There’s no other way to put this. Chris Hughes is a lying bastard. And when his newly subpoenaed wife takes the stand, she’s not gonna be too far behind him.
Hughes already confirmed he’s firmly on the prosecution’s side, so sure he’s gonna do all he can to fly the flag for them, including stating to the media (on behalf of Martinez) that the TA letters were forged – even though he knows they were not. He knows, having seen some of them, that they’re genuine. He even wrote to TA to tell him he wasn’t treating Jodi right.
In fact both Chris Hughes (and his wife, Sky) emailed Travis telling him he was being abusive to Jodi back in 2007. They also discussed TA’s “age of attraction” when it comes to young girls, which (as far as I recall) Sky was somewhat surprised at. This ties together the earlier pedophile rumors pertaining to TA and his preference for pigtails & 12 years old’s, does it not?
But here’s the thing… both Chris & Sky Hughes KNOW only too well that TA was both physically & verbally abusive to Jodi. 2 other people know that too… Gus Searcy and Mr X.
Hughes also had a much earlier conversation with Esteban Flores (as relayed by Kirki Nurmi yesterday prior to Martinez’ objection), where Flores asked Hughes this question:
“You could see Travis losing it with Jodi and throwing her against a wall?”
I believe Hughes’ answer to that question would have been “YES”… but we’ll have to wait to hear more about that. This is another reason why Flores should not be present in the courtroom watching all the testimonies – but let’s not digress here. We already know what Flores is.
Then there’s the Chris Hughes blackmail attempt – still apparently in effect – and ultimately concluding with Gus Searcy doing his best to protect the individual concerned (Mr X) by invoking his right to plead the 5th. That happened while under cross from Martinez at the end of yesterday’s proceedings when he requested the blackmailed individual’s name, and after Gus had stated (to Kirk Nurmi) that the individual was “too afraid to testify because of Chris Hughes”. After pleading the 5th, that led to a private discussion.
Here’s my take on the Hughes blackmail attempt:
After the initial calls to each other, Chris Hughes finally connected with Gus Searcy to find out what he was planning to say when he testified (no doubt a fishing expedition arranged by Martinez). Gus was in his car when he took that call. Mr X was also in the car and overheard the conversation, either relayed by Gus or due to the phone being on loudspeaker at the time.
When Hughes found out that Mr X had become aware of the situation, and that Mr X also knew about TA being physically & verbally abusive to Jodi, he hatched a plan to try and keep him quiet. The plan was along the lines of Hughes telling Mr X that if he ALSO testified to the abuse, he would personally see that either [1] Mr X was removed from Pre Paid Legal and/or [2] that Mr X would have his Pre Paid Legal referrals (i.e. his “downline”) removed and repositioned under someone else.
Either way, this would cause considerable financial hardship to Mr X, as Gus stated yesterday.
This (as far as I can see) is what’s behind Chris Hughes’ blackmail attempt on Mr X, and Gus Searcy’s obvious resistance to divulging Mr X’s name in court yesterday – even going so far as pleading the 5th to protect the guy.
So as of right now — and to back up Jodi’s valid self-defense claim — there are at least 4 people aware that TA was both physically & verbally abusive to Jodi. They are – Chris & Sky Hughes, Gus Searcy and Mr X… not forgetting the letters too, where Kirk Nurmi cited the defense expert who can categorically confirm the letters are authentic and most likely were written by TA.
Check out the video below with the testimonies from Chris Hughes, Abe Abdelhadi (starts @ 54:00) and Gus Searcy. Click here to watch yesterday’s trial in full.
Your thoughts?
SJ
[hdplay id=31 width=500 height=300]
Additional links:
Chris Hughes – apparently “Vice Chair” of The Soldier Hollow Charter School Board in Midway, Utah: http://www.mysoldierhollow.com/board/meet-the-board/
http://www.teamrenew.com/chris-sky-hughes
http://www.teamrenew.com/teamrenew-founders
http://www.pd4free.com/
Legal Shield conference calls page:
http://ppltelevox.com/chris
Chris Hughes Cell: 951-816-7682
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cshughes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hughescs
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hugheschris
I really admire Searcy for protecting Mr. X. It is clear to me that Hughes is a huge lying slimeball. Deatheater Martinez sure tries to stop at nothing to win his death penalty cases.
