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Jodi Arias Trial – Day 1

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 1 VIDEO RECORDING

Good to see bondage-boy TA finally being ousted for the bad tempered perverted bastard he really is.

Not too sure why we keep having to watch the bald pimp and his 2 hookers sat on the front row.

I also just checked the online book of Mormon… but I can’t seem to find any reference to simulating sex with a 12 year old girl while she’s tied to a tree in pigtails. Did I miss it?

Also good to see the prosecution’s first witness. Yep. They actually managed to find a girl that  TA didn’t have sex with.

REPENT!

Leave your comments below…
SJ

139 Comments

  1. Today’s proceedings made me aware of something I hadn’t thought of before. The photos of Travis alive in the shower were taken a few minutes minutes before the death photo. During the interval between the two, Travis exited the shower and began dressing. Jodi would have had to leave the bathroom to get the gun and knife during the same interval, so when was there time for an argument over a dropped camera to escalate to the point that she attacked him so savagely? Anyone have any theories?

  2. That’s easy! I can tell you what I’d say as DA. It was premeditated to the extent that she already had the gun in the bathroom. That theory would be coupled w/ a statement that she simply lied about the dropped camera. That’s easy to support to the jury since she changed her story multiple times on camera.

    It’ll be interesting to see if I’m right…

    • Are you suggesting there’s such a thing as premeditated self-defense? That sounds wonky even to me, especially for someone who just spent the day in bed with Travis.

      • Did you read my post? I wrote, “I can tell you what I’d say as DA.” Foxfire asked for theories; I provided one.

        The DA will deny the sd claim altogether. They’re going for murder1 here. That means they must prove premeditation and deliberation.

        I’m just theorizing In response to another person’s post. Get it? If you can’t see where the DA might go, you can’t defend anyone. It’s not what you believe, it’s what the jury will decide. Understanding effective defense means understanding and predicting and preparing for what the prosecution might do.

        I’m commenting on what the DA could do. Read the posts (foxfire & mine) again.

  3. Maybe, If the defense attacks Travis enough makes him look really bad Jodi won’t have to testify. You don’t put your client on the stand unless you really need to.

    • No, I’m disappointed in the defense. To justify self-defense in Arizona, you have to prove 2 things, that you were in imminent danger, and that you exerted the same level of force that was being used against you. All the defense did was talk about Travis and Jodi’s sex life. That was a big fail in my opinion.

      • I agree. There wasn’t much there to support the elements of her affirmative defense. I don’t know how they can succeed w/o her testimony. That’s awfully dangerous as a legal strategy. They MUST address her changing her story. The jury will need a reason to overcome that.

        It’s also risky to attack Travis. Juries don’t take to that the way they used to. They’d better have a lot more if they want an acquittal. There’s a woman on death row in AZ who attempted a similar defense. And, I think the same DA prosecuted that case.

        • Firefox,

          Thanks for clarifying what constitutes a legal self defense in AZ.

          So would the defense as a strategy, try and point to that she was abused prior and had to defend herself, in the hopes the jury would come back with that it was a crime of passion ( due to to the fighting prior) and lessen the charges at the end? I get the impression that her lies will be explained with the the defense expert testifying about abuse. She could assert that Jodi was traumatized from long term abuse from Travis; therefore she fled and lied. Just trying to figure out how the defense is going to make this work.

          • OK, let me just say that I’m no expert and could be totally wrong about this, but based on the defense opening statements not addressing ANY of the criteria for establishing self-defense, I can’t help wonder if they are dubious about their own chances of obtaining a not guilty verdict, and so instead are setting the stage for making a case to save her from the death penalty. If the primary thrust of their case revolves around trashing Travis to the near exclusion of attempting to prove actual self-defense, then I’m fairly certain that’s the strategy.

          • CJ & Firefox: Good observations. They could be going for what’s called “imperfect self-defense.” It’s when the defendant genuinely believes they had to defend themselves, but the jury thinks it was unreasonable. It can mitigate murder1 to a lesser charge. That would take the needle off the table.

            Heat of Passion also does this, resulting in a manslaughter conviction vs. murder. It may be tier goal just to get the needle off the table in one of these ways.

          • Glad you chimed in Jason. That’s very helpful info about the particulars. I’m quite surprised to be making this observation after only the first day, but it really does seem that just saving her life is the defense’s goal here.

          • I think you could be onto something… It’s hard to see another strategy so far. But, as OJ & Casey Anthony taught us, it’s still WAY early, and these things (juries) are truly unpredictable.

          • Yes. Again in my own inconsequential layman’s mind, the brutality with which she attacked Travis is a sticking point not easily overcome, and I think accounts for today’s surprise defense, or lack thereof.

  4. I thought the prosecution’s opening statement was a big flop. I think it’s fairly normal to check a boyfriend or girlfriend’s phone if cheating is suspected and yet they tried to say that was some horrible character defect on Jody’s part. Not buying it.

    Also not buying the “Travis was a sweet Mormon boy” shtick, either. What I learned from today was that Travis was no angel. Not by any means.

    Defense’s opening statements were good. I was on the fence until today. I do think they have a challenge in explaining Jody’s behavior afterwards though.

    • How would you address her three different stories? I think that was the most effective part of the DA’s opening. I think the defense opening had some effective emo appeal in showing Travis’s behavior, but they were weak on introducing the elements of self-defense. I’m also not sure what all the focus on Mormon practices was about unless there are LDS folks on the jury (which I doubt either side would’ve allowed).

