Jodi Arias -- Trial for the murder of Travis Alexander #1

Thanks to all for the updates.

Just read that no court/trial until next Tuesday.

Weeziethm wrote:Thanks to all for the updates.

Just read that no court/trial until next Tuesday.

Thank you for the information.

In Session @InSession
Court is dark today in the #JodiArias murder trial. @insession will have this weeks testimony on Monday. And we'll be ready go live on Tue!
about 4 hours ago

In Session‏ @InSession
At 9:15 a.m. ET, Prosecutor Juan Martinez will give his opening statement in the #JodiArias trial - Jan 7

In Session ‏@InSession
Tune in now to see the opening statements in the #JodiArias murder trial. - Jan 7

In Session ‏@InSession
Author #ShannaHogan joins us next to talk about the #JodiArias trial. She's covered the story since 2009 and is writing a book about it. - Jan 7

In Session ‏@InSession
#JodiArias is not in session tomorrow, so we’ll spend Mon getting you all caught up on last week’s testimony and be ready to go live on Tue! - Jan 6

https://twitter.com/InSession

Arias' defense strategy: Blame the victim?

By Alice Feigel
updated 4:07 PM EST, Mon January 07, 2013

•Jodi Arias is accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend in the face, stabbing him two dozen times & slitting his throat
•Arias says she killed Travis Alexander in self-defense



http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/07/arias-defense-strategy

In Session playing catch up for viewers this a.m. Live testimony @ 12:30 p.m. ET. After viewing yesterday, I have a question. During Marie Hall's testimony she stated when entering the home, she smelled an odor. She and friends didn't know what the smell was. There was a roommate who got Travis's bedroom key. My question is didn't this roommate smell the decomposing body of Travis ? Jodi talks nonstop on the first police interview. She sounds like casey, overexplaining everything !

Nancy Grace And Dan Abrams Spar: ‘The Death Penalty Is Funny To You, But It’s Not Funny To Me’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG662BWGHM0

Nanshin, I had the very same thought. You would think the roommate would smell that. It is an awful odor. Also maybe I misunderstood, but didn't they mention that a radio or TV was blaring. Shouldn't the roommate have been a little curious that it never went off? Especially since he thought Travis was out of town.

tesstruhart wrote:Nanshin, I had the very same thought. You would think the roommate would smell that. It is an awful odor. Also maybe I misunderstood, but didn't they mention that a radio or TV was blaring. Shouldn't the roommate have been a little curious that it never went off? Especially since he thought Travis was out of town.

It was the music in the roommate's bedroom that was blaring. When Travis' friends entered the house through the garage, they saw his car in there, so, they went upstairs and knocked on the roommate's bedroom door (that's where the music was coming from), they asked him (Billings) for Travis, he told them; "I think he is out of town"...

"Travis was scheduled to depart the following morning for a cruise to Cancun, but the girl who was supposed to accompany him had been trying desperately to reach him for more than a week to no avail. After explaining their cause for concern, Billings retrieved a key and unlocked Travis’ bedroom door.

As the double doors were cast open, a foul order pervaded the air. Later, it would seem strange that no one had noticed the smell earlier."

Thank you Alessandra, I've been trying to follow this, but life has gotten in the way lately. At least it wasn't the noise from Travis' room. The smell is a puzzle to me. It really is a foul odor. I am watching IS now and its interesting to me how everyone at one time or another will bring up the CA case and the ultimate verdict in that one.

Jodi Arias Trial Live Stream:

http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/national/Jodi-Arias-trial-live-video

Jodi Arias trial: 82 evidence photos

By HLNtv.com Staff
updated 3:55 PM EST, Fri January 04, 2013.

http://www.hlntv.com/slideshow/2013/01/03/jodi-arias-evidence-photos-nancy-grace-mysteries-day-4

Brief update. Court got started one hour late. A reporter tweet I saw said that JA was meeting with the judge. Testimony resumed with the CSI, many photos detailing HUGE blood stains, pooling, clots, smears on wall as if he was stumbling down the hall way and just collapses (MOO). The amount of blood is astounding.

