On Wednesday, the prosecution gave their opening statements in the death penalty trial of Jodi Arias. Arias is on trial for the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. She is accused of shooting Alexander and stabbing him 27 times.
During the proceedings on the first day of the trial, Jodi Arias cried openly as prosecutor Juan Martinez told the jury he would prove that she murdered Travis Alexander in June of 2008.
Prosecutor Martinez stated, “This is not a case of whodunit. The whodunit sits in court today.”
The jury listened intently while Martinez described Alexander as a devout Mormon. Martinez alleges that Alexander was seduced, stalked and killed by Arias. Alexander was shot in the face, stabbed 27 times and had his throat slit from ear to ear.
Martinez went on to say that Arias “rewarded that love by sticking a knife in his chest. She slit his throat as a reward for being a good man.” Martinez ended by saying that the reason the state was seeking the death penalty against Arias was due to the utter viciousness of the crime.
Jennifer Willmott, Arias’ defense attorney painted a very different picture of the events on that June night. Willmott insists that Arias killed Alexander in self defense. She stated that Arias was abused and controlled by Alexander and labeled him a “sexual deviant.”
In her opening statement, Willmott told the jury, “Jodi Arias killed Travis Alexander. The million dollar question is what would have forced her to do it, and throughout this trial you will hear that Jodi was indeed forced.”
When initially questions by police, Arias gave them three different stories about the night Alexander was killed. It wasn’t until the third explanation that Jodi Arias claimed self defense.
Be sure to check out Kelly’s other columns:
National Family and Parenting Examiner
National Sports Celebrity Examiner
Sex and Relationships Examiner
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