      • Hi Jason in CA,

        I agree with you. The defense handled the three different stories very well. I would consider tapping into the cult-like nature of Mormonism to show that she may have been afraid of the police or anyone with authority in that they might have been Mormon. It’s not hard to prove Mormonism is pretty male friendly and that women have less rights.

        I’d be sure to call experts on domestic violence to explain the differing stories.

        The prosecutions first witness was great for the defense. Everyone has met that guy who refuses to take no for an answer. It seems Travis was like that with at least one other woman besides Jody. The witness admitted she told him she wasn’t interested and then he’s texting her daily? Inviting her on a trip?

        • Actually, I do NOT think the defense addressed her multiple stories very well. I think they did so very poorly, in fact. They MUST deal with this; the jury needs a reasonable explanation. Read my post above again.

          Perhaps they will put the patriarchal and very closed nature of LDS at issue as an explanation. The defense is calling a DV expert, I heard. That means the DA may also call an expert resulting in a battle of the experts leaving the jury to decide the facts ( their job). It’s a pretty common occurrence in court.

          • Ah, sorry. I misread your post. I disagree with you on the multiple stories. Jody was scared, so she lied.

          • Sam:

            The problem is the nature and number of the lies. And, although this is more for day 2, the audio of her call to the detective is pretty bad for her case. Why call the cops and dig for details you created? Looks bad… Defense has an uphill battle; juries hate liars.

          • Jason,

            If juries hate liars, I wonder how they will feel about Travis. I think it looks bad for him. Jody can explain her lies and even retract them. Travis doesn’t have that opportunity, unfortunately. I’d say the prosecution has a more uphill battle. Especially since the lead prosecutor gets so easily frustrated. Hopefully he will work on that. Nobody likes a bully.

            So far, each witness called has worked in favor of the defense.

          • Hopefully, he won’t work on it. The jury didn’t like Jeff Ashton when he laughed at Jose Baez. Ashton was way too confident and it worked against him.

          • Sam, I disagree. People have this tendency to forgive the dead. You can’t really retract a lie in terms of repairing your credibility; it’s just another in a long line of story changes at that point. And, to do that, JA’d have to take the stand. That’s a BAD idea in almost every case. I think it’s a horrible idea here. And, although he seems to act, uh, like a lawyer, I still haven’t personally perceived him as a bully. Sam, you clearly have your mind made up if you see the openings and every witness as better for the defense. Almost no trial is that one-sided. Got a case of confirmation bias, maybe?

            No one but JA knows that relationship or what really happened that day. Let’s wait to see what the jury does.

          • Jason, I agree that it would be a terrible idea for Jodi to take the stand.

            I haven’t made up my mind quite yet – I’m just speaking from what I’ve seen so far. I guess that could seem like I’ve made up my mind but you’d be incorrect. Initially I thought Jodi was guilty. After opening statements and the first two witnesses (not every witness, since the trial has only begun), my mind changed. It might change again.

            I’m not surprised you don’t see the prosecutor as a bully. You seem to have no trouble with using some aggression yourself.

          • Really, Sam? You read into the tone of my posts the way you read into the “facts” in this case. Good advocacy can seem aggressive I suppose.

            That said, I was admittedly aggressive w/ MM for good reason. Another life is @ stake.

          • Jason in CA, I just wanna say I don’t think you are being “aggressive” in order to be a bully. I think that was uncalled for and I thought people here were allowed to provide views and debate ideas without getting called names or getting personal with the poster. To me, that is exactly what the ‘knuckle-draggers’ do on those pro-prosection sites that want nothing more than to hang Jodi by the nearest rafter if you DARE have an opinion different from theirs. Sorry, this made me angry. You are being “aggressive” in your thoughts about the trial for the very reason it REQUIRES being aggressive and looking at the case hard and with realistic expectations. If Jodi is going to be saved from the death penalty, we cannot just see things through our own biased filters that say everything about the victim is horrible and everything about the accused is wonderful. THE very best way to support Ms. Arias is to have an open mind, know how the prosecution will be thinking, know how the jury may be thinking, know what constitutes common sense in the minds of “some” and what does not AND most importantly, potentially provide her defense with an insight as to how to move forward. Maybe this is hubris-tic (word?) of me, but I read Mr Baez monitored blogs during the trial and it affected his defense strategy. The defense should know how others outside the defense could be perceiving the information they are hearing. (BTW, that includes BOTH seeing it in the way that one person did on here AND the way Jason of CA saw it). Because sometimes being to “close’ to the story (her defense team) can lead them to not know about areas they can easily, later address that solves the problem.

        • Hey Sam,

          I pulled this comment by one of Travis friends off a support page because it angered me, It read:

          “Let me just clarify something. There were several of us (Travis’ friends) who liked Jodi at first (including Sky — who just gave me permission to speak on her behalf) but it didn’t take long to realize that Jodi was “off”. I can say confidently that Sky never thought Jodi was marriage material. Just trust me on this and keep watching. Sky told Jodi at one point (and later told Travis that she said this), “Travis is not going to commit to you so it might be a good idea to move on.” Obviously that didn’t happen.”

          Imagine being around judgmental folks like these WHILE in a secret relationship with their friend? These friends ENABLED Travis and his misogynistic ways and did a play a minor role in what occurred on the 4th of June. They should have stayed out of it, showed someone compassion and minded their own business. If this is what THAT religion is about, I want no part in it or ppl involved in it.

