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“Picture Perfect” CBS 48 Hours, 3/7/2009

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CBS 48 Hours – “Picture Perfect”, The Documentary, 3/7/2009:

[hdplay id=17 width=500 height=300]

Note: We do not own copyright to the above video. It is included here for reference purposes only as it relates directly to this site.

TRANSCRIPT:

00:00:13    >> I’ve always had my camera, always.

00:00:15    So it goes everywhere I go.

00:00:19    My name is jody arias.

00:00:21    I’m an artist and a photographer.

00:00:26    I’m very comfortable being behind the camera and not at all used to being in front of the camera.

00:00:30    Sometimes life requires you to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, and that’s kind of the reason why I’m here right now.

00:00:39    It was hard to tell travis no.

00:00:41    >> Such a great person.

00:00:44    Always willing to help.

00:00:47    >> One of the few people on the planet that really, really had a good heart.

00:00:52    >> He comes kind of walking toward me like an arrow and sticks his hand right out and ” >> he met a really cool girl and he was excited about her.

00:01:00    >> He wanted to be married, he wanted to have kids.

00:01:02    He wanted to be the typical mormon family.

00:01:05    >> It was a core piece of travis’ belief to not have any kind of sexual relations with anyone you’re not married to.

00:01:13    >> She tried being the perfect mormon girl.

00:01:15    When that didn’t get him, then she tried the sex.

00:01:20    >> I think there was a sense of guilt for the way we were acting, and at the same time, again, there was just a lack of discipline.

00:01:28    >> I think she was basically just like a drug den.

00:01:31    >> 911 Emergency.

00:01:35    >> I’m detective esteban flores, and I’m the lead investigator in the travis alexander homicide case.

00:01:44    We believe that there might have been two, three intruders, maybe it was a robbery.

00:01:49    One of the items that we recovered from the house was a digital camera.

00:01:57    What we found was a series of photos.

00:01:59    >> These were all intimate, private moments between two adults.

00:02:05    >> The theory is that jody arias showed up during that time they took photographs of each other and something happened.

00:02:12    >> There were two individuals walking towards us, and I just heard a loud bang, and travis was screaming.

00:02:20    >> There were several photos which were out of focus, dark.

00:02:24    Those photos were of travis alexander during the time he was being killed.

00:02:31    >> My brother was shot and stabbed multiple times.

00:02:33    His throat was slit.

00:02:36    >> It was the scariest experience of my life.

00:02:38    It just was so unreal.

00:02:39    It was like a movie unfolding.

00:02:41    A horrible movie.

00:02:43    I could think only that is there some way I could get to travis and get us both out of there but it just seemed impossible.

00:02:50    He couldn’t even move.

00:02:52    And I ran downstairs and out of there and I left him there.

00:02:57    >> It was a true whodunit right from the beginning.

00:02:58    We had no idea.

00:02:59    >> I ran out the front door and I got into my car.

00:03:04    I drove forever and ever until i was in the middle of the desert.

00:03:08    The rest of it’s a blur.

00:03:11    My name is jody arias.

00:03:13    I am being accused of murdering my friend, travis alexander.

00:03:20    >> “Picture perfect,” tonight’s ” Captioning sponsored by CBS >>The mystery continues in 90 seconds.

00:05:41    >> Reporter: There are almost 1,000 women housed here at the estrella jail in phoenix, arizona, but only a few have been charged with as serious a crime as 29-year-old jody arias: First-degree murder.

00:05:59    >> I’ve been sitting a lot in my cell thinking what a waste.

00:06:01    You know, I did have my whole future ahead of me.

00:06:04    I had everything to lose and nothing to gain if I were to kill travis.

00:06:12    I loved him.

00:06:13    And I still love him.

00:06:21    >> Reporter: Travis alexander and jodi arias seemed, by all appearances, to be a perfect match.

00:06:28    >> One of the questions we asked him, just totally, you know, kidding around, you know, “is ” >> Reporter: And what did he say?

00:06:34    >> He said, “no, she’s really this nice.

00:06:38    ” >> Reporter: Chris and sky hughes thought their good friend had struck gold when he met jody.

00:06:43    >> We thought they would get married.

00:06:45    >> Reporter: Right away.

00:06:45    >> Right away.

00:06:54    >> Reporter: And jodi was just as lucky to find travis.

00:06:57    ” he refers to himself as the “t.

00:06:59    ” he was so unique and so funny and such a very rare character.

00:07:06    >> You couldn’t not like travis.

