As we all sit around waiting for Wednesday to roll around again and the main part of the Jodi Arias trial to finally come to a rest, it’s interesting to wonder what the jury is going through. Should they come back with a first degree conviction, their work is really just beginning. In 2005, Juan Martinez successfully prosecuted the case of Wendi Andriano and she was ultimately sentenced to death. In a very relevant and interesting article, Jim Walsh of The Arizona Republic interviewed several members of the jury in 2005 in order to understand the thought process behind their decisions. The article also walks us through the process of deliberations after the aggravating factors part of the case to see if Jodi meets the death penalty requirements. And, what happens if that burden is met in the defense’s presentation of the mitigating factors they hope will sway the jury to save her life. It’s a lengthy but fascinating read that you can find here:
Deciding Life, Death Takes Toll on Jurors
Jim Walsh The Arizona Republic Jan. 24, 2005 12:00 AM
One juror felt his knees shaking as he sat down to decide if an Ahwatukee Foothills woman should live or die.
Another says she spent the evening before the death penalty deliberations eating saltines and vomiting.
A third says she flashes back to the case, which featured a murder inside an apartment, every time she drives past an apartment complex.
Such is the emotional cost of Arizona’s 2 1/2-year-old death penalty law under which ordinary people – jurors, not judges – make the toughest decision in the law, life or death, a choice no one would voluntarily make.
Since Arizona revamped its law because of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juries must determine mitigating factors in death penalty cases, Maricopa County juries are voting for death far more often than their peers in four other states affected by the ruling. They are also dishing out death sentences more often than judges did in the past.
Including the jury in the Ahwatukee case, the trial of Wendi Andriano, Valley juries have voted the death penalty for 14 of 18 defendants since Aug. 1, 2002.
That 78 percent rate contrasts sharply with the sentences of Maricopa County Superior Court judges, who imposed death in 15 percent of cases from 1995 to 1999, according to 2002 report by the state Capital Case Commission.
Go read the article and then come back and share your thoughts here. There is a lot of saber rattling here in comments. We’ve worked up a full on steam of hate for Jodi Arias. But just how hard would it be to be the among the ones who decide if she lives or dies? Could you vote to take her life? Do you think the death penalty is a harsher punishment than life without parole? What did you think of the jury considering the possibility that if the jury did not vote for death, that the judge may give the minimum sentence of 25 years?
that was an interesting read. I think the jodi jurors will act in a similar way a quick guilty verdict(i think they are full of her bs) then will come the hard part. I think they will see the premeditation and cruel circumstances for death and see her only regret is she got caught. I think they will find for death due to the injuries she made to Travis before AND after she killed him. She gave no real evidence that she had to defend herself. i dont think the jury buys the fog and almost feel cheated by having to spend so much time for so little information. Like having dr gefford? Testify if he doesnt have a credible report that will show their side was all a delay and smokescreen
First, Thanks TT for this site. There are such an interesting group of humanity represented here and while most of us are no JA fans there is a lot of intelligence, passion and thought that goes on in most of the posts. That said I despise JA. She is endemic of a group of sociopathic scum that are broken but… they then use a combination of guile, cunning and (most horrifying) the good will of others to seek and destroy. Then they pretend cry (I wish I could have been in court and pulled that she-devils hands away from her face when MY JUAN AND ONLY was crossing her) and claim that (pick one) dad looked at her tits, she was abused, hooded Ninja’s attacked and blahblahblah. Then somehow the LaVa Lamps and DICK S’s of the world see only their vain-glorious visions instead of this specimen of original evil and embrace Franken-Ho as a victim, a victim that they understand and hell, we should TOO! Of course what this does is make regular folk look askance at real Abused women, PTSD sufferers or any of a number of legitimate victims.
I despise her. Unfortunately, whether she gets Murder 1 and or a death penalty or Life she will still be around for years screwing up more and more lives (see the Renfield-like Zombie Crew that lurk in the courtroom) That and she reminds of Casey Anthony. Anyhoo, sorry to rant on but TT your site makes me feel like I am sitting with my family around a table. Thanks so much.
Thank you Adam. I was against the death penalty until Jodi came into the picture. I initially felt she should be spared and given life without parole. Until, I started following the trial and listening/watching all of her interviews etc. She is arrogant, and literally said that “she won’t be found guilty”. That statement alone is enough to sentence her to death. She’s tried everything to get sympathy. She chose here fate, by attempting to make everyone think they are stupid and she is the smart one.
If she had admitted what she did in its entirety, and not tried to be such and Einstein I would say -let her live.
Nice post.
Adam, the other night I sat & re-read the interrogation transcript – beginning to end, one sitting. No telly blaring, no hosts & pundits, no hype, no super-cut visuals with fancy reverberating sound for emphasis… Just Jodi with Flores. On the page.
It’s a remarkable document. Delivers one of the most disturbing (& compelling) portrayals of the female BPD/psychopath mix that I’ve ever read. The level of deception, fabrication, manipulation, seduction – all up & running at once – plus, the endless digressions & tangents full of INSANE extraneous detail, plus the utter lack of conscience, plus her laser sharp pursuit of her goal to deceive… it’s absolutely mind-blowing in print (& silence.) Just as you say, the guile, cunning & exploited good will… so reviling, but also, so transparent.