          I know you’ll get me on this Sam. Everyone else, If I offended I’m sorry. This will hopefully be my only rant.

          • I get it, CJ. From my perspective, Mormonism contains a lot of judgement and a lot of secrecy. It’s no surprise that carries forward to how people interact with each other.

          • Real Christians do not judge people. Judge Not Lest Ye be Judged. Just cause you go to church on sunday doesn’t make you a christian either. It’s how you live and treat others.

          • @Jon, I couldn’t agree more. We are simply called to love others the same way Jesus loved us – unconditionally and without limit. Self-righteousness is the antithesis of that and a pitfall.

          • Jeez, you all must know better Christians than I’ve met. Most of ’em that I know aren’t all that Christ-like at all. They’re way too human for that. Besides, I believe that principles from religions are a target the religious aspire too but seldom consistently achieve. Look at the history of many of the saints for lots of dramatic examples.

          • Ha Jason. I didn’t indicate I know a lot of Christians like that. Jon made a very astute observation highlighting the major distinctions between true Christians and those who tend to be more Christian in name only. I followed that up with my observation about the root cause, self-righteousness.

            Pride was the first sin, and remains the single biggest obstacle and challenge to living a genuinely Christian life, but many refuse see it.

          • Fair enough! As one who is non-religious, I’ve always simply relied on my conscience and a sense of basic human kindness to interact w/ others. That’s my bias, of course.

  5. I agree with you, CJ and Firefox. I think the defense is likely trying for a second-degree murder conviction and that they are hoping to get the death penalty/lwop off the table.

    Obviously it’s very early in the case, and I don’t want to make any judgments without hearing all of the evidence. The usual pro-prosecution boards have already declared this a slam-dunk, but we saw how well that worked out when they tried Casey in the court of public opinion. They’ll never learn their lesson.

    • yes the pro pros board irritate me that way. I wonder if they have ever entertained the possibility that a person was innocent until proven guilty. I mean they still think Amanda Knox is guilty, nevermind the evidence to the contrary.

      • Innocent until proven guilty is a great idea, but I think most folks don’t actually think that way. Lot’s of folks are all about, “Where there’s smoke there’s fire.”. Also neuroscience has taught us that we humans FEEL first and THINK second, and emo is far more powerful than logic. The former is inherent to being human; the latter is learned & takes practice and a lot of mental discipline.

  6. That brutality is also the state’s justification for pursuing the death penalty. That wounds in the back are going to be difficult to address, as is the throat cutting & gunshot to the head. Especially w/ no physical evidence of her being beaten. They will have to address these things for the jury. I have to assume they’re gonna put her on the stand. It seems that there’s not much aside from that to support her sd claim. The problem there is the cross examination by the DA. THAT will be brutal if it occurs.

    • Take a look at her permanently deformed hand, where he broke her finger in one of his many angry outbursts.

      Q. Why wasn’t it set?
      A. She didn’t go to the hospital that’s why. She was protecting him.

      Q. Why didn’t she go to the hospital???
      A. Because a report would be made that could lead back to him and he knew it.
      Jodi is an artist. Her hands are a critical element in her life. Not only is she a photographer, she is also a painter.

      I personally witnessed the purple finger shaped bruises on her neck. She originally claimed was from a seat belt. Later, after much debate, she admitted they were from him. She assured me that: “He is a good man” and “He didn’t mean it”.

      In one of our many conversations, I asked her why she wouldn’t “Just leave him.”
      She said: “I can’t leave him, you don’t understand, I’ve tried. He wont let me!” She refused to elaborate.

      I was Jodi’s boyfriend for around two years and in that time, she wouldn’t so much as squish a bug. I caught her on many occasions, fishing bugs out of the tub, so they wouldn’t get washed down the drain. She had this crazy neurotic cat, that would flip out and attack her for no reason and she didn’t so much as swat it. Jodi is NOT a violent person!

      When we ended our relationship, I was living and working at a distance. During that period, I began spending time with a colleague. One of my douche bag coworkers decided to “inform” her. There was lots of crying, many talks and a few letters. She was NEVER VIOLENT in any way. We remained friends and since then, she had a few other relationships ending with Travis. I personally know the man she was with before Travis. He and Jodi maintained a friendly relationship after they parted. He also had NO issues with violence. So why now? What changed?

      Before Jodi was arrested we would talk on a regular basis. I am one of her longest lasting friends and former lovers. I could be a important character witness. At one point, I asked Jodi to leave me out of this situation, so as not draw attention to myself or my new family and since then, she has.

      Her life is on the line. She could get the death penalty. Yet she’s made it a point not to involve me.
      Why? Because I asked her not to….

      That is the kind of person Jodi is!

      • MM, I think you’d make an excellent character witness, and Jodi needs that because none of Travis’s friends or associates who will be testifying ever cared much for her even before this happened.

        She only had 2 supporters sitting in the courtroom rows reserved for her yesterday, so if you live within a reasonable distance, you might also think about attending the proceedings in person.

        If you choose to do either, please keep us updated here and thanks.

      • Thanks for sharing MM. It’s really good to hear from someone who actually knew her. She clearly was obsessed with Travis though. You have to admit that. She followed him on dates, slashed his tires, snuck into his house and slept on his couch. All of which she has not denied. At least not yet. They had a relationship that neither one shared with anyone else. Obviously. i don’t think Travis was a perfect little mormon boy. I also don’t think he deserved what he got. The biggest problem for me is if it’s self-defense, why did she come with a gun and a knife? You said she couldn’t even hurt a bug, but did she carry a gun when she was with you? That’s the part that’s hard for me to wrap my head around. Hoping you can shed some light on it.