Martinez is going to, provided he hasn’t already, leave a bad taste in the jurors’ mouth. wonder how much of a factor it will be having more men than women on the jury, too. I wish the defense team would be a little more assertive, yet not to the extent of the outspoken tool that is Martinez. being so calm & methodical concerns me a bit. holy objections yesterday! caught me off guard a bit. guess we will see as the process continues to unfold.
I am very curious about the possibility of Abe Abdelhard’s violation of the trial instructions adding considerable weight to the case for a mistrial. Nurmi has been largely making his arguments for this from the land of dry and abstract legal theory. The body language this “technicality” generated on both sides was riveting and immediate. Is there anyone who knows whether this is a mountain or a molehill?
Like Travis did, The Hughes have no problem leading a ‘double life’. I wouldn’t call one a devout Mormon who is willing to commit perjury.
I don’t get it the ones are so black and white with the ten commandments- for example take thou shall not kill. Yet the same people (not all) are hell bent on the death penalty; an eye for an eye. Hypocrisy at its best don’t you think?
P.S. I am stating I agree with the stated above commandment. I just don’t think its okay to take one’s life even if the State rules on it. No offence to America, you are seen as the most powerful country in world yet you enforce a punishment of the dark ages. I think its cruel and unjust. I wonder how many innocents have been put to death?
A lot have Hayley. Many Americans are against the DP too.
far too many. that is why capitol punishment is unacceptable. look at the multitude of examples of wrongly convicted inmates being released after 20 years due to the advancements in DNA evidence. kinda hard to release a dead person.
I can’t help but be ashamed of America (which is where I’m from) at times, especially when it comes to our ‘justice’ system. Death Penalty or not, our system doesn’t work and we are creating further problems for the future (in my opinion). I realize some people can’t be rehabilitated and for our safety and/or their own need to be locked up, but I wish our focus was more centered around rehabilitation when possible. I hate that America is viewed as ‘so powerful’ or ‘wonderful’ because to me it has so many faults… so many things that need to be improved upon. Too many innocent people are given the death penalty or life sentences. It’s an injustice when even one innocent person has to give up their freedom/life because of a desire to convict and punish ‘someone’/’anyone’.
My read on Chris Hughes is that he’s using Travis’s murder as an excuse to be a big attention whore. He and his wife were all over that 48 Hours special, smiling away, and now he couldn’t wait to butt his nose in regarding Searcy being on the defense’s witness list. If Martinez asked him to do it, I’m sure he jumped at the chance because he wants to be so relevant to this case.
What’s disgusting is that if Chris knew that Travis had abusive tendencies toward Jodi and an attraction for young girls yet wants to deny all of that just so Jodi can get the death penalty, then he’s a liar and a coward. If these letters were in fact written by Travis, then it makes me wonder what Chris and Sky’s conversation with Travis about Jodi was really about. Were they, as they claimed on 48 Hours, warning Travis about crazy Jodi, or were they telling him to end the relationship because of HIS actions?
I think that it’s Flores running interference behind the scenes. Notice how the prosecutor ONLY refers to himself?
I don’t even understand why Flores is in the courtroom constantly and behind the prosecutor’s desk no less. Should there not be a second prosecuting attorney and not Flores? He is a witness.
seeking his proverbial 15 minutes of fame?
Oh, good thought! Wouldn’t surprise me at all about Flores.
I think it is Flores also. It’s too bad the defense doesn’t jump on that. I wish I had a ton of money to buy her a better defense team.
Kira, I’ve thought the same thing about Chris Hughes. He’s likely thinking about how much this ‘attention’ can further his career with PPL. Sick, sick, sick. Profiting from his ‘friend’s’ death.
It was pretty clear when I saw him on the stand that he is a liar and a coward…. a really big coward. Actually more of a slime ball POS coward…. it emanates from him.
Here is my take on Chris Hughes. I think he is a liar and gives me the creeps.
Remember the saying, “birds of a feather flock together”? Well, Chris Hughes took Travis under his wing and used him to make more money for himself. And, if Travis was anything like Chris Hughes, all I can say is WOW!
I think Hughes is an attention whore – we didn’t see Gus Searcy on any programs. AND, he could have spoken better about Jodi than anyone, as he was mentoring her.
OBVIOUSLY something that Chris Hughes OR Travis wanted to do. If she was failing at PPL, it is on BOTH of them.