00:07:08    He was a really cool guy.

00:07:11    >> Reporter: Living just outside phoenix in mesa, arizona, travis was single, successful, and as a devout mormon, spiritual as well.

00:07:26    It was a good life, a long way from the life he had as a young boy.

00:07:28    >> You know, his upbringing was terrible.

00:07:30    Nobody would want to be raised like he was raised.

00:07:34    >> Reporter: Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks in riverside, california, travis was one of seven kids being raised by parents addicted to crystal meth.

00:07:45    >> Both our parents are pretty poverty stricken, and our parents divorced when we were pretty young.

00:07:52    >> Reporter: Travis’ sister samantha and brother steve.

00:07:56    >> At times, I lived in a tent at a campground with my mom.

00:08:00    >> Reporter: The children were rescued by their grandmother, norma, who took them in and introduced them to the mormon community.

00:08:09    >> Travis raised himself from this darkness, and he became like this bright star.

00:08:12    >> Reporter: Chris hughes, a fellow mormon, was so impressed with travis that he offered him a job, adding travis to his sales team at prepaid legal, , a company that sells legal services insurance to people who can’t afford attorneys.

00:08:30    >> He loved prepaid legal because it was going to allow him to fulfill his dreams, which was to help people.

00:08:34    >> Mr. travis alexander!

00:08:37    (Cheers and applause) >> Reporter: Using the story of his own childhood struggles as a motivational tool, travis quickly climbed the ranks at prepaid legal.

00:08:49    >> He was such a powerful, motivational speaker that, you know, he could move us to tears.

00:08:55    >> Reporter: Travis first sales conference in las vegas and wasted no time introducing himself.

00:09:04    On the surface, it seemed they had little in common.

00:09:06    Jody was raised in the quiet community of yreka in northern california.

00:09:12    >> My childhood was ideal.

00:09:13    I have a big family.

00:09:14    We are all very close.

00:09:16    >> Reporter: But they found a strong connection in their drive to succeed.

00:09:21    Jody was just starting to build her own career as a photographer.

00:09:26    >> We both had a desire to really do amazing things in our lives.

00:09:30    >> Reporter: In no time, jody began to make his world her own.

00:09:33    >> He gave me a copy of the book of mormon and just challenged me to read it.

00:09:40    >> Reporter: Following travis’s lead, jodi converted to the mormon faith.

00:09:48    >> He had grown to mean very much to me.

00:09:51    We began to date officially in february 2007.

00:09:58    You know, we just– we grew closer and closer and it was a natural progression, I think.

00:10:02    It was a serious relationship.

00:10:05    >> Reporter: But this couple had a big obstacle to overcome– 400 miles of open road.

00:10:12    Travis lived in mesa, arizona, while jodi was a five-hour drive away in palm desert, california.

00:10:20    But travis overcame that obstacle as well– he took his relationship with jodi on the road.

00:10:26    >> He called me up one day.

00:10:28    He said, “there’s this great book that I found, and it’s “1,000 places to “” and so we began to check those places off the list one by one.

00:10:39    The first place we saw was the grand canyon.

00:10:43    And that same weekend, we went to sedona.

00:10:45    And we had a lot of fun.

00:10:48    >> Reporter: But it turns out that travis and jodi were doing a lot more than just sightseeing.

00:10:54    >> There was an attraction.

00:10:56    And– you know, it– it found an outlet, on occasion.

00:11:01    >> Reporter: That’s a very creative way of saying it.

00:11:02    ” most young couples would call that “outlet” sex, but for travis and jodi, as devout mormons, sex outside of marriage was taboo.

00:11:12    >> I loved telling all my friends my brother is a 30- year-old virgin.

00:11:17    >> Reporter: Celibacy is one of the basic tenets of the mormon faith, one that, as far as his friends and family knew, travis took very seriously.

00:11:28    >> It was a core piece of travis’ belief to not have any kind of sexual relations with anyone that you’re not married to.

00:11:34    >> Reporter: Taylor searle, brint hiatt and aaron mortenson knew and respected travis as a close friend and fellow mormon.

00:11:42    >> We all looked out for travis.

00:11:43    You know, we wanted him to .. you know, find and .. with a great girl.

00:11:49    >> Reporter: It was important for him to be married to a mormon and to have children and remain in the church?

00:11:57    >> That was always a goal of his, absolutely, to find a girl that was going to be a good match for him and marry her.