        • Unfortunately, I live quite a few states away and cannot afford to fly back and forth. I did speak with her previous attorneys, at that time Jodi was making some bad decisions in her case. It was then that I requested not to be “dragged” into it.

          • In cases like this, if a witness is legit, the defense would fly you to AZ. Your story isn’t passing the smell test. Read my other post below as well.

            Are you a liar or a bitter ex or a coward willing to see an innocent person die from your inaction? Which is it?

          • Jason, I like how direct you are. What am I?

            1. I am a man with a family who comes first. Yes even before Jodi.
            Your right Jason they will pay for the plane ticket but nothing else. My job may not be waiting for me when I get back. My first obligation is to my family.

            2. I was asked if I would lie for Jodi. I said yes. So yes, that makes a me liar. That’s probably why they haven’t called me.

          • MM,
            I appreciate your honesty as well. How will your family interpret your integrity? In the end, you’ve gotta sleep w/ this at night. It’s gonna weigh heavily if she gets the needle.

            You’re right, though, the moment you (honestly) admit dishonesty, you’re more of a danger than benefit to the defense. At least you were honest w/ them.

            Good call on her lawyer’s part.

            Why lie for her, though, if the facts already support her?

          • Jason,

            My reason for posting was to give a more accurate vision of Jodi’s true character. Given that this is a Jodi Arias support site. Many people who know and love Jodi are afraid to come forward.

            I feel it necessary to clarify one thing. It wasn’t her attorneys who asked me if I would lie for her. it was the Investigator who asked that question.

            As for my Integrity, My family comes first. I’ll live with the rest.

            I whole heartily believe, she will NOT be convicted.

            I was asked not to post anything more, so this will be my last post.

          • You tell your family how you let someone care for die. Jodi could lose and it would be on your head. I’m sorry but this makes me mad. M&M’s story does not add up. I don’t believe it. I couldn’t sleep at night if it were me. You really don’t care anything about Jodi. Sad.

      • Wow! That’s really important info for her defense. Have you contacted her attorneys? You should. Putting your info out on the net and not before the jury is irresponsible. You should be on your way to AZ RIGHT NOW! Regardless of Jodi’s wishes to not involve you, I believe you have a duty here to come forward. Her life is in danger. That trumps your/her personal wishes to stay out of this. In fact, her attorneys could simply subpoena you if they knew your story (and it appears credible enough).

        This assumes you are telling the truth. Be brave. Have honor. Come forward!

        • Jason as I have spoke with her attorneys and investigators. Unfortunately at that time Jodi was not making the best decisions for her case. There are things I deliberately didn’t share. So I am not considered a reliable witness.

          • Good not to show up then. Reliability and credibility are always relevant in court.

            If her attorneys won’t use you, I must doubt the voracity of your claims. Perhaps you should deliberately not share any of your “information.”

          • MM: first you say you cannot afford to fly back and forth then you say they’ll pay for it. Then you say you would lie for Jodi. So, how are we to believe anything you say about her. You are an admitted liar. I see that you were trying to she’d light on what you know about her. Perhaps, you should have said nothing. You left us all, I believe, wondering what to believe. Why would you have to lie for someone if they were as wonderful as you claim? What would there be to lie about? Why would you tell an investigator you would lie? It makes no sense. You would jeopardize yourself committing perjury for Jodi, risking jail time in which you’d surely lose your job. But you won’t go testify and asked to be left out of it for fear of losing your job. If your family comes first and they should, why would you lie for another women. It all sounds like a bunch of crazy nonsense to me. Sorry to be mean but you should have thought about what you were saying before you said it. You should never have posted to begin with. You said too much and are doing nothing with the information you have. It’s very disturbing!

          • You hit the nail on the head about MM, Interesting. Makes you wonder if MM is who they said at all… MM had all the consistency problems that JA has created for her defense by opening her mouth too much. That said, maybe they are friends; at least birds of a feather when it comes to opening their mouths & then stepping in it. If MM is real, they certainly would be no help to JA’s case at all.

          • Hello MM –

            I know who you are and that you worked with Jodi and were her bf when you both worked at Ventana. If you have anything that would help Jodi’s case you need to make the effort and help her. You at least need to let the court know that you saw bruising, plus if you have anything in writing (you know what I mean and from who) you need to bring it out. I know you were recently married and live in the midwest now.

          • Zan, check out MM’s posts. He says he spoke to a defense investigator & was determined to have credibility issues due to admittedly being a liar. I’m doubting his entire story b/c that info is so terribly important to the defense, & they’d have him in AZ now if his story held water AT ALL.

            &, he’s said he’s done posting here.

          • I know exactly who this is. He was approached by the prosecution investigators also – for sure. As far as his credibility – who knows. I believe he is writing here because he feels guilty not properly helping Jodi with the info he wrote on this blog – and needs an outlet. I believe what he has written is true – based on following this case since March 2009, and knowing his identity.

          • Also mm, if you were such a friend, why did you stop contacting her? She was trying to reach you for months. You just moved without writing her your new address – how is Kansas by-the-way?

          • I’ll tell you who knows about his credibility: the defense and, according to you, the prosecution, as well. He can’t call himself as a witness. If he was remotely credible, he’d be on the witness list already.