I thought it was very interesting that the question was asked whether Chris Hughes ever mentored any of Gus’ people.
Well, guess what – Gus’ people didn’t need Chris Hughes because they had Gus. I think Chris is jealous of Gus because Gus has actually MADE something of himself.
Don’t underestimate Gus. He’s smart and everything that HE has accomplished is true – just Google him.
Chris Hughes – no one outside of PPL even KNEW who he was until Travis’ death.
I rest my case! 🙂
I forgot to put in my post that Hughes also tried to indirectly “persuade” Gus not to testify too – but as we all know by now, Gus doesn’t take BS from Hughes, Martinez or anyone else for that matter. He has information to give about Jodi and the DV, and one way or the other he’s gonna tell it.
SJ
Your right SJ, I think he will spill it all out! He seems like a person thats not going to put up with their s*** n he will talk!! Unless of course he is threatened, n then we wouldn’t know…. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens…… sad……
Gus will tell the truth of what he knows ONLY IF he can bust through the tangled web of Mormon influence that is this trial. I wish him luck.
I wonder how many witnesses Hughes has intimidated or threatened? He’s a power and control freak who will financially destroy anyone who doesn’t acquiesce to his demands. Add to that the shunning of the involved parties who cross him, and his intimidation factor is huge.
I don’t believe anything he says. All I believe is that he will continue to be vigilant in trying to run this show. Somehow I believe that he and Sky are in cahoots with the prosecution.
I don’t know what happened exactly that night, but if there is the remotest chance that Jodi was abused by Travis, then the loyal Mormon clique ought to back the f*** off and let the facts come out without interfering!
I would think that after Chris and Sky Hughes told Travis he did not want Jodi around anymore and that they couldn’t meet at their home anymore, he stopped helping Jodi at all with anything to do with PPL. Jodi probably went to Gus Searcy and asked for his help because she could not get it from Chris.
Watching Chris testify was a mockery to the court. He was such a devious weasel. He knows the “real” Travis, but he won’t tell the truth because of Travis’ family staring down every word he says. During yesterday’s (1/29/13) evidentiary hearing you know he was full of BS when it took him as long as it did to read the email between him and Travis. He balked all the way through it. With each line he was reading you could feel him internally squirming trying to figure out how to twist it all around, i.e., LIE. And Martinez –Lordy! Where to begin? The best parts were when he was contradicting himself on the objections to the entry of the email! LOL!!! Martinez really looked uncomfortable during the Chris/email reading. Looking forward to seeing Sky testify!
I am not quite sure what to make of Chris Hughes. He certainly seemed to want to hold back and not answer Mr Nurmi’s questions. I think he is angry that Jodi has representation. He stated himself that he has been following the trial closely and so has his wife, and that he would be on the defense list if subpeonaed but didn’t want to because Jodi murdered his friend Travis in cold blood. As I previously stated he would be considered a hostile witness. I know he stated that his wife was the one that saw the witness list online around the 15th but it wasn’t made available until late last week…. so how did she know? Gus Searcy didn’t know he was on the witness list until Chris Hughes informed him of that fact. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Mr. Searcy then called Mr. Nurmi and asked what the hell was going on and why he wasn’t informed by the defense not Chris Hughes. I know I would be making a call if it were me in those shoes.
i don’t think it works like that.
I think any attorney will have spoken to any number of people to get a feel for what they might say. Then if it seems it might gel with the theory they want to float, they are asked if they are prepared to say it in court.
Both sides might have a longer list of people that they might call just to confuse the other side about what their strategy is. Both sides will have spoken to everyone on the list. There are rarely any surprises.
I have been a witness on two occasions. A third time an issue was discussed with me with the attorney. I offered to go as a witness but the attorney said that it wouldn’t matter. So he felt what I had to say would muddy the waters of his strategy.
not sure what read i get on Chris Hughes yet. But noone else here thinks that Gus was a little creepy and off and possibly using this time to promote himself and his book?
You honestly think JVM,Nancy Grace or dr. Drew would not have given him a platform? Especially if what the prosecution insinuates is true – that Gus had some sort of info that would benefit the prosecution (hence all his calls to JM’s office). But he has not shown up on these shows, or 48 hours, etc. Gus strikes me as a true salesman (he’s had an extensive career for decades before ppl) and that on its face makes some people uncomfortable (think used car salesman), but CH strikes me as a scam artist, conning people with arrogance and the appearance of wealth.