00:12:00    >> Reporter: Travis had told his friends he had no intention of marrying jodi.

00:12:06    >> I just didn’t see it going anywhere.

00:12:08    >> Reporter: Which is why they were confused whenever she showed up.

00:12:12    >> When I met jodi, she kind of announced herself as his girlfriend.

00:12:17    And that was a surprise to me at the time because i .. you know, had interest in some other girls.

00:12:27    >> He definitely played the field.

00:12:30    >> Reporter: And jodi was beginning to realize that as well.

00:12:35    >> There’s sort of a distinctive feeling that comes when you have that sneaky suspicion that somebody might be not so monogamous.

00:12:47    >> Reporter: Did you think he was cheating on you?

00:12:48    >> I had a suspicion.

00:12:49    >> I grabbed his phone while he was taking a nap, and I just started reading his text messages.

00:12:52    And I was really shocked with what I found.

00:12:54    >> That’s what basically ended his relationship, whatever it was, with jodi.

00:12:59    >> Reporter: Well, not exactly.

00:13:01    Shortly after their breakup, jodi made a surprising decision.

00:13:07    She packed up her belongings and moved right under travis’ nose, to mesa, arizona– a move, she says, travis strongly encouraged.

00:13:17    >> There were some innuendos, I think, as far as we could still hang out.

00:13:21    >> Reporter: Does “hang out” translate to “have sex”?

00:13:29    ” >> sort of.

00:13:30    >> Reporter: Do you think that he really cared for you?

00:13:33    Or was he just using you?

00:13:35    >> There was maybe a time or two where I did feel used.

00:13:43    But I also had felt that, again, it was mutual.

00:13:45    And that maybe I was using him, just as much.

00:13:46    >> Reporter: As far as anyone could tell, they were just friends.

00:13:48    Their true relationship was still their little secret.

00:13:52    >> Nobody really knows what was going on behind closed bedroom doors, except him and i.

00:13:58    We continued to travel a lot.

00:14:00    We still went on road trips over the weekends.

00:14:06    >> Reporter: And jodi, always with her camera, continued to document their adventures, and occasionally, other exploits as well.

00:14:16    >> We had made videos and things like that.

00:14:18    >> Reporter: Videos of the two of you together?

00:14:19    >> Uh-huh.

00:14:20    >> Reporter: Would they be described as sex videos?

00:14:25    .. yeah.

00:14:28    >> Reporter: This relationship was about sex.

00:14:31    >> It eventually became sex.

00:14:35    >> Reporter: But jodi says that she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with a sexual relationship that seemed to be going nowhere.

00:14:43    >> You know, you love .. it .. you know, it’s .. to think.

00:14:51    “I really love this person, but I know I’m never going to be with him.

00:14:53    And I know I’m not going to ” I knew that I needed to make some changes.

00:14:58    >> Reporter: Early in 2008, jodi did just that.

00:15:01    Doing them both a favor, she moved back home to yreka, leaving mesa and travis behind.

00:15:08    >> When she moved back to california, that’s when it really seemed to him to be a closing point, where, “okay, finally, that chapter of my life is ” >> Reporter: But as it would turn out, the story of travis and jodi was far from over.

00:18:34    k/gç .. he seemed genuinely excited when he told me that she had moved to california.

00:18:54    .. you know, jodi finally left.

00:18:56    >> Reporter: With jodi arias a thousand miles away back home in yreka, travis alexander’s friends believed that he was finally done with her, once and for all.

00:19:09    >> He was telling me about the conversation he had .. with jodi, where he told her, “you know, it’s over.

00:19:13    I never want to see you again.

00:19:15    ” >> Reporter: But according to jodi, there was a big difference between what travis said and what travis did.

00:19:26    >> He would call me at night.

00:19:29    And he would tell me the .. the things that he would like to see happen when he came up to visit me, to put it in a g- rated manner.

00:19:41    >> Reporter: It would seem that, for jodi and travis, old habits died hard.

00:19:47    >> He was originally going to come to see me at the end of may.

00:19:51    We were going to see crater lake and the oregon coast, and hopefully catch a shakespearean play.

00:19:55    >> Reporter: You’re saying you want to end this unhealthy relationship.

00:19:59    And yet, a, you’re still making plans to get together and travel, and b, you’re still showing up .. sex?

00:20:09    >> Yeah.

00:20:10    .. it was hard to tell travis no.

00:20:13    >> Reporter: But when travis postponed his trip, jodi planned a road trip of her own– first to los angeles to visit some friends, and then, on to utah to spend time with potential new love interest, ryan burns.

