Prosecutor Juan Martinez hammered defense expert Richard Samuels Monday during the Jodi Arias murder trial, according to HLN today.
Martinez got Samuels to admit he knew Arias lied to him when he gave her one of the psychological tests he used in diagnosing her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In her first story she lied and said several ninjas in ski masks entered boyfriend Travis Alexander's Phoeniz apartment on June 4, 2008 and murdered him. Samuels conceded he probably should have re-tested her after she changed her original story to another version.
The psychologist had testified under direct examination earlier that Arias suffered from acute stress disorder which later morphed into post-traumatic stress disorder.
Arias claimed two unknown intruders had killed Alexander when she was given the PTSD test in January, 2010.
Martinez honed in on this during his cross examination today (Monday) when he asked Samuels, "After this testing was done....the story changed and the defendant told you that this story about the strangers was fiction....and yet you did not administer another test correct?"
The beleaguered expert witness conceded that saying, "That was an oversight and I should have done that."
Exactly how many points that scored with the jury remains to be seen. In most states no one would know until the jury returns with its verdict. However, in Arizona, the jurrors alowed to ask witnesses questions. So the jurors may question Samuels about his failure to give a second test.
Travis Alexander was killed around June 4, 2008 in his Phoenix, Arizona apartment. The autopsy shows he was shot in the head, stabbed 27 times and had his throat cut from ear to ear.
After DNA connected Arias to the killing she changed her story, alleging there was a home invasion by two unknown invaders. She then admitted to killing Alexander, claiming it was in self-defense.
The prosecution has been arguing she murdered Alexander with pre-meditation in a jealous rage over a new love interest. He reportedly was planning on taking a trip with his new girlfriend who was replacing Jodi in his affections.
The cross examination will continue at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with the aggressive Martinez still on the attack.
During an interview on HLN during a break in the trial, Casey Anthony attorney Jose Baez said the best strategy for the defense would be to focus their attention on the physcial evidence and away from their client's numerous alleged lies. Baez was able to convince two of the twelve members of a fake jury created by HLN that Alexander attacked Jodi Arias raising the likelihood she acted in self-defense.
The Lifetime Movie Network announced today they are already in the process of preparing a movie based on the Jodi Arias jury trial.
The trial has been carried live on HLN since opening statements were presented on Jan. 2, 2013.
HLN also showed film of Arias doing headstands in the police interrogation room only minutes before she was arrested. The jury has not viewed that film.
With the unique Arizona system of allowing jurors to ask questions it is difficult to predict how much longer this nationally televised trial will last.
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