Then, there’s Jodi’s whole game in the courtroom… (also vile, also transparent.)
And, then, the crime scene & autopsy photos of Travis…
…which Jodi, scrunched up like a little kid in her jammies, asked Flores (her new daddy, her new mark) if she could please see – out of “morbid curiosity” (vile, transparent.)
And that’s all I need.
I’m terrible. You see, this is why there’s due process. Because people like me completely trust their visceral impressions. I detest her, too. In fact, I shock myself with how much I detest her. I can’t imagine that she’d be granted the privilege of a life sentence, so that she can indulge herself, without distraction, in her compulsions. Because she will. For an eternity, there’ll she’ll be, manipulating her prison peers, the system, the public… more heinous, tormenting the Travis Family. With laser sharp focus & not a shred of conscience.
TT can you let Jane post a link to the interrogation transcript? I would like to read it as well. Excellent blog!!
Pur, websleuths. Try to follow it – too insane. Found i could almost hear her better, when I wasn’t distracted by her physical antics (which, are, nevertheless, “a treat” in and of themselves.)
(Hope this didn’t break Tamara’s ground rules – I’ve seen websleuths referred to before by seasoned tt commentors?)
What the hell is the “lavalamp?” You lost me there.
“[Word play] is the art of harmonious jingling upon words which, passing in at the ears, excites a titillary motion in those parts; and this, being conveyed by animal spirits into the muscles of the face, raises the cockles of the heart.”
– Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist
Thank you, Jane and Mr. Swift.
I don’t hate Jodi Arias. I think what she did was planned, for no other reason than she was mad that Travis used her. He treated her like what she was, and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it. What she should have done was make good on her threat to tell everyone about their sex life, because Travis deserved to be called out for that. He did not deserve to die. She might be sick, but she was too vain to use it as a defense. Instead, she throws dirt on Travis, by calling him an abuser and a pedophile. She hasn’t had one moment of remorse over it, as all her energy has been devoted to getting away with it.
And still, I don’t think I could vote for her death. She is in for an eternity of suffering IMO, and needs a LOT of time to repent! I always say I believe in the death penalty, but I really don’t think I could cast the vote….very interesting article TT-thanks for posting it.
Very interesting read..
“Others cited a videotape recording of the police interview with Andriano, only a few hours after the murder, as among the most incriminating evidence. The tape showed a relaxed Andriano talking to a Phoenix police detective, casually holding her knees against her chest.
“I can’t imagine being so calm and collected and having no emotions,” Percy said. “She never cried, she never asked about her kids, she seemed flirtatious.”
That part reminded me of someone …
Great citations, Tori, from my perspective. So, applicable. The interrogation transcript, in the Arias case, was pivotal for me. I recently re-read it & found I’d forgotten some of the most disturbing, revealing, incriminating details. Then, consider the behavior, as revealed by the video… !!
Perfect discussion prompt from tt. A thought-provoking, timely read.
I worked in prison for two years as a security guard. There were many in there with life sentences with no parole. My experience of that showed me how people adapt to their fate and environment, and how they make the most of a bad situation. I don’t see a prison sentence for Jodi as justice for the crime she committed against Travis. Three meals a day, visitors, phone calls, tv, games, classes, free medical, dental, etc It is a community with all the players (if it was a chain gang I might feel different). Some told me they had it better in prison then on the outside so they continued to commit crimes so they could live off the state in a safe place. Safer then on the streets for them. Jodi would be an idol to some of her peers as she already is in jail. Could I stick the needle in her arm? I’m not sure about that, but I could vote for the death penalty knowing that if by chance she was given only 25 years she would most likely get out and kill again. I’m sure that was part of what the other jury thought about in the article you posted. I can’t imagine how Travis’s siblings have managed to keep it together as well as they have while sitting in that court room. My heart just hurts for them and I pray the jurors are able to give them and Travis some justice and some closure. .
Great post. I fear that if Jodi ends up with life without parole, we’ll be seeing more interviews on 48 Hours and other ridiculousness. In 20 years, she’ll be her generation’s Betty Broderick.
Thanks. Old Betty! I haven’t thought about her in a while. You’re right, if Jodi gets life we will for years to come be hearing her and seeing her on TV. I’m not a violent person, but don’t you just want to bitch slap her?
Betty got denied parole in Nov 2011 when her youngest son, Dan, felt that her lack of remorse was an indication that she still represented a danger to society. Either way, Jodi, like Betty, is a narcissist who wants to live in infamy, even if only behind steel bars.
I think I could vote for the death penalty. Her utter lack of remorse, the obvious planning, not to mention the brutality of the murder, would make it pretty easy for me. Life without parole seems to good for her. She would enjoy it too much, in her own little narcissistic way – winning singing contests, etc. Better she should suffer on death row, appeals notwithstanding.
Don’t know how anyone can compare ja with Betty Broderick. Dan Broderick was a pos, and was known as a pos in San Diego. He drove Betty to the brink, with his selfish, greedy ways; took his children from her and threw her away like trash after she supported him and mothered his children. The new wife deserved what she got. Jodi Arias, on the other hand, SLAUGHTERED a young man because he no longer wanted to be with her! She tempted him with kinky sex, when she knew that ANY kind of sex was against his faith. I am FAR from a mormon fan, but Travis Alexander was guilty of one thing: giving in to temptation. For that, he DID NOT deserve the torture, and cruel death that ja gave him, after planning it to the last detail. Normally, I do not favor the death penalty. In this case, I am willing to make an exception, and of there is any justice at all, that’s what she’ll get.