00:20:27    Like travis, ryan worked with chris hughes at pre- paid legal, and like travis, he was also mormon.

00:20:35    >> He was another rising star, you know, just like travis.

00:20:42    .. at a breakout session we were doing.

00:20:44    >> Reporter: He and jodi?

00:20:45    >> Yeah.

00:20:45    Jodi and ryan.

00:20:47    >> And they had created this phone relationship.

00:20:51    >> Reporter: When jodi hit the road on june 2, she had not heard from travis and had no plans to see him.

00:21:00    As it turned out, no one else would see or hear from him for nearly a week.

00:21:08    >> I’d left a couple messages and sent texts, and I hadn’t heard from him, which was odd.

00:21:15    I said, “sky, his ” I said, “something is wrong and we need to call the cops.

00:21:19    >> 9-1-1 Emergency.

00:21:21    >> A friend of ours is dead.

00:21:23    We hadn’t heard from him for a while.

00:21:25    His roommate just went in there and said there’s lots of blood.

00:21:28    >> Reporter: On june 9, travis alexander was found by his friends, dead in his shower.

00:21:35    >> We got a phone call about 4:00 in the morning.

00:21:37    I said “hello,” and he said, “chris, something ” ” ” and you know, I remember .. going numb.

00:21:59    >> The majority of the crime scene seemed to be inside of the master bedroom suite, and the master bathroom.

00:22:04    >> Reporter: It was clear to lead homicide detective esteban flores when he first entered travis’ house that he was going to have his hands full.

00:22:12    >> There’s obvious signs .. of blood on the carpet.

00:22:16    As you go in further, we ..

00:22:23    .. maybe… a struggle .. in the hallway, leading into the master bathroom.

00:22:28    And once you go inside the bathroom is when you can .. of .. in the shower.

00:22:34    >> Reporter: Months after travis alexander was murdered, there is still clear evidence of the savage attack that took place here, evidence that was gathered during an intensive crime scene investigation, which included the discovery of a bloody palm print here.

00:22:49    Police have removed that section of the wall because they are convinced that print belongs to the killer.

00:22:58    >> We spent three full days in that house, because we did not want to miss anything.

00:23:01    >> Reporter: What type of evidence did you find in the master bedroom, the bath, that hallway?

00:23:05    >> Well, obviously, we found blood and we also found hair fibers.

00:23:08    We found fingerprints.

00:23:10    .. a shell casing from a bullet.

00:23:15    We believed that travis had been shot first, and that shot was in the face.

00:23:21    >> Reporter: But surprisingly, that wasn’t what killed him.

00:23:25    What specifically killed travis?

00:23:28    >> Well, the autopsy report says that he had one single stab wound direct center to his chest, which hit his heart.

00:23:37    And then, he had a cut across his throat as well.

00:23:45    >> Reporter: It would take mesa police department’s state-of-the-art forensics lab weeks to process all the evidence gathered at the scene; it only took a few days for the news to reach jodi.

00:23:58    >> A mutual friend called us.

00:24:00    He didn’t tell me about travis’ state.

00:24:02    He just said, “something is wrong.

00:24:04    And I don’t know what it is yet, but there are some ” >> Reporter: But jodi already knew what was wrong, because she says whoever killed travis also tried to kill her.

00:24:22    >> Even to this day, i don’t know that I’ve even fully processed everything.

00:24:27    I have nothing but time on my hands to think.

00:24:29    And that’s when I really begin to try and remember and relive that day.

00:24:36    >> Reporter: Arriving in los angeles on the first leg of her road trip, jodi found herself once again in familiar territory, and once again faced with a familiar dilemma.

00:24:46    >> I called travis.

00:24:48    >> He of course said, “well, you could always swing by arizona and come ” and I thought, “no, I’m not ” >> and then, I thought, “what the heck, you know, .. it’s… it’s not too far out of my way.

00:25:03    >> Reporter: Despite the fact that she was expected in utah the next day, just after midnight on june 4, 2008, jodi arias was on the road to mesa instead.

00:25:17    >> So I arrived around , and he was in his office watching some videos on youtube.

00:25:26    >> Reporter: Travis spent the early morning hours working on his computer, waiting for jodi.

00:25:31    They talked for a bit and then, she says, both exhausted, went straight to sleep.

00:25:40    .. I’d say, 1:00 in the afternoon.

00:25:46    When we woke up, we had sex twice.