      • MM: if you care about her why not take the stand? i realize being dragged into it could change yourlife but, if you feel you truly know her why wouldnt you want to help save her life? You could give comments on your opinion of her. however, i feel if you didnt abuse her then you wouldnt know how she acted to that situation. shes saying TA was abusive so the actions and attitudes may be completely different from what you were accustomed to seeing. Maybe she didnt have the same love for you and the other men as she did Travis and maybe she became infactuated with him. Maybe her defense team doesn’t want to call all her ex boyfriends as to not show her to the jury being with many different men. I keep saying maybe because obviously I have no clue. I wasn’t there and don’t know her.

        I’m confused. She was not with him they broke up. She lived hours away.if she was abused why continue to go back there? I know it’s hard for women to leave their abusers but this case is different in that they didn’t live together and she lived several hours away. He was dating other woman so it wasnt a matter of just her anymore. So why drive over there if he’s abusing you when you do?also, if she was defending herself what were her injuries ie. self defense wounds. I haven’t heard anything about TA using the same level of force as she did. Why the need to stab him that many times then slice his throat and Shoot him? It sounds like a crime of passion. If I can’t have you no one will. And the million dollar question of why not call the police after killing him if it were self defense? I’m trying to make sense of it and I can’t. There’s so many whys? I feel if she’s telling the truth why not take the stand? If the prosecution try’s tearing her apart it wouldn’t work if she were telling the truth. And if she’s lying she seems good at it so why not take the stand if your a good Lier a juror may believe it. If the defense can answer the whys of most people questions she has a shot other than that I think she’s gonna be found guilty. I think if she had had stab wounds herself people would be more apt to believe her. It’s hard to when she really didn’t have anything wrong with her.

        • Interesting: You raise valid questions. However, I must address your idea that if she’s innocent and telling the truth, she should take the stand. Any barely competent lawyer can make anyone, truthful or not, look bad on cross examination. That’s because of the rules of court on cross examination. It’s generally only a last resort, & most defense attorneys NEVER do it regardless of their client’s guilt or innocence.

          In this case, I think it’d be a complete disaster.

          • Jason,

            Aren’t there cases where it behooves a person to take the stand? The pundits have said she will “have” to take the stand.

            Also, the body language experts are saying her tears are fake etc. I’m starting to think these body language experts are charlatans. She clearly looked upset most of trial so far. What is your take on her body language, crying etc?

          • Taking the stand is generally only a last resort, but it does happen. As far as body language “experts” go, I think they’re kinda full of shit. There’s not a ton of truly scientific work out there. It’s terribly difficult to control for variables the way real science demands to study human behavior. You end up w/ lots of anecdotal evidence but not much else.

            Remember the Ramsey case? The couple who had their daughter killed in their home in CO years ago. People and “experts” freaking crucified those folks due to a perceived inadequate or insufficiently emo response during interviews.

          • CJ,

            Body language, crying, etc.

            During the ME testimony on day 3–long after the above comments were made, of course–I see JA doing a lot of crying, and feeling pain about the proceedings. (I know there have been a flurry of comments judging the way she dresses, when she does and doesn’t wear glasses, when she smiles, and certainly when she cries) However, I think the following is very telling.

            During the course of the trial, there are numerous times when TA’s sisters are crying, and it gets so bad they have to leave the courtroom. The aspect of this that is significant to me is that after leaving the room, the sisters do not peak back in the door every time the ME is discussing a new slide.

            Contrast that with JA. Although JA can’t leave the courtroom, she is crying, in pain, and looking away during much of the ME’s testimony.

            Guess what though, and this seems significant to me, she cannot help but look at each and every autopsy slide as it is introduced on the projector. That strikes me as very significant. (I hope someone doesn’t say her counsel told her she HAD to look at each slide just in case she has a comment about it)

      • Also, if he broke her finger and marked up her neck I can’t imagine what you wouldn’t be called to say that especially since she didn’t go to a dr. That would help show the jury previous abuse which could keep her off death row. I think that even if there were abuse previously and just an argument that day about a camera falling I don’t think you can defend yourself in such a brutal way. The gun being stolen from her grandparents a week prior is tricky too. Although they can’t prove it was her and that was the gun because they don’t have the gun it will still stick in the jury’s mind I think. And a jury member is allowed to believe or not believe what they see and hear and I’m thinking they will have questions in their mind about that as far as premeditation. The long sleeve shirt the next day and the hair color change along with the upside down license plate is weird too. So many strange things that will have to be explained away if they want the jury to keep her off death row.

      • MM: you asking her not to call you shows alot about your character. It doesn’t make sense why you wouldn’t help save you friends life to protect yourself from media or people’s opinions. It’s disgusting of you if your telling the truth. How do you sleep at night. Someone should contact her defense team and show them your post so they can subpoena you. It shouldn’t even be a choice for you at this point. How do you sleep at night? I don’t believe you. I believe if she had ever told anyone of such instances she would have made it known to her attorneys and you’d be called. Trust me, she’s not that nice that she’ll go sit on death row to save you from testifying. Please you want us to believe that. At this point she’d give anything to save herself, come on, really?

        • I agree. You have to come foward with what you know. Jodi’s life is on the line and her death would be on your hands. I don’t understand how you do not come forward. How can you let this happen?
          I don’t believe you are telling the truth either. Interesting is right How do you sleep at night? If Jodi loses and gets put to death I hope she haunts you for the rest of your life!