Oh that’s right, no difference at all between the two. (insert eyeroll here) In Jodi’s mind, Travis deserved it. In Betty’s mind, Dan and his new wife deserved it. Guess it all depends on whose the bigger POS, doesn’t it? Yikes, you are one scary gal.
*whose should be “who is” and “difference” should be “similarity”. Typing too fast. It made me forget to add: and when did Betty ever admit that she went there with the intention of killing Dan and his new wife (just one more similarity that she shares with Jodi). As I recall, all Betty ever did was claim that she never intended to shoot them (which she did while they were sleeping in their bed — in my world that fits the term “SLAUGHTERED”). Instead, she claimed that she was going to kill herself but the next thing she knew, the gun went off and she didn’t mean to pull the trigger! Don’t know if she ever admitted to “killing the son-of-a-bitch” afterwards, but she certainly did an admirable job of trying to claim that it was unintentional manslaughter. Thankfully, the jury found otherwise and hopefully will do the same in Jodi’s case. Oh no, there is absolutely no similarities between Betty and Jodi, not a one.
Very interesting article. I’m trying to imagine what Arias would say when pleading for her life – if she gets the death penalty.
Somehow “free bjs for the men who vote to spare my life!” comes to mind. 🙂
Lol
Lol Exactly!
I know it’s not a popular view, but as the daughter of a retired chief of police, sister of a sheriff’s deputy and superintendent of two county jails (and who, at the age of 19, the youngest guard at a state prison), niece of a New York City police captain, and cousin of a California state trooper (CHP), it’s easy for me to say that I would personally push the button, flick the switch, pull the lever or (if these were Medieval times) swing the ax. I’d have no problem sending Jodi on to wherever she’s supposed to end up….which I’m pretty sure is not going to be the same place as Travis (no matter how imperfect he was).
So the police interrogation videos of Jodi were not allowed? Or can juan play them as part of his closing?
I think I heard he could use them in the penalty phase, but I’m not sure. They may have been talking about the parents’ police interviews.
i feel the only way to punish jodi is with the death penalty. That way the only faces she gets to see are guards and lawyers except her own reflection in her stainless steel mirror over her stainless steel toilet sink combo. Appeals dont matter because if she gets any other sentence than the manslaughter she seeks she will appeal the conviction. Like casey did for misdemeanor charges in fla.
I want to start by saying I have always been a strong advocate for the death penalty. Almost 40 years ago, 3 drifters, who truly had very difficult early lives unlike JA, were coming through southwest Georgia trying to evade the police and stopped at a rural farm. They murdered 2 sets of brothers, and the youngest son whose wife they raped and killed (you can search the Alday slayings to get the details if interested). The woman’s mother died 4 days later at her funeral of a heart attack. All three were given the death penalty but only one was executed. I circled the date of his execution and felt that the world was a better, safer place once he was gone. BTW, the youngest rapist and killer is free today. Would you want to be his neighbor? He’s living in someone’s neighborhood today. Another poster wrote that JA would adapt and I agree.Her narcissism would lead to more harm and be an education for other criminals. I certainly would trust a jury of her peers more than a judge. When I read the article, it almost seemed as if you could have changed Wendi’s name for JA’s and have almost the same story of murder. I have stated on this blog before that I feel that the verdict will come fairly quickly. I would expect the penalty phase to take much longer, as it should. I have served on a murder jury. It is my personal experience that jurors take their work very seriously, well, OK, something went terribly wrong in the Casey Anthony trial. Our system has worked relatively well for 240 years and I believe it will work for JA. Justice for Travis Alexander is at hand. Blessings and strength to the jurors in this trial.
This is a very interesting and informative article. I have often thought of the jurors and the decision they will have to make and have wondered how heavily this duty is upon their shoulders. I believe each one’s decision will have to come from their minds and their hearts as they ponder the evidence against JA. I did not realize how it might affect jurors and linger in their minds after the trial and death penalty decision has been made. I’m not sure I could make that decision but perhaps having the pictures of TA’s torturous death in front of the jurors will make the decision for the death penalty easier.
She should be given life in N.K. Put in Kimmies court. He is taken in by her calculated murder, and bangs her every night while she contemplates power, money and fame, she tries to get him to leave his wife and marry her. He says no way. She get pissed, kills him and the first guard that finds her kills her.
Problem solved. Arizona saves money and the world has 1 less nuclear turd in the pot.
I have been watching this trial since day one. Thank you TT for giving us all an outlet for our thoughts and feelings. I, without a doubt, believe Jodi is guilty of first degree premeditated murder. While some seem to abhor Jodi, I don’t know her and would not be able to say I hate her, though I do hate what she did. That being said, I would vote for the death penalty. My grandson, a senior getting ready to graduate, came over for dinner last night and wanted to discuss the death penalty as they had just discussed it in class. He gave me four different scenarios and asked if I would vote for or against the death penalty. I thought about all four very carefully and considered the circumstances and the people who committed the crimes (ie: age, sex, background, childhood, etc.) Then I thought of this case. I have never been an advocate of the death penalty, across the board in murders, because of circumstance, dna evidence, eye witness testimony (which we all know can be very unreliable), etc. But, in this case, I am all for it. The main reasoning I have is, if Jodi is given life in prison, what happens to all the unsuspecting women who are incarcerated with her? She has proven to be so manipulative, that anyone who is with her for any amount of time and is impressionable, (as most are when they are young and imprisoned) can and probably will be emotionally harmed by her. They may someday be released and will have had her “guidance” for a considerable amount of time. I find that very frightening and it should never be allowed to happen.