I didn’t but I can see why others would:-)
I must have missed Gus promoting his book. If that were what he really wanted though, he could have used the opportunity to be in the media like CH and Abe did.
His book????? Lol
Did this come from HNL or NG???
I don’t know, that is what the poster above named “lorraine” was saying.
All Gus got out of the deal was a bunch of Nancy Grace flunkies giving him one-star Amazon reviews!
Exactly Kira! I dont understand how people are twisting it too seem like Gus is on this big publicity stunt. I personally haven’t seen him in the media once, correct me if I’m wrong.
Now that f**k face Chris, that’s another story. Lying….
(I’ll stop now).
Not sure about Chris Hughes?? Its written all over his face what sort of a.. I was going to say person.. .. an obnoxious and disgusting lying THUG, that is what Chris Hughes is.. and arrogant? .. how can anyone Not see that? He was so angry he was exposed, take another look, Lorraine.
I’d hardly call him a thug. A pug maybe…. a pugly little guy.
Speaking of TA’s “age of attraction”, has the defense had a chance to look at HIS computer? And, if he did have teen/child porn on it…would it be allowed in court?
Think about all the people in the world who have no idea that their husbands/wives/brothers/sisters/fathers/mothers are looking at crap like that… Anyone seen the pedophile sting operations? yeah.
It wouldn’t come into court if that info was “nonexistent” a which is what a corrupt Mormon-influenced institution might well have done with any evidence that reflected negatively on Travis, the church, or maybe even prepaid legal. Mesa has a large and very influential Mormon population, including, at the time, the city manager and mayor.i believe the Mormon influence would vastly overrun anything damning. This fear is the reason I worry whether jodi is being dealt with in an honest and ethical manner.
Laurel,
What you describe about the influence and power is what I think motivated Jodi to lie and not come clean.
You’re So Right, CJ and Laurel.
Laurel-
I couldn’t agree more. Anyone that truly knows the Mormons, knows how much ‘power’ and influence they have. AND they have the $$$!
I don’t want to make this political, but I was terrified if Romney won the elections. I could just picture him being president as 1 more step in their plan to take over the world. (I don’t mean to offend anyone that is LDS- there are actual good LDS people out there)
I wonder if jodi ever observed someone else they knew being bullied by that group?
And I’m curious to know why he and that one roommate fell out. Was that the roommate that told Lisa he was cheating? ( if I heard that right in court)
CJ-
I see that kind of stuff ALL the time regarding the religion ‘bullying’/intimidating. It’s honestly scary for me to think of any repercussions that might come my way for speaking out against ‘them’. Regardless of the church openly expressing their retaliation- it’s a ‘known’ feeling/fact. Very hard to explain how much influence they truly have. I was kind of surprised to see Laurel giving any indication of their intimidation factor- must say Laurel is brave!
Or were you referring to just Travis’s ‘group’ of friends? I figure it’s all the same anyway. lol
I don’t think it would as he is not on trial. It would be considered prejudicial. Good point though.
I’m talking about porn on his computer, that’s all.
…
Brad the thing that doesn’t sit straight with me is that Jodi was there about 12 hours. If you look at the photos you will notice that Travis had duct tape around his arm. Then in the shower photos you can see in 2 of them he has a red mark on his arm from where that duct tape was removed. What was the purpose of the duct tape? decoration? I don’t think so. why was Jodi wearing her hair in pigtails? Jodi’s pubic area is sans hair. I know bare floor boards are popular now but if tied in with the pigtails I think it can give the impression of something more.
Whilst both Travis and Jodi broke up long prior, I think both of them had found someone who they could explore their sexuality with. They pushed boundaries. Jodi said Travis could be very persuasive. People say Jodi used sex to tie herself to Travis. I think it worked both ways. They were both addicted to the sex and they enjoyed pushing the boundaries.
So yes, I do think the gun belonged to her grandparents. However, I think the gun and the knife were props for the sex games. They had rough sex in the office.
The thing is, if we didn’t have the photographic evidence of the time line, I think it would be easy to assume things happened in such a way that jodi did plan it. However, if I was going to kill someone and I bothered to steal a gun then I would use that first. Except we know it was used last.
If someone was tied up with tape then that would also be the time that I would think to attack with a knife. Except she didn’t. Actually in the shower I would have thought that Travis had a fighting chance. It had a glass door. He could have shut it.