JA appears to be upset but not sure what is going on in her mind. Manages to conjur up some emotion right when the jury is excused for lunch break.

Total time this morning: 30 minutes.

Jodi Arias: Who Is the Admitted Arizona Killer?

By RYAN OWENS
Jan. 8, 2013

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-admitted-arizona-killer/story?id=18159181

Jodi Arias Jury Views Photos of Deep Gashes on Ex-Boyfriend

By COLLEEN CURRY and SHANA DRUCKERMAN
Jan. 8, 2013

Jodi Arias stabbed and slashed ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander with such force that a wound to his head chipped away bone from his skull and his throat was cut so deeply that the knife almost reached his spinal cord, the Maricopa County medical examiner testified today.

The graphic testimony about Alexander's injuries came on the third day of Arias' murder trial in Phoenix, Ariz. Arias cried throughout the testimony and looked away from photos of Alexander's decomposing body taken by Medical Examiner Kevin Horn.

Alexander's sisters, who looked away from the gruesome photographs for much of the testimony, eventually abandoned their courtroom seats and left crying.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-jury-sees-bloody-handprint-wall/story?id=18160526

___________


Jodi Arias Trial Day 3 (Full) .



https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1tZKYBlfkxI

Doctor: Wounded Alexander fought back

By Graham Winch
updated 6:18 PM EST, Tue January 08, 2013

•Jodi Arias is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend in Arizona
•On Tuesday, a doctor testified that Travis Alexander had defensive wounds


Dr. Horn testified that it was likely that Alexander’s first life-threatening injury was to his heart. The “sharp-edged object” pierced his chest cavity, the tissue surrounding his heart and a major vessel of the heart, said Dr. Horn.


Read more:

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/01/08/doctor-wounded-alexander-may-have-fought

Those photos were horrific. Evident beyond a doubt that a fierce battle had occurred between perp and victim. 9 stab wounds to the upper back/neck area and to the head which was so forceful it caused a divet into his SKULL. Prosecutors highlighted this because "self defense" is hard to understand if someone is stabbed in the back.

ME said the gun shot and slit throat would have caused immediate incapacity, and quick death. Heart injury slowed him down and he could still have fought back (defense wounds to hands/arms) afterwards.

The most savage wound - slit throat - was brutal in that *she* cut his windpipe and jugular (?) vein all the way back to his spinal cord. Ear to Ear.

This was white, hot rage... an assassination. IMO.

I'm interested in how the defense will counter this autopsy report to try and prove self defense....

HLN

A defense lawyer is questioning the pictures of the crime that were taken at the same time that Jodi Arias was stabbing Travis Alexander.

"The question is how where the pictures taken"....."the moment of the killing capture in a camera"...

Something to ponder about.

Alessandra_Deux wrote:HLN

A defense lawyer is questioning the pictures of the crime that were taken at the same time that Jodi Arias was stabbing Travis Alexander.

"The question is how where the pictures taken"....."the moment of the killing capture in a camera"...

Something to ponder about.

I've read opinions that perhaps she had camera hung with a strap around her neck and programmed to auto-snap or went off accidentally....supposition, but maybe? I've also read opinions that wonder if she then used the strap under his arms to drag him back from the bedroom to shower on a sheet/rug/robe.

http://www.azcentral.com/live/?event=jodi-arias-trial-010813

Weeziethm wrote:

Alessandra_Deux wrote:HLN

A defense lawyer is questioning the pictures of the crime that were taken at the same time that Jodi Arias was stabbing Travis Alexander.

"The question is how where the pictures taken"....."the moment of the killing capture in a camera"...

Something to ponder about.

I've read opinions that perhaps she had camera hung with a strap around her neck and programmed to auto-snap or went off accidentally....supposition, but maybe? I've also read opinions that wonder if she then used the strap under his arms to drag him back from the bedroom to shower on a sheet/rug/robe.

Beth Karas said that Jodi took 22 pictures of Travis in the shower when he was still alive, but there is an "upside down picture" that is directly pointing to the ceiling, it was supposedly the moment when she dropped Travis' camera, he become enraged and began to physically attack her. Of course, that is the defense theory.