00:25:49    Once in his bed, and once in his office, downstairs.

00:25:51    >> Reporter: And then, just like old times, they pulled out the camera.

00:25:54    >> We decided to do another photo shoot where we were going to just get him in the shower, but these were waist-up shots.

00:26:00    You know, tasteful shots.

00:26:01    >> Reporter: He was in the shower?

00:26:03    >> He was in the shower.

00:26:05    >> Reporter: Were there also pictures of you taken?

00:26:07    >> Yeah, there were, earlier, when we woke up.

00:26:13    >> Reporter: Apparently, it was just a lazy afternoon of fun and games, until, jodi says, all hell broke loose.

00:26:24    >> I heard a really loud pop.

00:26:27    And the next thing i remember, I was lying next to the bathtub and travis .. was screaming.

00:26:34    >> Reporter: Without warning, jodi says someone or something had knocked both of them to the floor, leaving her dazed and confused and travis badly wounded.

00:26:44    >> I looked up and i .. I saw two other individuals in the bathroom.

00:26:48    And they were both coming toward us.

00:26:50    >> Reporter: According to jodi, she was suddenly face to face with two intruders, a man and a woman, disguised from head to toe.

00:26:58    >> Reporter: They were both taller than me.

00:27:01    .. her hands, the gloves, they had long-sleeved shirt on.

00:27:05    They were in all black.

00:27:06    He was wearing jeans.

00:27:07    .. they had ski masks on.

00:27:11    And I believe they were there to kill him.

00:27:13    Because they didn’t take anything.

00:27:16    To my knowledge, there was nothing missing from the house.

00:27:18    >> Reporter: Jodi says she tried to flee, but was caught by the masked man, who then left her kneeling on the floor while the woman kept guard over travis.

00:27:26    >> I saw travis was on the floor in his bathroom, on all fours.

00:27:31    As soon as this guy left, i .. i charged her.

00:27:34    >> Reporter: You charged her?

00:27:36    >> Yeah.

00:27:38    And she fell over him.

00:27:38    >> Reporter: Did she have a weapon?

00:27:39    >> She had a knife in her hand.

00:27:41    >> Reporter: Had he been stabbed?

00:27:42    >> I could only assume yes.

00:27:44    But I didn’t see her stabbing him.

00:27:47    He had some blood.

00:27:48    All over the floor.

00:27:48    And there was some just coming down on his arms.

00:27:53    I started pulling on travis.

00:27:55    And I said, “come on, come on, come on.

00:27:57    .. he finally just said, ” and then he said, “i can’t ” >> Reporter: Before jodi could do anything to help travis, she says that she was suddenly outnumbered again.

00:28:09    >> The guy came back in and got really angry.

00:28:11    .. I guess.

00:28:13    >> Eventually, he was holding the gun at my forehead.

00:28:22    They just kept arguing back and forth whether or not, you know, to kill me.

00:28:26    >> Reporter: It was a terrifying scene, and if what jodi says is true, what happened next is nothing short of a miracle.

00:28:37    >> He pulled the trigger.

00:28:39    And nothing happened with the gun.

00:28:43    And so, I just grabbed my purse, which was on the floor at that point, and i ran down the stairs and out of there and I left him there.

00:28:50    >> Reporter: He’s holding a gun to your head?

00:28:51    >> Yes.

00:28:52    >> Reporter: He pulls the trigger.

00:28:55    And then you get up and run?

00:28:57    >> Yeah, I pushed past him .. and his gun.

00:29:00    And I just didn’t look back.

00:29:03    >> Reporter: It was an unbelievable getaway.

00:29:06    You get in the car.

00:29:07    No one’s followed you.

00:29:09    And you drive away.

00:29:10    And where do you go?

00:29:11    >> I drove forever and ever, until I was in the middle of the desert.

00:29:15    >> Reporter: But what is truly unbelievable is that jodi says she left travis critically injured to fend for himself.

00:29:25    >> Reporter: Did you call 9-1-1?

00:29:26    >> No.

00:29:27    >> Reporter: Did you go to a neighbor?

00:29:28    >> No.

00:29:29    >> Reporter: Did you call a friend?

00:29:31    >> I didn’t call anybody or tell anybody.

00:29:37    >> Reporter: Why would you do nothing, nothing to help him?

00:29:43    .. I was terrified.

00:29:45    And I was scared for my life.

00:29:48    And I think there was a naiive belief that I could pretend like it didn’t really happen.

