Tag Archives: killing

Jodi Arias tried the ” I don’t remember” defense and now it looks like it will lead her to the grave. Jury Finds Jodi Arias Eligible For Death Penalty According to The NY Daily News Jurors in Jodi Arias’ trial on Wednesday found the former waitress should be eligible for the death penalty after they convicted her last week of murdering her one-time boyfriend. The decision came after a day of testimony in the “aggravation” phase of the trial, during which prosecutor Juan Martinez hoped to prove the June 2008 killing was committed in an especially cruel and heinous manner. Family members of victim Travis Alexander sobbed in the front row as Martinez took the jury through the killing one more time. He described how blood gushed from Alexander’s chest, hands and throat as the motivational speaker and businessman stood at the sink in his master bathroom and looked into the mirror with Arias behind him. “The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness … was that blade coming to his throat,” Martinez said. “And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain.” The trial now moves into the final phase, in which prosecutors will call Alexander’s family and other witnesses in an effort to convince the panel Arias should face the ultimate punishment. Arias’ attorneys also will call witnesses, likely members of her family, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors so they give her life in prison. The aggravation phase played out in quick fashion, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense. The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias’ hands on June 4, 2008. The defense didn’t have much of a case given how many times Alexander was stabbed, the defensive wounds on his hands, the length of the attack, and the sheer amount of blood found at the scene. Defense lawyers said Alexander would have had so much adrenaline rushing through his body that he might not have felt much pain. The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy and explained to jurors how Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body. It’s up to the jury to recommend a sentence. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy testified Wednesday that Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body. Prosecutors said Arias planned the killing in a jealous rage, as Alexander wanted to end their affair and planned to take a trip to Mexico with another woman. Testimony in Arias’ trial began in early January. The jury reached its verdict after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days. All 12 jurors — eight men and four women — unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated. If she gets life she will have to live with her crime everyday until her death. If she gets the death penalty it will be an easy way out. What do you think?

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For Discussion: Jury Finds Jodi Arias Eligible For The Death Penalty…Would Life Be A Harsher Punishment?