The medical examiner said there were bruises on Travis' legs that were consistent with someone (Jodi) grabbing his legs and dragging his body.

If the camera was hanging from the strap around her neck while she was dragging his body, the pictures would have been blurry because of the movement of the camera during shooting.

I don't know what type of camera he had or what settings or functions he was using.

"Blurring caused by subject motion can be reduced by raising the ISO setting in order to accelerate the shutter speed. The newest compact digital cameras can detect the part of the scene that is moving and set a faster shutter speed. It is therefore possible to take photos with minimal blur and not be concerned about the speed of moving subjects.

Blurring can be minimized by raising the ISO, which in turn boosts shutter speed.

Setting the ISO higher to accelerate shutter speed can produce a sharper photo in the case of camera shake as well."

In Session @InSession
The state introduces messages between #JodiArias and Ryan Burns.
4 minutes ago

In Session @InSession
Burns characterized #JodiArias as strong and she had "six pack" abs.
11 minutes ago

https://twitter.com/InSession

I wonder why all the questions to this other boyfriend other than developing a timeline and her strength. The questions about their make-out sessions and what they did seem a little gratuitous. Maybe I am just not thinking in the right vein.

Several things stand out.

1) If it was self defence why did she not call 911 immediately?

2) Why did she feel the need to wash off the body after the murder?

3) Why so many wounds?

4) In self defence i would expect only a couple of stab wounds or a couple of shots. the intent is to disable them so you can escape.

5) Why the differing injuries?

6) When there are multiple stab wounds it tells me the killer was in a rage, it speaks of jealousy, rage, hatred. The location can also indicate a possible motive such as the face, the heart, the groin.
The face i would see as trying to erase who they are, their identity.
The groin is often the target when the motive is sexual such as retribution for sexual abuse. Remove the offending item and they won't do it again (very popular in east asian countries such as indonesia)
In male to female it is a way to obliterate their sex, their gender, their womanhood.
In such cases i would feel the perp hates women and attacking their genitalia, the cenrte of their womanhood he is expressing his rage and hatred, destroy it (the cradle of life) and you destroy the woman.
Her shooting him in the face is a way of erasing who he is.
7) The slitting of his throat in no way can be describe as self defence, an accident.
Accidents cause small injuries to one part of the throat usually the side as they slash, the victim would be moving and would move their head and neck away from the weapon.
For the throat to be cut from ear to ear and deeply enough to cut the jugular the trachea would to m indicate the killer likely stood behind the victim, pulled the head back exposing the trachea and stretching and exposing the veins on either side and the slicing deep and hard, the resultant injury being deep and fatal within seconds due to the sheer tension placed on the neck and throat (i wonder if she managed to nick the spine ?)
I also wonder which way the cut went as it could be affected by which hand she used.
it could also show where she was in relation to her slicing his throat gehind him or in front of him.

8)The disappearing from the scene of crime.

9) The changing story from i wasn't there, to i was there but two people i couldn't identify in a line up (true since there were no two people) killed him to i did it but it was self defence.

10) Her being dumb enough to photograph him before during and after the murder even accidentally in some cases and not removing the memory card.

11) Her complete lack of remorse.

I wonder why she took the pictures, was it perhaps blackmail given he was a devout morman?
Was it a souvenir, lookie me i am so strong, if i can't have him no one can and this is what i will do if you mess with me.

She is perhaps another casey anthony, a narcisstic psycopath.
I wonder what people will say about her such as family, friends and previous lovers, this won't have been her first case of jealous behavior, she would have exhibited signs before along the lines of rushing in to a relationship too fast, stalking or harrassing, anger issues.

She needs to get death as wherever she is no one will be safe whilst she lives.
Woe betide any cell mate she decides she wants.