As with the Casey Anthony trial, I didn’t start watching until well after the trial had begun. I know in this trial, I didn’t start watching until she took the stand and only then b/c I was on vacation…..The difference b/w the two, Jodi is nuts. I think Caylee’s death was not so much planned and most likely an accident…this pig, Jodi, planned her attack. Clearly she is crazy as hell. One can see how unbalanced she is by observing the court proceedings, the interrogation tapes, witness testimony, etc. Not only would it be an injustice to Travis and his family is she got off or received a slap on the wrist, it would mean releasing a mental case into society once she gets released. God help all the men…..
You’re right. Releasing her into society or putting her in prison for life, would only allow her to spread her “mental germs”. We need to kill those germs and use a big needle for the antibiotic.
Without giving credence to anything Jodi says, I believe Casey Anthony is also nuts. Its just a different kind of nuts. If you recall, she was totally focused on how she looked on camera when everyone was looking for her baby. She didn’t tell anyone she was missing until at least a month later. She was out partying the whole time. Yes, her parents probably lied about somethings, but, I believe she killed her own baby, and still has no remorse or sad feelings about her being dead.
I don’t believe the Jodi Arias jury will have any trouble reaching a first degree verdict with a sentence of death. As someone stated before they had to be “death penalty” qualified or certified, if that is the right term. I don’t believe Jodi has mesmerized them to the point of deciding to let her live. If there is one or two, they will be convinced otherwise by the other jurors.
My feelings are mixed regarding Arizona’s death penalty law, under which – jurors, not judges – make the decision of life or death, If in fact the jurors are the true peers of the criminal, it would be a good thing. If not, it could be bad for the defendant. It eliminates the possibility of (one) person, the judge being bribed, swayed, etc., into decision.
Jodi, chose the wrong state to commit such a terrible crime. Just as her birthday buddy O.J.. He had no idea Nevada would throw the book at him for his robbery antics. He would probably be walking freely in any other states, except Arizona and Nevada. He’s serving a 9-33 year sentence. That is a death sentence for him, he was 61 at the time of sentencing.
A juror in the Jodi Arias trial who was dismissed after listening to four months of proceedings called his time on the jury a “great experience.”
Police in Gilbert, Ariz., said when Daniel Gibb was arrested last Saturday night, he told the arresting officer he was a juror on the Jodi Arias murder trial.
On Tuesday, the officer met with the judge, prosecutor and defense attorneys in a sealed hearing, ABC News’ Phoenix affiliate KNXV-TV reported.
Two days later, the man who was known as Juror 8, who had taken copious notes throughout the trial and submitted several questions to witnesses on the stand, was dismissed without comment by Judge Sherry Stephens.
“It was a privilege to know the other jurors and I will miss them,” Gibb said in a statement to KNXV Saturday. “It was actually a great experience. Thank you for respecting my privacy.”
He is the third juror to be dismissed from proceedings since the trial began in the Phoenix courtroom in January.
Fifteen jurors will listen to the rest of the trial, and 12 will enter into deliberations. Closing arguments are expected to begin on Thursday or Friday.
I had high hopes he wanted out b/c it had lasted so damn long and he needed to get back to his own life. I won’t judge him either way. I hope everything works out for him. Thanks for the update.
I would have a hard time giving the death penalty in a case without this much evidence and a confession. She is guilty beyond doubt. Since Jodi confessed and is simply trying to lighten her sentence using ptsd and self defense, this is an easy decision. Anyone who has seen the photos of what she did knows this was no self defense.
Wow TT what a thought provoking article and post. I have so many mixed feelings and I am glad I am not on this jury and I don’t ever want to be in that position. I go back and forth with the death penalty, I think how I feel about it has a lot to do with the crime, the victim, the perpetrator and the specific details and circumstances. Jodi for me leans toward the death penalty. If I was to consider mitigating circumstances to give her life without parole over death, I would probably want to know a lot more about her background and her parents. I have trouble with the fact that they knew she had problems yet I don’t see evidence that they did anything to try to get her treatment or help. But then again, I also believe that some kids fall into the category of “bad seed” and that might very well be Jodi and Casey.
I see the two cases as different. Personally I thought Casey was just as guilty as Jodi but I also thought George and Cindy did their fair share of lying so didn’t feel like we had the whole story. I could understand how the jury reached their decision, I consider that more the failure of the prosecution than the jury. In Jodi’s case it is clear she is guilty as that is probably the only thing she has told the truth about. I also believe it was premeditated but given the timing, I do leave room to wonder if she would still have gone ahead with her plan if the time with Travis had played out differently. The pure rage and viciousness of the crime makes me think that although Jodi planned it out in advance, the trigger for the timing was something that set off her rage at the moment of the attack. It makes me wonder if just before he started to shower Travis confirmed that he wasn’t taking her to Cancun and then her crazy went off and she put her plan into effect, but did such a lousy job because her rage took her in a direction that she maybe didn’t plan.