          • I agree w/ Jon & Interesting above. MM is either a liar or a terribly irresponsible coward. Both are unacceptable in this case. The injury evidence is VITAL to the defense.

            Of course, the beauty of the net is that one can say anything w/o accountability. If what MM says is true (& I have to admit doubt), MM is essentially a turd who’s hung their ex out to dry (and face the needle).

            Maybe MM is bitter over the breakup. Maybe MM wants to see JA punished due to her rejecting him for TA.

            Prove us wrong, MM. If you actually can. If not, you are a liar, and you’re actually hurting the defense!

      • I understand your concerns about losing your job. In this economy, you do have to think of your family. But did you know that you cannot be fired when called to testify? You absolutely can not be fired when following orders through a subpoena. I understand the media will be a pain in your butt and life will be very uncomfortable but your job will be there when you get back and they cannot make up a reason to fire you for at least four months after your return.

        • It’s no use. This guy has his mind made up. The good news: he’s an admitted liar and thus would only hurt the defense.

    • Did she shoot or stab first? I missed the plot on that one. He was defending himself right, even trying to grab the knife? Does anyone know at what point during the altercation that happened? At what point was Travis down so to speak.

      • They’re saying the gunshot was post-mortem & non-fatal. The bullet went in the temple, behind his eyes & nose, & lodged in the cheek. Usually means fired from an angle from above. They theorize that the heart penetrating stab &/or the throat slash killed him. The Defense will have to provide the jury w/ some explanation for th other 25 stab wounds, especially the nine in the upper back.

        • Jason bare with me as I’m thinking aloud. Do you think the defense will try and say the progression of stab wounds shows a violent struggle? I keep trying to picture how someone could stab someone so many times when defending themselves. Could she have stabbed him so many times because he was fighting back to the point had he gotten hold of the knife she would have been dead? Do the stab wounds progressively get worse?

          • They will likely argue that she was soooo in fear of this clearly larger, stronger, more powerful person that she was making sure she was safe. It would help her case if there were med records of injuries on JA. I don’t know about the wound progression. The DA will cite the apparent ferocity of the attack & call it a crime of hate-fueled passion (or the like). Just my opinion… We shall see.

          • If you go to his my space page there is an image of his bicep
            someone posted it is 16 1/2″ circumference
            He was also a proponent of mixed martial arts

  7. The Defense charges that Jodi was controlled and abused by Travis. Jodi said Travis made her wear a T-Shirt that said “I am Travis’s”. This T-Shirt is being admitted into evidence.

    • Actually, a photo of Jodi wearing the shirt was shown, but, as yet, I don’t think the shirt is in evidence.

      • According to an article I read the shirt was shown to the jury and a picture of her wearing the shirt. Read my post below.

  8. Correction : The shirt read “Travis Alexanders”. The shirt was showed to the jury. Jodi’s lawyer said to the jury “This an example of how Travis treated her like he owned her.”

  9. Jon,

    Thanks for saying what I was thinking about Christianity. Yesterday, I attacked the Mormon religion which was wrong. I should have attacked organized religion because all of it has the judgement element within the subcultures. As a person who believes I think of the verse, pull the plank out of your eye before your point out the splinter in someone else’s.

    Jodi was a new believer in that church and should have been being looked after by female “sisters” in the faith. I do know that religion is suppose to teach, look after and watch over new members where it seems to me, she was judged, critiqued, reviewed, insulted, talked about etc….

    I guess that”s why shrinks label spiritual abuse, spritual abuse. LOL

  10. Does anyone know why the trial could last until April? Even Casey’s trial took about five weeks if I remember correctly. I don’t think Jodi can afford expert witnesses like Casey did so why is it expected to take this long? Perhaps, because two days a week they are off? But even then, it seems like a lot.

    • Experts could take awhile, but my guess is 10 weeks or less. We’ll see if I eat my words (wouldn’t be the 1st time).

  11. I want to address the question being raised about why a woman would continue to travel to see a person they clearly state is abusing them. A woman in this situation, does not react or think like a ‘normal’ person would. When the abuser apologizes, the victim truly believes it.

    In my experience and opinion, a verbal fight can quickly turn physical with just a word. I’ve known women who will fight back, will talk back and will say they are done one day with conviction, only to turn around the next and say they were wrong, that they were making a big deal out of nothing.

    I suspect Jodi felt powerless to leave Travis no matter where he lived. When he initiated contact she perceived as positive or hopeful, her mindset changed. The fact that she moved back to Cali tells me she was really trying to move on and negates the stalker persona issue.

    Also, this is just my opinion, but I believe Travis called her a stalker to his friends and dates as a cover. He didn’t want their judgement. He wanted to find a nice Mormon wife so what better way to convince everyone he’s not seeing jodi by calling her a stalker! So maybe Jodi did go through his phone. As the prosecutor said, “she just couldn’t help herself” about five times. Really?? IMO, that does not indicate she was stalking him. How many women have we known that have checked a bf’s phone when he wasn’t looking? And vice versa? That example showed the mistrust and dysfunction but to me, didn’t show she was a stalker and it was a tenuous connection at best.

    But the whole Jodi is a stalker thing was a cover as they were seeing each other.

    Also, the indictment is for murder 1 or felony murder. The felony murder means that a murder was committed during a burglary. How can the prosecutor contend that when Travis let jodi in?

    • Cj, I hope they call experts on abuse. If it was easy for a victim of domestic abuse to leave there wouldn’t be a need for shelters or organizations which protect the victims of abuse.

