistake she did commit murder.

Had Jodi Arias taken the camera with her and been more careful with the blood evidence (palm print, hair) and had she not told Darryl Brewer she was going to Mesa, she may have very well gotten away with this murder. Despite her attempts to cover her tracks, I find it so ironic that the instrument of her own destruction would be a camera. What happens now? When a verdict is returned, the judge will set a sentencing date, usually within 30 days. 

There have been a surprising number of women who have been convicted of horrible and heinous homicides of their husbands and loved ones. I've named several on other blog posts (Wendi Andriano, Susan Wright, Susan Polk, Nancy Kissel) and there are many more cases out there. Some of these women you'd never expect to get a parking ticket let alone kill somebody. Take Nancy Seaman, a 52 year old elementary school teacher who was arrested and convicted of hacking husband Robert 15 times with a hatchet before stabbing him 21 times. She claimed self defense a la battered women's syndrome. Seaman took steps to wrap and conceal her husbands body in the back of their SUV, clean up the garage where the killing occurred and she went to teach  classes the following day. She was arrested three days later after a relative reported Robert Seaman missing and his body was found wrapped in plastic in the back of the couples SUV at their home.

Lenore Walker, who coined the phrase "battered women's syndrome" was called to testify at Nancy Seaman's trial, even know she had never interviewed Seaman. Her belief that Seaman did suffer abuse at the hands of her husband was based on reports from another psychologist (sound like Geffner?). She was not allowed to tell the jury she believed Seaman was a battered woman because Michigan law precludes the testimony because it's not classified as a mental illness. Under cross examination, Dr. Walker admitted that battered women's syndrome alone, less the self defense component is not a justification for killing.  Nancy Seaman was convicted and is now serving a life sentence.

The jury who heard the trial against the Menendez brothers deliberated for 4 days before finding them guilty of killing their wealthy parents. The Susan Wright jury deliberated for 5 1/2 hours before finding her guilty of 2nd degree murder for stabbing her husband to death. As far as jury deliberations go, it's anyone's guess. The jury sets their deliberation schedule, and this jury will deliberate during normal court hours according to reports from HLN News last Friday. We are now officially on verdict watch. The clock is ticking. Wanna know what Jodi Arias has been up to? Her latest tweets have been to garner support for "other victims of domestic violence" (monetary support!), in another recent tweet she complained that her commissary order didn't arrive. Poor thing! Is that grounds for an appeal or lawsuit against Maricopa County? And the most appalling of all tweets - on 5/3 she tweeted "Just the friendly FYI, I am NOT profiting from my artwork, but it seems like everyone else is".  There were several other tweets announcing new and old art pieces that will be for sale on her website, which is run by a friend out here in the free world.
Yeah, she's not profiting - who is?

Verdict Watch - The Jodi Arias Murder Trial

Closing arguments concluded yesterday in the 5 month murder trial of Jodi Ann Arias. The attorneys on both sides can do nothing else at this point but wait...with the rest of the country and the world that has been following this tragic story and the sensational trial that followed.  The court room was packed for closing arguments, yet other than an awkward moment where somebody in the gallery's cellphone rang - you could hear a pin drop as the closing arguments were delivered.

Murder defendant Jodi Arias appeared a little different yesterday, as her attorney Kirk Nurmi delivered his closing arguments to the jury. Her hair was slightly different and she appeared to have a little makeup on. Both Arias and Willmott removed their glasses for much of Nurmi's summation. The Alexander and Arias families were both present, and well known legal pundits such as Jane Valez Mitchell, Jean Casarez and Nancy Grace were seen in the gallery.  These were emotional moments, the finality of it all seemed to sink in as Travis' sisters were visible shaken and crying.

The alternate jurors were then chosen at random by a court staffer near the Judge's seat. Jurors #10, #15 and #17 were drawn as the alternates. They will be returning on Monday when the deliberating jurors continue, but they will be segregated in a separate room and watched by the bailiffs sworn in after the proceedings to guard the integrity of the jury deliberations. 

It's hard to gauge what Jodi Arias was thinking when it was over. It had to be tough to hear Juan Martinez describe why he believes she should be found guilty of first degree premeditated murder AND first degree felony murder. It fits. Kirk Nurmi, on the other hand - in his final statement told the jury "if Jodi Arias is guilty of anything - it's manslaughter, by heat of the moment passion". I've never seen a trial where self defense is argued throughout, yet in closing the defense attorney is allowed to push for heat of the moment manslaughter: the "she snapped" defense. This would have sat better with me if that's what the claimed all along, but Arias was going for broke - a justifiable homicide. That may be her ultimate undoing.

So how long can we expect the jury to deliberate Arias' fate? There's no way to tell. But I did some research on the last woman to face Juan Martinez in a death penalty case. The trial against Wendi Andriano lasted four months, yet it took them only 15 minutes to decide she was guilty of first degree murder. Like Jodi Arias, Wendi Andriano took the stand and testified for 9 days. Jurors who were later interviewed said they just didn't believe her testimony.

Deciding life or death took much longer. The Andriano case was similar to this case in that Andriano claimed self-defense, but the evidence that her terminally ill husband would have lacked the strength to harm her - coupled with a suspicious life insurance policy and previous poisoning attempts were too much for Andriano to overcome. After the guilt phase of that trial, the jury heard a week of testimony on the aggravating factors and why Andriano should be executed. It took them four hours to decide that the killing was especially cruel and eligible for the death penalty. They heard six days around the mitigating factors, and why her life should be spared. It took them four days to come back with their decision. As you know, Andriano sits on Arizona's death row.

Since Arizona juries have the benefit of being allowed to ask questions throughout the trial, their deliberations may go faster than if they were not allowed to. This may eliminate some of the back and forth questions to the Judge that is seen during deliberations. What do you think? The State has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that first degree murder is the only charge that fits - did Juan Martinez meet that burden? I think he did. If you don't believe she planned to kill him when she got in that rental car and drove to Mesa, under the law she had time to reflect in between the mortal wounds she inflicted on Travis Alexander. I don't see any other verdict being suitable for this. I wonder how close the sentencing phase will end up being to the 5-year anniversary of the tragic murder. I know this isn't an anniversary in the sense of the celebratory kind. 

So now the verdict watch begins. Juries can be unpredictable, but let's pray they get this one right!