Jodi has free will and knows right from wrong so if her ego makes her carry out her defense as being self defense rather than a crime of passion or temporary insanity then she has to take the consequences which I believe will be murder in the First Degree and then based on that will most likely get the death penalty and justice will be served.
I feel and pray for the jurors as I can’t imagine having to be in the actual position of voting for someone to die that I don’t know and that didn’t hurt me or my loved ones personally. I can imagine it would be hard to live with even it it is the right thing to do. I do think Jodi is one of those people who there is no punishment that will really generate remorse, Jodi if given death will just draw some pictures, make up shit to write in her journal and leave this earth believing she is a victim and a martyr. And idiots like Samuels and LaViolette will feel sad that the justice system failed their client.
Great post! I said the other day, I would not have any problem giving the death penalty to someone who killed my family member or close friend. I would even go watch. So if I was on the jury, should I put myself in Travis’ family’s shoes? If I did, I would certainly vote for death!
If people find it difficult to give someone a death sentence, then they shouldn’t lie and say they could and will if proven. I don’t know why the judicial sys. even bothers with death qualified juries if they can’t follow thru. Understand, I’m not big on the death penalty. But, I do realize and understand for some people it is VERY needed. There are people in prison for murder, that have committed a murder while in prison! My point is: some people are just not capable of living amongst the general population – even if the population is prison.
If she gets anything less than murder 1, there should be a change in the manner in which murder trials are conducted in this country, in addition to changes in the various penal codes across the country……
Life or death it doesn’t really matter, unless it’s less than that – b/c then such a brutal crime – would essentially go unpunished.
I must have a screw loose. If I were on a jury for a case like this and it was proven to me beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant was being purely selfish and jealous, having a hissy fit because he wanted another woman, I’d give her death penalty, and will still enjoy a delicious meal, and sleep well at night.
I must be a cold hearted bitch, because I would have no reservations giving her the death penalty. I could also walk away, not look back and with no remorse. There are criminals let OUT of prison after committing murder, and what is their first action? To kill again! This is the opportunity to put an end to the cycle and finally give Travis’s family peace.
Puravidacostarica, look up Websleuths.com. They have taken the time to transcript the video of JA’s interview with Flores.
Thanks Rose!
O, sorry Pur, Rose had already pointed the way! (Sorry, Rose.)
I carefully read these transcripts over the weekend, if the jurors are able to read these, not just listen once in court, I have faith that they will make the right decision in punishing her.
If you haven’t read this, do it. It was hard reading her “ninja” story towards the end because I believe a little truth was mixed in when she was talking about Travis saying he couldn’t feel his legs. Were those his last words to her?
I guess I will never understand why she really thought no jury would convict her. She had to have known the DNA she left there, she couldn’t clean it all up in time.
I’ve never heard that maybe she burned some evidence, but she had enough gas to do so. Why wouldn’t she take the camera and burn it too? In murder as she was in life, ALL OVER THE PLACE, as she says.
Her stupid broken finger is from stabbing or Travis fighting back, I’m convinced. She blames it on the ninja at first, Travis never touched her finger unless he was trying to grab the knife away. He gave a valiant effort.
I am undecided as to life in parole with no parole or the death penalty. Legally, you cannot give someone the death penalty because you dont like them or as someone here said……i would give her death just for saying “no jury will find me guilty”.
You have to weigh the mitigating factors and follow the jury instructions.
What i am waiting for is to hear the testimony during the sentencing phase. I want to hear what her parents say, any other family members and friends of hers.
My gut tells me Jodi was horribly abused by her parents, both physically and emotionally which left her an empty shell desperately and almost always ending up with an equally as troubled person and that includes Travis. I did not believe Laviolette or Samuels, but rather her own words and actions. I do not think her motives were anything more than just wanting to be loved and accepted which she never had with her family. Of course with her personality , she was not liked or wanted by a healthy normal person and she could not control her escalating behavior.
I am extremely suspect of her mothers motives of being in court. I dont think she is actually there for Jodi, i think she is writing a book and probably already has offers.
The other problem i have is Travis. Jodi had no history of violence towards any of her other boyfriends. Yes, she had some other stalking type behaviors, but not violence.
Travis did not deserve to die, but with Jodi they were two very troubled people both manipulating and playing games with each other which sometimes ends up with one of the dead.
I do not believe these mormon buddies with their homogenized tales, for instance the latest girlfriend Bullard saying……oh i loved him so much but decided not to marry him. Why? silence…….she wont say.
Well, there were reasons why these Mormon women wouldnt marry him. He was phoney. He had a much repeated con going on for years with women.
With Jodi, I actually think he was the most comfortable……but knew he couldnt present her as a serious girlfriend or wife to his Mormon community. I think he loved and hated her at the same time, much like Demarte described Jodi as feeling too.
I think both of them were failing miserably at the time, at love, work and finanaces, trying to keep up phoney facades and it ended in murder. No excuse for murder, but complicated enough to be mitagating factors for life without parole.
