On Feb. 25, 2013, Jodi Arias' murder trial resumed as she returned to the stand to testify under cross-examination. During her testimony, Arias admitted to prosecutor Juan Martinez she lied for several years about killing her former lover, Ariz. man Travis Alexander. She now claims she killed Alexander in self-defense.
According to ABC News, Martinez also grilled Arias about lying during several television interviews by claiming she was innocent of murder.
View slideshow: Nude Photos of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander, Believed to Have been Taken the Same Day he was Murdered
“You truly believe you didn’t do anything wrong here?” Martinez asked after confronting her with the fact she told NBC and CBS’ “48 Hours” that she was not a killer.
Arias responded by saying, “I belived that I knew that I was not guilty of first-degree murder…”
View slideshow: Photos of Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander, the Former Boyfriend She Admits Killing, Saying She Was Forced to Do So
The prosecutor also used Arias’ own diary entries to dispute her testimony regarding her fear of Alexander and his alleged physical abuse of her.
Martinez pointed to one instance in early 2008 when Arias testified Alexander hit her in the neck while she was a passenger in his car.
View slideshow: Graphic Crime Scene Photos in Jodi Arias Case
“This [diary] entry does not corroborate what you told us happened in the car,” Martinez noted.
He also referred to an alleged “choking incident” in which Arias did not call police or tell anyone about the presumed attack.
Martinez said, “There is no corroboration anywhere in your journal. All we have is your word. Are there photos? Any other writings? Is there a police report? Is ther a medical report?”
Arias answered in the negative, prompting Martinez to respond with, “There’s no evidence because it didn’t happen, did it ma’am?”
At that point, Arias attempted to explain that ex-boyfriend Matt McCartney saw bruises from the injuries when she stopped at his home and spoke to him, but Martinez noted that during prior testimony, McCartney denied the encounter ever took place, according to ABC.
Martinez continued pointing out Arias’ lies to police and to friends regarding Alexander’s death.
She testified, “It’s like I wasn’t accepting it in my mind… because I never killed anyone before.”
Prosecutors argue Arias, 32, killed Alexander, 30, in cold blood as he showered in his Mesa home in 2008. He was stabbed dozens of times, his throat was slashed, and he was shot in the head. Arias admits killing Alexander, but alleges she was forced to do so in self-defense.
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