I am not sure that people necessarily want her set free. She did kill someone. She should have called the police immediately. She contaminated the crime scene by removing evidence.
It’s easy to sit back and say she SHOULD have called the police isn’t it?
Jodi didn’t have a history of deviant sex per trial testimony. If the prosecutor didn’t use the tape it was for good reason most likely because the other piece found showed DNA evidence that it was on Jodi’s mouth and he wouldn’t want that in.
The fact he didn’t use the duct tape shows us it wasn’t an issue or he would have. He’s not missing anything.
Jodi would have done Anything to please her abuser, Travis, why did she put her hair in pigtails? To please HIM, its what HE wanted. She even let him have anal sex; he didn’t care a jot how painful it was for her. ALL he thought about was Himself. I support Jodi. I am positive she wouldn’t have killed him if she hadn’t feared for her life! The problem with others, is that they either cannot or will not, put themselves in her shoes; the things they have said about her shows this very clearly. What he told her; he led her to think he wanted her, he told his friends otherwise, he cheated on her, degraded her–told her she was a slut and a whore. He took her love for him and threw it in her face. Many women, not just Jodi, keep hoping her love for him will win through, even though she was being abused, its so very sad.
I’m not really getting the big deal about the pigtails. Lots of women braid their hair or wear it in pigtails, just like a lot of women wear ‘boy’ shorts, shave their pubic area, enjoy being tied up and having raunchy sex. This all seems like pretty insignificant nonsense if you ask me. If everyone lived like little house on the prairie it would get a little boring, no?
Brad
This is because you have a loving and healthy relationship with your wife. But I wonder if you’d still be thinking the same if she abused and degraded you and had so much anger (that Travis made SURE his friends didn’t see), that when you dropped her new camera, you feared for your life? You then have a SPILT SECOND.. so.. what would you do ? (obviously to reverse this your wife would be physically stronger than you)
Truth is we protect our own life, its Natural, human nature and we do it automatically.
Brad.
You say that she did not have to keep going back with him..
but you are looking at this from your own personal viewpoint, which I can totally understand.. I wouldn’t go back either…. but what you fail to understand, is that there are countless women who have grown up being USED to abuse, i.e.. that Abuse=Love. Even though these women know that it doesn’t, their emotions cloud their reasoning because of the extent of their abusive childhoods; its the psychology of this that you don’t understand. When you understand this you will have a far better grasp of the situation.
What happened was that Travis and Jodi’s relationship was an agenda unique to Them, which is why Travis’s ex girlfriend said he wasn’t abusive to her… and which Martinez is bound to use :/
Brad-
Why didn’t Travis call the cops?
He was supposedly being stalked, right?
He supposedly had his tires slashed and ‘knew Jodi did it’, right?
They say Jodi would break/sneak into his house through the doggy door, right?
Those sound like perfect opportunities to call the cops, don’t they?! SO WHY DIDN’T HE?!
The whole Chris Hughes testimony confused me. Can someone please help me understand the following?
1. The email that Chris Hughes read “silently forever” (i.e., stalling!)…Was the jury in the courtroom for this? Or was this part of the Prosecutorial Misconduct side hearings?
2. My assumption is that the jury was NOT in the courtroom during this Chris Hughes email moment. That email, of course, was (allegedly?) written by Chris to TA, to tell him how mean he was acting to JA.
3. If Chris Hughes is silently reading the email — refreshing his memory of what he wrote — then that implies that the email is not a forgery… So why isn’t this email now admitted as evidence in Jodi’s main trial, showing that others DID see that he treated JA poorly?
4. Is there a copy of Chris Hughes’ email online? Has anyone here actually read it (or a summary of it)?
T.I.A.
The jury was not in the courtroom when Chris Hughes was on the stand. I’m not sure if this particular email is in evidence for Jodi’s defense or not. I know that some emails are not because they are thought to be forgeries but I don’t know if this is one of them.
Thanks @kira — your explanation helped a LOT! I sure hope Chris’s email is presented to the jury.
You’re welcome! I hope so too – I’d love to know what it says!
To give Gus Searcy some credibility I would like to say that I am not a member of PPL but have friends that are. I have also been in the MLM business for 30 years and earn an honest living at it. We get a 1099 form report of our earnings each year to file our taxes rather than a W-2. We are business owners. Not employees.