“I do not think [Jodi’s] motives were anything more than just wanting to be loved and accepted which she never had with her family.” Yeah, when I want to be loved and accepted, I stab the person that I’m wanting to love me 27 times and slit their throat. God, I hate apologist BS like this…. Poor Jodi wasn’t loved. Poor Jodi wasn’t accepted. It’s all her family’s fault (even though this “Eve” person doesn’t know one shred of information about Jodi’s family or how she grew up — psychopaths are not necessarily products of their upbringing). Somebody call the waaaaaahhhhmbulance!
Ya know………I am not claiming anything except figure out how she got the way she is.
Whether or not you like it, it is part of the case.
And…….this Eve person really doesnt appreciate your downright meaness, although it does show your immaturity and it downgrades anything you have to say.
WE ALL can learn if everyones opinions are respected.
Guess other people’s opinions are acceptable provided they meet your maturity test. Carry on.
Doesn’t matter who loved who or who had failed relationships, though. All that should matter is her confession, and whether it was premeditated or defense. A look at the pics will show this was not your run-of-the-mill gunshot self defense in a lovers quarrel. This was psycho.
Oh, i do not for one second think it was anything but premeditated. Im just ruminating about whether i would vote LWP or DP.
There is nothing in the evidence that proves self defense. I am sure Jodi insisted on it much like Kenneth Taylor did when he killed his wife. It was ridiculous but he insisted against legal advice.
Eve I know you weren’t saying that, it just bothers me that probably one juror at least will think that. There’s a great lack of common sense in this country, odds are there’s a flake on the jury..
What if ‘No jury will find me guilty , mark my words’ is going to really happen ? What if Jodi has an sd card hidden away that would exonerate her …just saying.
Marilyn, this is exactly thing that’s been on my mind for several days. It gives me a queasy feeling that something’s going to be pulled out of a hat….and that’s why Jodi feels free to act up on the stand and at the defense table. Maybe you’ve read some of the articles online about there being different cards for each camera. And, I remember Nurmi’s last question for the Forensic Computer Cop about if it’s possible to alter EXIF info on a card and the cop said, “No”.
Yes , MaRiley,and consider she may have tricked Travis into doing a video,which makes him look as though he was a very bad man,and or he was held against his will on that last day to do a violent video. The only thing that links her to killing him is the pic of the pants leg,and the fact someone took pictures of him in the shower,and of course the naked photos. Even so she hopefully will be found guilty.
I think her confession links her most definitely…. I don’t see how they can present this as a ptsd defense with an admission then flip the last day and say, whoopsie, she takes back the confession..
Yes, let’s all focus on the confession. If you read the transcripts of the police interrogations, she held open the possibility that she could get out of the charges (e.g., are you sure it’s me in the photos? What if my rental car shows that it was nowhere near Arizona? What about surveillance cameras in Arizona — surely they would have shown my car if I was there?). She wasn’t playing all her cards and confessing then because she still believed she could lie her way out of it. Now she ADMITS she killed him. She just wants the jury to believe that it was somehow justified. And, for the record, there is only one surrebuttal witness on Wednesday. Juan will be prepared. There will be no hail Mary pass by Jezebel Jodi.
Great site here, been reading and watching this trial from early on (and catch up with you tube). So, a few points:
1) going back to Casey Anthony, I, like many others, was in SHOCK that jury did not convict because of lack of convincing evidence on manner/cause of death of Caylee. COME ON!!!! she was dumped in the woods, duct taped face and her mom lied from day one as to her being alive and well…this case has made many of us lose confidence in the jury system (or do we worry that only people who can or will serve may not always be the most objective or intelligent folks??)
2. This brings me to kuddos to JM for his driving home his points repeatedly and powerfully. I adore Jeff Ashton, who I think is also brillant, but looking back, I think that his “smart, swift, and concise” manner in making points to the jury may have been lost or overlooked due to NOT repeating the points. So, curse JM for sometimes “beating a dead horse”….I, personally applaud him for his passion and ability to drive the point home.
3. Sounds like psychopaths and SOME borderline personality disorders are not able to be rehabbed or treated at all……………..battered women need/deserve therapy and support………..but we all know JA (and C Anthony) have horrible personality disorders that won’t change.
4. If we look at all testimony and evidence, and take away ANY INFO of which only Jodi was the source, then there is really nothing to support any of her claims against Travis except that he liked to have sex with her and had a problem with saying no. Perhaps, were it not against his religious beliefs he would have easily found another outlet and be alive today. (NOT A DIG AGAINS MORMONISM……..it seems this religion worked in her behalf here). The phone sex could have been me and my boyfriend (and we don’t do the hershey highway, by the way)….just talk. Braids? 12 year old girl? These have NO context except with Jodi as narrator.
5. So, my point here is that I think we ALL have a tendency to think that “SOME” of what she says is true……………..but there is no evidence and really no reason at all to believe that anything she says, or tries to shape or mould has ANY VALIDITY. Not to mention that , even if it did, Travis never deserved to suffer and die. (but there is no validity this is just Jodi’s “big tale” that she has been working on for years.)
6. So, just like CA, if this girl gets off, there will be some changes in how real issues are dealt with, for example. domestic violence and PTSD. This is so wrong. Guilty, HELL YES!! NEEDLE or CHAIR???? HELL YES!!!!!!!!!! I am a little embarrassed to say this, but I relish the thought of her knowing the day she will die……..just having it linger over her for years in isolation.
Take a look at youtube,” Jodi arias conspiracy theory”. It’s a 30 minute video. It’s way out there . As if we havn’t seen enough….