      I didn’t buy the ‘she just couldn’t help herself’ lines. It appears she was clever to go through his phone.

      I don’t understand the burglary stuff. I think it has something to do with her having a weapon when she entered the home?

      • I am really scared for Jodi. I hope the jury sees the abuse she went through. Some will say if she was being abused she could of just left him but thats not so easy to do. Jodi felt trapped. This reminds me of
        Susan Wright she said her husband abused her and she killed him to protect her 2 children but the jury
        found her guilty. Any mother would do anything to protect her children.

        • How do you know what JA thought and felt, Jon? Really, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?

          W/ regard to the dv/abuse theory: it’s the only thing the defense can use here, reasonably. The problem is that it usually requires a significant history of abuse be proven. That means years of profound abuse. JA says they dated seriously for only 5 mo. Weirdly enough, it’d be helpful for the D to show that she was a victim of abuse in prior relationships, & was therefore especially vulnerable to TA’s alleged abuse.

          • That’s what I would do if I were her defense team Jason. I’d try and show that she suffered ongoing abuse going from one relationship to the next. Yet that would be really difficult for a defense team don’t you think? I would be putting all ex bf’s on trial in a sense.

          • I know someone who was abused. Jodi seems scared to me. I can read that in her. I’m just real sensitive about abuse.

          • @Jon, to be fair and impartial, recall Jodi 4 years ago right after she killed Travis. She was calm, cool, collected, unflappable. Fast forward 4 years later, and what you see on her face is a realization of the hole she’s dug for herself, and I’m not referring to just Travis either.

          • Foxfire, Do you think Jodi is Guilty? I think she is innocent. All, I see in her how scared she is.

          • @Jon, I’m not sure what you mean by guilty. Jodi has admitted killing Travis. I’m having a bit of a time coming to terms with the brutality with which she attacked him and her subsequent behavior, but we’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of learning the facts and evidence of her case, so I haven’t drawn any hard conclusions yet. I totally agree with you that she seems scared, and depressed too I think.

          • CJ, you’re right. The ex-bfs would likely not testify in order to avoid incriminating themselves. Perhaps if JA had a counselor who could speak to a history of abuse & vulnerability.

          • Once again, Jon, you’re a mind-reader. Or is it an empath? Sorry, am I too aggressive? Just trying to point out that none of us truly know what happened other than she admitted to killing him and then told the media multiple detailed versions of the events before the sd version.

            I’m not trying to pick on you. I’m just fascinated by human certainty without personal 1st-hand knowledge. However, that’s what this discussion is all about! I’m glad you’re here:)

          • I’m not a mind reader or feeling her pain. I have a lot of questions too. People said how could Casey do this or act this way and it all came out because of the abuse she suffered. But, these two cases are nothing alike. There are some similarities though.

    • The burg comes from entering the dwelling of another w/ intent to commit a felony, of which murder is. Goes w/ the premeditation theory of the state. Legal definition stuff…

  12. Okay people I admit I am very bad. I did not see the first two days of the trial. Is there anywhere there could be a link to watch and backtrack?
    That said, I do not think that Ms Arias did this. As Judge Judy says ” if it doesn’t make sense, it must be a lie”. What does not make sense to me is 1) TA had two roommates that never noticed any kind of funky smell for more than five days after he was supposed to have gone to Mexico.
    2) These same roommates did not notice his car was there.
    3)TA and JA were supposed to be meeting secretly yet all his friends pointed a finger at her straight away. How did they know that they were still seeing each other? If the roommates were there when TA took JA back to his place, then their meetings could not have been such a secret and in that case who were they being kept secret from? Have they proved beyond a reasonable doubt that it was indeed JA that slashed his tires?

      • Forgot to mention.. when you open that page, scroll to the bottom and begin reading there. The chronological order begins at the bottom and finishes at the top.

        • Thanks for the link. I generally try to stay away from HLN, for obvious reasons, but I’ll check this out. Hopefully TruTV will rebroadcast the first couple of days. I don’t need analysts telling me what to think, I’d rather hear the testimony and opening statements and make up my own mind.

  13. Ok I want to have a somewhat open mind here, as a woman that was in abusive relationship I can’t wrap my brain around killing another. WAIT hear me out before you bash me! I’ve have cracked ribs, fractured cheek bone, busted lips & many other things. It alters a persons spirit, simply does but I can not ever imagine taking another’s life & honestly the overkill is so disturbing to me. Am I really the only that sees that?? Granted the good guy image is just that he’s having premarital sex ect but him being killed like that isn’t merited either. I’m a strong minded woman & now would never tolerate any mess as I did in my 20’s but know this as a woman that lived it killing has never, not once, crossed my mind. If she was abused she could have just not driven hours to see him, she could’ve dropped him or asked for help. I’m certain of this fact..if she was abused by him then her family knew something was “off”. Mine did & I never told them! Theres only so many times you can say you fell down before they realize something’s not adding up. No one deserves to be hit & abused but no one deserves to die as he did either. Are there any pics of her with injuries that can be linked to him? Even so I can’t justify the death & as I stated before the overkill is scary..that was no longer self defense with his throat is slit, stabbed & shot.

    • Jodi’s lawyer said if Jodi hadn’t fought back she wouldn’t be here defending herself today. She would be dead. You wouldn’t fight back? You would just let someone kill you? If a man hits a woman and tries to kill her he deserves whatever he gets. Maybe, you should have fought back.