I personally think that this woman is guilty as the day is long. If I am just driving to someone's house for a tryst, I am not bringing a gun and knife. The extent of the injuries is mind-boggling if this was self-defense. I would think one would be just very shook up and call 911 for help. Driving to Ryan Burns' house and flirting with him and demonstrating no problems or distress is problematic to say the least. This is another sociopathic, pathologic liar. Casey has given lessons to many over the years.

tesstruhart wrote:I wonder why all the questions to this other boyfriend other than developing a timeline and her strength. The questions about their make-out sessions and what they did seem a little gratuitous. Maybe I am just not thinking in the right vein.

I think his testimony is relevant because, according to the prosecution, Jodi was trying to use him as an alibi.

Burns said that Jodi was going to drive from California to Utah to visit him, she was supposed to arrive June 4th (2008) but instead, she arrived on the 5th, the reason for the one day delay was that she went first to Travis' house in Mesa, Arizona.

She talked to Burns on the evening of June 3rd and told him that on her way to Utah, she was going to visit some relatives in Southern California. Apparently she was "covering all the bases". That's why the prosecution has claimed that Travis' death was premeditated.

Hi Alessandra, thanks for the input. I realize they were establishing timelines and attitudes and 'strength' issues. I was just wondering about the specific questions about the 'sex' in their relationship (Ryan and Jodi) just seemed like it was too much questioning about minute details. I am sure there are good reasons, I am just out of practice thinking this way.

tesstruhart wrote:Hi Alessandra, thanks for the input. I realize they were establishing timelines and attitudes and 'strength' issues. I was just wondering about the specific questions about the 'sex' in their relationship (Ryan and Jodi) just seemed like it was too much questioning about minute details. I am sure there are good reasons, I am just out of practice thinking this way.

Going to the character of the victim?
They attempted to get him trapped in saying negative stuff about TA but, IMO, it fell apart on the hearsay. What did emerge was the moral values or lack of them especially when JA put the make on the witness and he did NOT reciprocate.

She has spun lies re the camera.
Said he had taken pics of himself in the bathroom mirror.
I have to wonder if those are the very last pics, according to the time/date stamp, that she is referring to?

No way was he alive a few seconds later to take the pics of the murder scene.

Jodi Arias Kissed New Beau Day After Stabbing, Shooting Boyfriend



By COLLEEN CURRY
Jan. 9, 2013

Jodi Arias drove to the home of her new romantic interest, kissed him, and laughed with his friends just 24 hours after she stabbed and shot her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander to death, according to court testimony today.

Ryan Burns, whom Arias met in the spring of 2008, took the stand today at the start of the fourth day of testimony in the trial.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-laughed-kiss-beau-24-hours-killing/story?id=18170933

Former lover: Arias was ‘calm’ hours after murder

By HLNtv.com Staff
updated 8:30 PM EST, Wed January 09, 2013

•Jodi Arias is accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend in the face, stabbing him 29 times and slitting his throat from ear to ear
•Ryan Burns, Jodi Arias' former lover, testified in court today
•Burns says Arias was calm in the hours after Travis was killed



More videos at link:

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/09/jodi-arias-murder-trial-former-lover-ryan-burns-testified-speaks-nancy-grace

Jodi Arias trial: Savage killing, sex at heart of trial over Mesa murder

Posted: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 10:49 am | Updated: 8:30 am, Wed Jan 9, 2013.

Associated Press

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/cop_shop/article_f43e71ce-59ae-11e2-af31-0019bb2963f4.html#user-comment-area

ABC NEWS VIDEO

Jodi Arias Trial: Jurors See Photos of Bloody Handprint

Prosecutors detail crime scene photos that they say
prove defendant killed her boyfriend.

02:41 | 01/09/2013

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/jodi-arias-trial-bloody-handprint-shown-jurors-prosecutors-18168321

The interactions I had with Travis changed me

By Richard Dool
updated 7:52 PM EST, Wed January 09, 2013

•Jodi Arias is charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander
•Jodi and Travis only dated for five months but kept having a secret sexual relationship



http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/09/interactions-i-had-travis-changed-me?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Sex and secrets in the Jodi Arias trial

By Richard Dool
updated 7:28 PM EST, Wed January 09, 2013

•Prosecution says photos on camera found at crime scene show Jodi committing murder
•Jodi Arias is charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander



Simone Bienne, a psychosexual and relationship therapist analyzes the Jodi Arias trial and calls it a “Real life Fatal Attraction”. Bienne points to sex addictive and extreme love addictive behaviors and even borderline personality traits with a fear of abandonment and a murderous rage.