00:29:53    >> Reporter: Which is just what jodi did when she got back on the road and headed off to utah.

00:29:58    And she finally called someone, ryan burns, not for help but to say that she was on her way to keep their date.

00:30:08    She made one other call as well, to the one person who was in no position to help anyone.

00:30:16    >> I thought, “i’m going to ” and it just went to voicemail.

00:30:18    And I called him again, and it went to voicemail.

00:30:20    >> Reporter: Was he alive when you left?

00:30:21    >> Yeah.

00:30:22    >> Reporter: How do you know?

00:30:24    >> Because he was still sort of on his hands and knees the whole time, until I ran from the room.

00:30:29    That’s the last that I saw him.

00:30:31    >> Reporter: Jodi spent less than 24 hours in utah with ryan and others before heading home to yreka, never telling anyone about her horrific ordeal.

00:30:43    To this day, jodi claims that she is consumed with guilt for leaving travis behind.

00:30:49    You never called anybody.

00:30:51    You never told anybody.

00:30:52    You never did anything.

00:30:55    And it wasn’t until five days later that anyone even knew the guy was missing.

00:31:04    >> I know that people will look at me and say, “oh, yeah, he really meant a lot to you, didn’t he?

00:31:11    By the way that you just ” not only that.

00:31:13    .. is that’s… they…

00:31:14    They don’t even think that .. they think that this is a fabrication.

00:31:17    >> Reporter: Jodi would soon discover that she couldn’t have been more right.

00:31:22    >> I knew that it was murder.

00:31:23    I knew it was.

00:31:24    I knew it.

00:31:25    I knew something in my heart.

00:31:26    I was like, “something is ” and I immediately thought ” >> mesa police department.

00:35:22    Can I help you?

00:35:23    >> Reporter: When the mesa police department began its investigation of travis alexander’s murder, they had a house full of evidence, and one very strong lead.

00:35:39    >> There were certain individuals who said, “you need to look into jodi ” >> the first cop I saw, i pulled out my computer.

00:35:46    And I said, “this girl, i would check her right ” >> Reporter: Which is exactly what detective esteban flores did.

00:35:57    >> I received information that she was on a road trip.

00:36:01    It just happened to be around the same time period that travis was killed.

00:36:06    >> Reporter: Flores tracked jodi down at her grandparents’ house in yreka.

00:36:09    >> I called her in for an interview, and asked her to come in for fingerprints and dna samples.

00:36:15    >> Reporter: Did you tell him the story?

00:36:17    >> No.

00:36:18    >> Reporter: Why?

00:36:22    >> I think I was wise enough to know that, coming to him with that story at this point, would be like implicating myself.

00:36:36    >> She had told me that she was never here.

00:36:38    She had told me the last time she’d seen travis was in april.

00:36:40    Well, I had obvious proof in my hands that she was here on the day that he was murdered.

00:36:53    >> Reporter: That proof was found by investigators in, of all places, travis’ washing machine.

00:36:58    >> One of the items that we recovered from the house was a digital camera.

00:37:03    It still had a digital card in it that had been erased.

00:37:05    >> Reporter: That had been erased?

00:37:06    >> Yes.

00:37:09    >> Reporter: But there’s “erased,” and then there’s erased.

00:37:15    The memory card was sent to the mesa police department crime lab to see if any information could be recovered.

00:37:21    >> Our computer forensic unit called me up, and said, “you’ve got to come down here.

00:37:28    I have some photos you need ” and we were just all amazed.

00:37:31    >> Reporter: What they found were dozens of pictures, each one worth more than a thousand words.

00:37:38    >> Those photos showed jodi .. and travis alexander in a sexual encounter.

00:37:44    >> Reporter: But that wasn’t the only thing you found on there, correct?

00:37:47    >> Correct.

00:37:50    There were several photos which were out of focus, dark.

00:37:52    We were surprised to find out that those photos were of the victim, travis alexander, during the time he was being killed, or soon after.

00:38:02    You can’t see his face.

00:38:03    But the injuries on that person match the injuries that were on travis.

00:38:10    >> Reporter: Another shocking discovery?

00:38:12    Every image was electronically stamped with the time and date it was taken– june 4, 2008, the date of jodi’s visit.

00:38:23    >> This gave us an actual time when he was last seen alive, and when he was dead.

00:38:34    >> Reporter: It’s just a few minutes difference between the sexual poses of jodi and travis when he’s in the shower, and then travis being on the floor, as the victim?