Hey yallll , hope everyone is having a great weekend..
Okay so ive always been a bit confused on the whole gas thing, and i got a little more confused when juan brought the witness. Can someone explain, im sure its a quick explanation !
Thank you 🙂
Hi Tori, here’s my best understanding. Jodi planned this and the gas cans go greatly to premeditation. She had a rental car that probably got about 4 hours on the road without having to refuel. Add to this the 10 gal extra she admits in cans, you now have 4 hours to get by………….another 5 gal of gas gets another 2 hours. In total she had 10 hours plus where she could be invisible on the road to and from Mesa (no chance of cameras catching her, nor receipts, even if she paid cash btw, this is also why her phone charger was suddenly lost……reality was she turned off phone so no pings would come from Mesa area…think her first phone on interactions were when she was near border of Utah). The third can was pretty successfully proven to be in her possession from walmart lack of return that she swore she did as well as the Salt Lake gas station purchases. Goes to 3 things in my mind: 1) premeditation ie her need to stay invisible while in AZ 2) making sure that she had enough fuel to last a good 10 or more hours on the road without camera sightings; 3) she LIED again/as always, under oath. Maybe she used some of the gas to burn flammable evidence.
Okay i see now. So did Juan call this witness to prove she made a purchase that adds up to 3 gas cans? Kus what i dont get is how is making the point that the third swipe of her card would be blocked for safety purposes and she had to go in, but im not sure why he was making that point? im totally missing something!!
This was the Salt Lake gas station in wee early am hours…………she swiped at pump once for a car refill…………around 9+ gal. Second swipe was to fill two gas tanks of 5 gal each. When she tried to swipe a third and separate time to fill the third 5 gal tank, the machine at pump required her to go inside to pay. The third receipt was at register so did not state the same info as the first two done at pump ie:” # gal @ price per gal”….but the third receipt in store showed additional 5 gal purchased on different form receipt. I missed a couple of minutes in the testimony but I understand that they clarified that this was ALSO for gas. Total purchas over 3 receipts was about 25 gal.
Okay thank you for explaining that!!
& i too believe she used it to burn evidence, clothes and what not .
Ok so she said the charger was “lost”. I missed why she had it off, I was thinking, you were enough of a planner to bring gas, but no phone charger? Thanks for clarifying.
and BTW, it is my best understanding that if you REALLY want to be sure your phone puts out no pings, you should not only turn it off, but also remove the battery..
Maybe she originally intended to burn the crime scene or Travis, then thought better of it. (Insert creepy chills..)
Being Canadian I automatically don’t approve of the DP – but the reality is that if you’re going to have it, what would qualify for it if not this case?
She brutally stabbed him 20+ times in the back and front, slit his throat while he was still alive and then shot him in the head. Whether she remembers it or not to me isn’t important and while I can’t say she should get the DP I wonder if not this… then what?
I do hope the jury has more wisdom than the CA jury in Florida. If JA walks I fear for the future of American justice.
Hi, Sheryl, I’m also up in Canada. Being Canadian doesn’t “automatically” determine a person’s view on the death penalty; in fact, I’ve read it’s reported that approximately the same percentage of Canadians as US citizens actually support capital punishment & wouldn’t mind seeing it re-instated. (But, maybe that’s old data.)
But I DO relate to your asking “if not the [DP}… then what?” This crime has certainly tested my own personal views. Also, I hope, along with you, that the jury in this case exercises more wisdom (and COMMON SENSE) that the CA jury. I’m, for one, am nervous.
“THAN” the CA jury. “I” for one. Bad, bad fingers! (Sheesh!)
Hi Sheryl and Jane: I’m also Canadian, and have watched this trial from the beginning. I would support the DP in Canada under certain circumstances, like the Paul Bernardo case, where there is actual video of him committing the crimes. There is no question he did it, and the torture, and dismemberment of Lesley Mahaffey would certainly qualify him for the DP. Also in the Col Russell Williams case, there was SO much photographic and video evidence against him that he should have gotten the DP as well.
In the JA case, the evidence is overwhelming. I could understand if she was afraid of him, that she might shoot him, or stab him, so she could get away and then call the police, but that’s not what happened. She stayed, and continued to stab him, cut his throat from ear to ear (which I find particularly heinous), and shoot him in the head. I would have no problem sentencing her to the DP.
Exactly, the Paul Bernardo… & there’s his accomplice, living away in Mexico w/ 3 kids. Be interesting, too, to see what sentence the porn star, who recently chopped up the international student, will receive. And, Russell Williams… ugh. We have shortage, up here, that’s for sure.
NO shortage… really, I should proofread! Sorry!
I’m also Canadian. I totally agree with you re Bernardo and Homolka. Also Luka Magnotta and Russell Williams. I’ve said here I could vote for the DP for Arias also.
I said before I was a juror on a high profile murder trial where I live. Believe me, I thought long and hard before I put a 20-something young man in jail for what will probably be the rest of his life. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I couldn’t have sat on the jury of a death penalty case. When all was said and done, the case I was on was pretty cut and dried that he was guilty and even THAT took a toll on me. I couldn’t put someone to death, even if they “deserved” it. That case still haunts me. I had dreams for months that I was being stalked; I couldn’t get the picture of the victim lying shot to death in her home out of my head. It’s tough being on a murder case. The courts should offer free therapy to the jurors.