Bienne goes on to say if Jodi Arias felt violated by Travis and had gone through some trauma in the past did she harm his body as a way to get him back?

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/09/jvm-arias?clusterId=1411#videoplayer

IN SESSION

Does photo show the killing in progress?

By Alice Feigel
updated 4:39 PM EST, Wed January 09, 2013

•Travis Alexander's head and bloody arm can be seen in photo
•Jodi Arias is on trial for killing Alexander



On Tuesday, a photo that is believed to have been accidentally taken of Travis Alexander's wounded body was shown to the jury in the Jodi Arias murder trial. The photo might have been taken at the time of Alexander's death.

Alexander appears to be lying on his stomach, and his head and bloody arm are visible.

Watch video to see In Session correspondent Beth Karas explain the graphic photo.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/09/arias-picture-session

_____________________________________________________________

Jodi Arias Caught Lying to Cops in Recorded Phone Calls

By COLLEEN CURRY
Jan. 9, 2013

Jodi Arias blatantly lied to police who asked her about Travis Alexander's death, telling them in recorded phone calls that she kept trying to call and message Alexander the week of his death but never heard back from him.

The phone calls were played as evidence during the fourth day of Arias' trial, in which she is charged with murder and could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Alexander in a "depraved and heinous" way. Arias has admitted to killing her former boyfriend, but claims it was self-defense.

During the phone conversations played in court, Arias can be heard telling Mesa, Ariz., detective Esteban Flores that she last talked to Alexander on Tuesday night, June 3, 2008, around 10 p.m. She had been in Los Angeles, about to leave to go to Utah to visit a new love interest, she said.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-laughed-kiss-beau-24-hours-killing/story?id=18170933

Jodi Arias Conflicting Images of Devout Mormon or Jealous Killer

By COLLEEN CURRY
Jan. 10, 2013

(VIDEO)

Jodi Arias is depicted by prosecutors as a woman who seduced Travis Alexander, a Mormon, had wild sex with him, stalked him and later killed him in a jealous rage.

Testimony by a second boyfriend and Arias' lawyer draw a picture of a devout Mormon woman who read scripture, was timid about sex and inspired her new boyfriend to renew his own Mormon faith.

Conflicting versions of Arias -- sexually aggressive and a cold hearted killer or a devout Mormon abused by Alexander -- are at the heart of her murder trial.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-conflicting-images-devout-mormon-jealous-killer/story?id=18173913

Color commentary from this morning's testimony. In a search warrant conducted on Jodi's bedroom in her grandparents home, a box was found full of receipts. The prosecutor led us through approx 23 receipts dated from June 2 through June 6, 2008. Travis was murdered on June 4.
Interesting observations include the fact that she drove 90 miles from her hometown to rent a car from Budget when there were already 2 other rental agencies in Yreka. Eye witness at rental agency said she had a man with her when renting the car on June 2. He also said she was a blonde on June 2. Same credit card used at multiple gas stations, fast food, CVS, Walmart in the states of California, Utah and Nevada....No credit cards were used in Arizona during this 4 days. She drove 2,834 miles total. She made 3 cash deposits to 2 different bank accounts on June 3 for a total of $800. The 3 deposits were made within 14 minutes of each other.

Blood spatter expert in the middle of testifying right before lunch break. Main focus was master bathroom. Identified many spatters below 12" on wall, toilet of bathroom. Indicates from more than one strike to a blood source. Large pool of blood indicates to her that the blood source was in one spot for a length of time.
Lunch break until 12:30 Arizona time.

Live stream can be viewed at www.azfamily.com

Alessandra_Deux wrote:

http://www.azcentral.com/live/?event=jodi-arias-trial-010813

Bumping this.