00:38:43    >> Yes.

00:38:43    Only a few minutes.

00:38:45    >> Reporter: So, that puts her as the last person?

00:38:47    >> Absolutely.

00:38:49    >> Reporter: But investigators gathered a lot more on jodi than a couple of fuzzy photos.

00:38:55    All the physical evidence– fingerprints, blood, hair– point to the same person.

00:39:01    >> Those were individualized to jodi arias.

00:39:04    >> Reporter: Tell me what happened?

00:39:06    What is your theory?

00:39:08    >> Well, theory is that jodi arias showed up, they had some type of rendezvous, a sexual encounter.

00:39:16    During that time, they took photographs of each other.

00:39:20    >> I believe he was in the shower at that time.

00:39:22    Something occurred, and i .. it might be the first gunshot.

00:39:26    It wasn’t fatal.

00:39:29    Enough to disorient.

00:39:32    There was obviously a struggle inside of that bathroom.

00:39:39    Somehow, he got close to the bedroom area, which is down a long hallway.

00:39:42    >> Reporter: And then, investigators say, jodi viciously attacked travis with a knife, stabbing him repeatedly.

00:39:51    >> That’s when the last photograph was taken of him.

00:39:55    >> Reporter: So, you believe that she shot him first, which would then incapacitate him in some way, and then stabbed him?

00:39:59    >> Yes.

00:40:00    >> Reporter: How does he end up back in the bathroom where you find him?

00:40:04    >> Well, we believe that he was dragged from that area, back into the shower.

00:40:10    We believe, at that time, that’s when the palm print was left on the wall.

00:40:17    >> It’s obvious that the print was left with somebody having blood on their hands.

00:40:27    And it’s not just his blood, it’s a combination of her blood as well.

00:40:29    >> Reporter: Investigators say that blood, which was matched to jodi’s dna, definitively connects her not only to the scene of the crime, but to the crime itself.

00:40:40    >> In many situations where a knife is used, somebody has blood on their hands, and it’s not uncommon for somebody to cut themselves, as well.

00:40:48    >> Reporter: That key piece of evidence was good enough for the state of arizona to issue a warrant for jodi’s arrest.

00:40:57    Five weeks after finding travis’ body, detective flores showed up on her doorstep in yreka.

00:41:01    Was she surprised?

00:41:02    >> Actually not.

00:41:03    She was not surprised.

00:41:06    One of the things she said to me as soon as she saw me was, “is there any way i can get my purse, so I can get my makeup on?

00:41:12    >> Reporter: She asked if she could get her makeup on?

00:41:14    >> Yes.

00:41:15    >> Reporter: To be arrested?

00:41:16    >> Yes.

00:41:23    >> It was all very surreal.

00:41:23    It was nothing like you see .. on a show like ” it was almost like an out- of-body experience.

00:41:35    Like, it wasn’t really happening to me.

00:41:38    >> Reporter: But it was happening, and it was just the beginning.

00:41:41    It doesn’t look very good right now.

00:41:42    >> No, it doesn’t.

00:41:43    It doesn’t.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you would like to help Jodi by way of a financial donation to the official JAA APPELLATE FUND, click the Team Jodi link below for further details. All donations via Justice4Jodi.com go directly to the fund for assisting with the legal fees associated with appealing Jodi’s wrongful conviction. Justice4Jodi.com is the ONLY website authorized to collect donations.

We Are Team Jodi ---- And We Will Be Victorious!

 