I’m just curious if or not they asked you all if you could put someone to death? Maybe the nightmares were from the crime scene photos? Or maybe just your unconscious playing tricks on you.I hope more people read that article. It would be nice if people were to say they can’t put someone to death or that they prefer not to look at gruesome crime scene photos. Best of luck to you.
Did anyone see Chris Hughes on Dr Drew last night? He said that the famous emails between JA and Chris & Sky Hughes, and the “Travis was abusive to women” comment that ALV kept referring to, was taken completely out of context. He said that he even retracted that comment later in the same email, saying that Travis wasn’t abusive, but maybe “a little rough around the edges”. He was rightly pissed about how the defense was able to take that one little sentence or two, out of several lengthy emails, and use it to their advantage, painting Travis as abusive.
Chris said that a year before the murder, Jodi and Travis were staying overnight at the Hughes home. Chris and Sky wanted to speak with Travis in private, so they went into the master bedroom. They were trying to tell him to get away from Jodi, that she was bad news. Then he said Sky (who has a sixth sense about these things according the Chris) whispered to them, “Jodi’s listening to us. She’s out there”, meaning at the door. So they changed the topic for about 30 seconds, and then there was a knock on the door and it was guess who! Jodi wanted to know if everything was alright, and Travis said yes, and told her to go back to bed and he would be down in a little while to say goodnight.
So they continued talking, and after awhile, Sky Hughes AGAIN whispered that Jodi was listening to them outside the door, so this time Travis got up and flung the door open and caught her. Chris said that the look on Jodi’s face was so frightening, so full of rage and evil, that he’s never seen anything like it before or since. So they told Travis “look, you go and handle that” and they all went to bed, but Chris said he and his wife were actually afraid that they had this woman in their home. They wondered if they should be worried about their children! He said the next morning Sky kicked Jodi out of their home, telling her she was not welcome any more, and not to come back.
So of course, with Jodi being Jodi, she shows up at their house one day, crying the blues about how she loves Travis, and that she had “a VISION that they were supposed to be married”. They were telling her to just get out of the relationship. Travis had moved on, and if she wasn’t getting what she wanted out of the relationship, then she should do the same. So THAT’S why in the emails that went back and forth between Chris, Sky and Jodi, they were telling her to get out of the relationship.
I’m wondering why JM didn’t clarify this information when Chris Hughes was called as a defense witness. Did I miss something? I’ve been watching the trial since the beginning, but I didn’t hear any rebuttal when ALV was on the stand, regarding these points. I don’t know how many times I heard the defense use that phrase that “Chris Hughes said Travis had been abusive to women in the past” and that “they warned her to get out of the relationship.” Hell yes they warned her!! They were trying to scrape her off of Travis, because she just would NOT go away.
Sky Hughes will be on Dr Drew tonight. It should be interesting.
I saw that too Nancy, and i wondered the same thing why didnt Juan call them to straighten things out?
If this is what allows JA to go free… it will be a big miscarriage of justice. JM might go down as badly as the prosecutor in Florida with CA.
Better not happen.
Hi Sheryl: JA will not go free IMHO. She has admitted to the killing, and I sincerely doubt that her claim of self-defense will be believed. I also doubt that she will get manslaughter, as the premeditation is pretty clear. She’ll be lucky to get LWOP, but I truly hope she gets the DP. If ever there was a case that cried out for it, this is the one. If it was Travis that had stabbed Jodi 29 times, slit her throat and shot her in the head, we wouldn’t even be discussing self-defense. I just hope the jury remembers that in the end. I’m sure JM will bring it all back on closing arguements.
How many witnesses is the defense bringing in tomorrow?
One, Another crackpot psych that works wit ALV.
Lmao.
Okay cause im watching HLN, and i thought i heard them mention a witness who is going to talk about being able to move after being shot first. But i wasnt paying that much attention! So i proly heard wrong!
The surrebuttal was granted before Dr. Horne gave his rebuttal testimony. IMO his testimony was if not impeached, certainly all over the place. I suppose it is possible the defense could get permission for a surrebuttal witness based on his testimony since one is already testifying but this is the first I have heard about it. I’ve been on a Jodi Arias break…. 🙂
Okay, well dont take my word for it! I probably heard wrong anyway . 🙂
Okay im watching again, and they are saying that defense might want Geffner to talk about the bullet effecting the brain (but not sure if the Judge will allow it because he is not a medical examiner)
& if he is allowed, Juan has another medical examiner he might call in a sur sur rebuttal!! They said her name but i didnt catch it. . But it should be quick because it can only rebut a few statements, all should be done tomorrow!
I just heard on HLN that the defense might try to ask the shrink if the bullet would incapacitate Travis. I would think that would be out of his scope of expertise. But Beth says they may let another MD in. HOWEVER, (this is my opinion again) the defense has not had their own ME so far because no one wants to touch this case.
Apparently JUAN has another neurology person lined up for a sur surrebuttal if needed.
Seems like the Defense is changing the war game as they go. I recall that they wanted the surrebuttal to rebut Dr. DiMarti, now they changed their “war plans” to rebut the ME. Both of which were highly professional and knowledgable on all counts. Putting a psych to rebut an ME ? Doesn’t make sense.