Hearing is currently taking place.
Defense is asking for mistrial or dismissal of charges based upon lead detectives statements today.

http://www.azfamily.com/home/Watch-LIVE-Jodi-Arias-murder-trial-185415702.html

I am babysitting so can't watch this, is this just a normal request for dismissal or mistrial or is there a case for it?

tesstruhart wrote:I am babysitting so can't watch this, is this just a normal request for dismissal or mistrial or is there a case for it?

Dunno. IMO it is routine. Detective's statements didn't jive with what the ME stated as to order of injuries.Detective stated he had spoken directly with the ME and he repeated what he believed the ME had stated ME refuted the statements and stated a different order re the injuries AT had received.Defense really worked the detective over often asking loaded questions, ie, two questions in one coupled with "in your opinion".

Detective did to want to discredit the ME so he took the insults of the cross exam.
He is a 19 y member of the dept.

Alessandra_Deux wrote:IN SESSION

Does photo show the killing in progress?
_____________________________________________________________

In this pic I can make out Travis head, shoulder, and arm but nothing else. It was mentioned in court that the pic was shown upside down so I rotated it and this is what I see:

tesstruhart wrote:I am babysitting so can't watch this, is this just a normal request for dismissal or mistrial or is there a case for it?

This is from a hearing on 8-10-09 concerning defendant’s Request for Determination of Probable Cause on Alleged Aggravating Factor. The Court found there was probable cause based on Cruelty which opened the door for the death penalty to be sought. In the evidentiary hearing the State argument was:

"Cruelty
A first degree murder is “especially cruel” if the victim suffers physical pain or mental anguish and the defendant knew or should have known that the victim would suffer. State v. McCray, 218 Ariz. 252, 259, ¶31, 183 P.3d 503, 510 (2008). To establish this aggravating factor, the State does not need to prove that the victim was conscious for “each and every wound
inflicted.” State v. Sansing, 206 Ariz. 232, 235, ¶10, 77 P.3d 30, 34 (2003). Physical pain may be found where a conscious victim physically suffered for at least a short period of time. State v. William Herrera, Jr., 176 Ariz. 21, 859 P.2d 131 (1993) (finding victim was lying on the ground with a gash in his head for at least 18 seconds and possibly as much as two to three minutes).

The State presented evidence that the victim was first shot on the right side of his head near his eye with a .25 caliber handgun and that the bullet lodged in his left cheek. This wound was not fatal and may or may not have rendered the victim unconscious. The victim did not remain unconscious based on the infliction of the other wounds and the location of blood spatter evidence in the bathroom sink and blood in the hallway. In addition, the defendant told the police that the victim was unconscious after being shot but then crawled around and was stabbed.

The victim was then stabbed 27 times in the back, shoulders, head and chest. Cuts on the hands were defensive wounds from grabbing the knife. With the exception of two wounds, these wounds were not fatal. The two fatal wounds were a deep stab wound to the chest and then a cut
across the throat. While conscious, the victim would have felt pain and mental anguish associated with these multiple wounds.

The Court finds that the State has proved that there is probable cause to believe that the offense was especially cruel under the theory that it involved both physical and mental suffering of the victim."

The full minutes can be read here: http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/082009/m3846408.pdf

Defense asks for mistrial in Arias case

By Richard Dool
updated 7:27 PM EST, Thu January 10, 2013

•Jodi's defense team argued the lead detective gave inaccurate information at a hearing in 2009
•Defense argued for a mistrial based on Det. Flores admission he made a mistake in previous testimony



http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/01/10/alexanders-friend-he-kept-arias-secret?clusterId=1303#videoplayer

I was trying to find the ME' report for the autopsy when I stumbled on this site and info. It includes JA' accounting of the "2 strangers attacked us."
Clipped, bolded by me:

" "His body was washed off… in the shower. And we believe, at that time, that's when the palm print was left on the wall. It's obvious that the print was left with somebody having blood on their hands. And it's not just his blood, it's a combination of her blood as well." "In many situations where a knife is used, somebody has blood on their hands… And, it's not uncommon for somebody to cut themselves as well,' says Flores."

http://mockforums.net/thread-7085.html