6 Comments

  1. I am here because I know Jodi Arias from when we worked together at Denny’s Restaurant in Yreka, CA…back in 1997-2001. I still live here in Yreka, CA but I haven’t seen Jodi since our Denny’s days almost eleven-and-a-half years ago now.
    I know for awhile she lived in Medford ,OR & worked as a food-server at Apple-bees. The last time I tried to reach her was sometime between 2006-2007 when I talked with her sister who told me she (Jodi) moved to Monterey, CA.
    Anyway, the next time I see her was 2 or 3 days ago now…on the news being tried in a capital murder case…Holy S**t!!! That’s what went through my mind at first…then OMG blonde hair does not suit her one bit…where is that sweetheart of a young lady hat I used to know?
    I don’t know when or where it took place exactly, & I still continue to view Jodi as a friend, so don’t get me wrong here in what I am about to say!
    At some point in the years since I last actually spoke with or interacted with Jodi, she became possessed by ore than one evil entity…she tells different stories & changes her story as another entity takes over…these people she refers to as a 3rd party are actually how she as another person recalls things from her memory of it through the eyes of that or the other entity…when she refers to being lost…she truly was…because she was taken over by a very powerful entity..the one that is strong is quite evil, in the sexual deviant sort of way…and quite capable of murder because it gets off on it!!
    Please don’t look at me like I’m crazy!!
    I see the torture behind Jodi’s eyes…I remember her to very much a sweetheart of a young lady 12 years ago…she had a glowing smile & spirit that I don’t see in her now!! 12 years ago Jodi was radiant & even more beautiful than she is now…ow it’s just face vale beauty & nothing more…12 years ago SHE WAS GORGEOUS!!!!
    She has lost the innocence in that beauty…no pun intended here!!
    I am sorry…very sorry to imagine that Jodi will spend the rest of her life in prison…whether she gets the death penalty or life in prison…she will die in one of those horrible places…and that makes me very sad!!
    Jodi is extremely intelligent & talented…I feel to lose her in the system like this is a horrible waste!! I really want to send her some letters of encouragement…if anyone knows the inmate information and the address to send it to, please email me at: notabene@nctv.com

    Thank you!
    Sincerely,
    Gayla Ann Lynch / notabene@nctv.com

  2. Regarding the rope…… I started to think this morning, that it was Jody’s idea to tie her up. heres my theory. I thought from the begining it was A far fetched coincidence that Travis would get a knife from the kitchen to cut he rope. Travis had a collection of knives that consisted of 24. I believe it was stated he kept them in his bedroom but, even if he didnt, he still wouldnt have used a kitchen knife. my sons collect knives and I know this from experience, knife collectors would use thier own knives just use one of the cheaper ones. Now. what a coincidence that a butcher knife would end up in the bathroom the say Jody wants to kill travis. the coincident is way too out there. I think its her idea to have him tie her up so she could have an excuse to get a knife to cut the rope and, why the bathroom? she said he had a sleigh bed and therefore no bedposts. another convenience that I think jody thought up. so she could recommend using the bathroom as a tie down point. travis wouldnt of thought og that because the first thought one would have is to find a tie down point in the bedroom. via a leg of the bed or a doorknob on the closet ect. i can think of alot of places in the bedroom A persons mind would automatically think of a place in the bedroom. this coincidence of tie down point in bathroom, knife being left in their when he had a knife collection is way to out there. what do you thinkk?

  3. I also think Jodu threw the gun in the dumpster where she threw the rope. why would she testify now as to throwing it in the desert at this point? Because it would throw off the detectives. She thinks she is safe now to say thats where she threw it. and knowing if it was found could identify the real owner therefore proving she stole it and proves premeditation to murder. think about it. if she made a stop to throw the rope in a dumpster, then she would have thrown the gun in the dumpster too. I know its been four years but, i think the city dump where that dumpster would be empties, contains the gun to this day. if it could be found, I dont know but, she lied when she said it was in the dumpster. Her comfort zone isnt logical because she knows the recourse of possibly finding it. she thinks its a wild goose chase for the detectives to look in the desert,

  4. To Gayla: Whether Jodi is possessed(as you say) or not. There is still hope for repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ , regardless of the outcome. Sadly for Travis, if he died unrepentant , in sin, he is eternally lost. That is the greater tragedy. Please pray for Jodi to find truth.

  5. I am trying desperatly to contact Jodi. I have so much I wish I could say to her. Travis died in a fit of rage and that is very obvious.. self defense doesn’t look like that. I feel very torn in this situation feeling so bad for Travis’ family and trying so hard to figure out what is going on in Jodis’ mind. She has such a web of lies that I find it hard to sort through and find the truth. I do feel like she was trying very hard to be everything Travis wanted but somehow still could not do it. In this case to me, it seems both parties definitly had their flaws. The part that throws me for a loop is what happened moments before he was killed… did he say something that finally set her off? I don’t know.. but I really want to contact her and share Jesus Christ with her.. the TRUTH before she may be going to her grave. Can someone PLEASEEEEEEE give me the jail cell information?

    loumegan85@gmail.com

  6. I feel as Megan does. So sad for everyone involved, especially Travis. Most of us are fortunate in that we have a healthy psyche. But rejection can be hard to take for someone with low self esteem. I wonder if these negative feelings just built up until her mind exploded into a rage. If only she had channeled her feelings in a positive way. If she murdered him, she should of course be punished but We can pray for her and especially the families.

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