      • Jon, Travis was unarmed. Jodi had both a knife and a gun. What is it about Jodi that prompts you to overlook the savagery of her attack as if it’s beside the point? I am truly at a loss to understand that. Do you have a crush on her or something?

          • I just did Jon. You basically give Jodi a green light and pass for what she did to Travis even if all he did was hit her, which we don’t even know. I find that scary.

      • Wow. Your insensitivity to someone’s personal experience is a testament to you character. Your tag is “Jon” which is pretty plainly anonymous. Are you actually one of JA’s friends or ex lovers? Just curious. It’d explain some things.

    • You are not alone Confused. To be perfectly frank, the brutality of the overkill causes me to feel physically sick as I sit listening to and following the court proceedings.

      I am not prepared to reach any conclusions about the self defense claims yet because Jodi’s thought process is still a mystery to me.

      But I can say that regardless of what Jodi’s perceived reality is/was, I have the growing realization that she is a deeply, deeply disturbed woman, and has been for far longer than her relatively brief association with Travis can realistically explain.

      • So, now Jodi is disturbed for defending herself. Yes it was extreme but maybe she had no choice.

        • Food for thought. I wouldn’t be too hasty to jump on anyone who tries coming up with a rational explanation for Jodi’s behavior aside from her self-defense claim, because objective, reality based thinking may be the only thing that saves her life in the end. No one is going to sentence someone who they feel isn’t in their right mind to death.

  14. Jon I stated clearly it breaks a persons spirit or did you gloss over that point?? I could say that if I killed my husband than it’s self defense due to I have evidence..I also want to point out I make zero excuses for his actions, none! I didn’t do anything to merit what I received. I love how you give Jodi ALL the leeway in the world for her actions yet I have lived thru it & your reply is ‘maybe you should’ve fraught back’. Unmm to kill my kids father?!? No thanks I have a soul that wouldn’t allow me to do that. My situation did work out he got help its been over 9 years since he’s even raised his voice because as I stated my family & friends figured it out QUICKLY & my dad explained there’s dirt roads he could be left on because I was not born to take his abuse, no he wouldn’t have killed him but im sure he wouldn’t beat his..yeah! As a victim myself I want to give her some benifit of doubt but prisons are full of ‘innocent/born again/reformed’ people. Ted Bundy had women still writing him & wanted him even knowing he was a monster! There’s a odd attraction for some in prison I truly hope that’s not clouding your judgement. Again if all you got out of my points is Jodi had right to kill well news flash her defense lawyer is PAID to say she would’ve been killed by Him. There’s an old saying I’ve always heard why would you show up to a fist fight with a gun,ammo & knife? One who MAY have planned it. Im not judging her since I’m not on the jury it’s the common sense of the fact it’s SERIOUS OVERKILL. If they struggled & he was stabbed 1-2 times it’s more believable IMO. FOXFIRE-yes I agree with you her actions are questionable. Fact is at the end of the day 2 families are devastated. The overkill is not playing into her favor IMO.

    • Your husband deserves to be in jail for the rest of his life for what he did to you. I don’t care if he is a changed man and hasn’t raised his voice in nine years. You are way too forgiving. If my father beat my mother I would never forgive him or want anything to do with him father or not.

      • I’m not blaming you for not fighting back, How would your kids have felt if that monster would have killed you? I’m sorry but your husband is a monster.

  15. Jon I had to realize that he & I were raised differently…totally different. He was raised in the fighting, beating & chaos, that was his reality. I was raised in a peaceful home that worst happened was my parents divorced. I never feared for my life to make that clear..I certainly didn’t deserve what he did though. Thankfully he’s honest & our grown kids knows how wrong he was & how it’s totally unacceptable. My mother was beaten as a child too but never hit us. If you’re truly abused your family figures it out fast! No matter how much you lie. So my point is there anything that’s documented before this that happened to Jodi? Other than the paid defense attorney stating she would’ve been killed if she hadn’t killed. Anything? Pics? Text? Anything at all? I’m open minded but I don’t see it. Overkill is disturbing.

    • It has only been 5 days into the trial. More will come out about the abuse Jodi suffered when the defense has their turn. Jodi is like Casey in the way she hid her abuse. I see so many similarities between Jodi and Casey in regards to the abuse they both suffered, although Casey’s was sexual and mental not physical.

    • The family didnt know from what I understand. But i dont see that as unusual. I was in that situation and I didnt tell. Yes my family thought something was wrong, but I didnt want to talk about it because I knew my family wouldnt like him anymore. Sometimes, sadly, victims protect the abuser like that.

      • CJ, isn’t it typical of victims of abuse to protect the abuser? I wish the defense would have asked that of Detective Flores.

    • I think the the emails with the name calling shows abuse. As you know verbal abuse precedes physical in some abuse situations. Thanks for sharing your story.

  16. I’m listening to day 1 again. Mimi is testifying about the stalker issue. She says she is scared about this and its a serious matter. I noticed something I missed before. She told Travis to get a restraining order but he never did and he later told not to be afraid of the stalker. Why would Travis tell her he has a stalker and this stalker has followed them on dates and she knows who Mimi is, but then say don’t be afraid? That makes no sense at all.
    Liar that he is, he told her don’t be afraid because he knew it was not real and that Mimi was never in any danger.
    I love Nurmi and how he operates. He asks tough questions but does it with respect and never talks down to the witnesses like Martinez the frog does. Nurmi’s style is methodical, professional and I really hope he presents the closing arguments for Jodi.

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