Gus tried to explain the income structure that exists and it was not understood by Martines, many on this site or the media.
What he said was that people are paid on the Dollar volume of business they and their organizations create for the company by moving product. Not for signing people up. If a business pays for sign ups only, then it it a Ponzi or Pyramid and illegal according to most AG’s and state laws.
Pyramid simply defines the structure of an organization. Most organizations form this structure, companies, churches, schools, government, families, etc. They are pyramids, not Ponzi’s.
A company selling any product, let’s say widgets, has a President at the top, Usually several Vice presidents, including a marketing director as one of the vice presidents, a larger number of regional managers who find and train larger numbers of sales people. Put this organization on paper and it will look like a pyramid. So will your church or kids school system. Everyone gets paid according to the widgets the sales people sell and the managers, VP, and President get an override on the sales volume as a reward for their management, training and support of the sales force.
Hughes and Searcy are like Regional managers in the same company, PPL, yet they are competitors and head up their own organizations. They do not work for the company. They are independent contractors for the company. They do not have jobs. They have businesses they own within the company. They are entrepreneurs. So was Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Their companies were pyramid shaped too. They were not treated as crooks.
I believe Travis was in Hughes organizations and was a leader. From what I heard, Jodi, probably, was not in Searcy’s organization but he was helping her as a mentor. The person in the car was probably in Searcy’s organization.
I am sure he was happy to be on National TV as the visibility did not hurt him. Only the jury’s opinion of what he related counts for Jodi.
We can tell Hughes has made up his mind about Jodi’s guilt and does not want to wait on the facts. Let’s hope the jury does and justice prevails.
CPD
I don’t think too many of us questioned Gus Searcy’s credibility .I for one hope he didn’t get into too much trouble for not wanting to reveal the person in his car the day Chris Hughes called him. We understand that Mr Hughes does not want to wait, he is determined that Jodi murdered his friend in cold blood, not only his friend but also a money maker for him.He certainly doesn’t want to keep hearing that the person he told everyone was single and a 30 year old virgin really wasn’t. He was wrong about that and I am hoping he was wrong about Jodi too.
One small data point to add, I ~think~ Gus did wind up giving Mr. X’s name to the court under seal. The following in the minute entry from the court for that hearing:
http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/022013/m5614450.pdf
From that please note:
—————————————————————
Gus Searcy having been previously sworn testifies further.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT Counsel approach the bench and have discussion out of
hearing of the Court and on the record.
The Court directs the witness to provide information for a sealed exhibit.
The witness is unsure if he will provide the information.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT Counsel approach the bench and have discussion out of
hearing of the Court and on the record.
4:28 p.m. The Court room is cleared, FTR is turned off, however the Court Reporter is
present.
The witness is addressed by the Court.
Exhibit # 13 is marked and received in evidence and will be filed under seal.
————————————————————–
Now that doesn’t indicate exactly what Exhibit #13 is but we know what was being asked for. Perhaps we’ll find out for sure when the hearing reconviens on the 13th.
I have thought of many words to describe Chris Hughes, none of which to my mind are strong enough.. a totally obnoxious and nasty piece of work, a thug, arrogant and angry he was exposed, you could see it in his face; to say I was appalled is an understatement.. and Florres and Martinez.. as one poster here brilliantly put it, birds of a feather..
Hold tight, Jodi, the ride is rough but the truth will prevail.
After watching and listining to Jodi’s tetimony, I feel her pain. It is obvious she was manipulated in this relationship with this man. I find myself realizing that I was in the same type of verbaly, manipulating sexual relationship from the age of 21 to 25 years of age. The man I was with aggregated me to things I did not really feel comfortable with but was afraid to back down to him. Although the tapes seem to appear she is consenuating, in realiity she is not being consensual he got so much into her mind with his manipulation and verbal abuse she was trapped in this world that only they knew existed. Been there done that. She is agreeing to his every whim and telling him what he wants to hear from her. She is being forced to please him in this relationship and if she does not…shame on her. He is Mormon? it is clearly obvious he did not practice his own faith. It is clear that she acted in self defense. He is not the holy worshiper that his family and friends seem to claim. I can only imagine what Jodi felt like the day of the tragic event. Spending all day with him and still he was going to go to Cancun with another woman. Jodi knew he was dangerous and knew that eventually she would need to have the means to protect herself from his abuse. The gas cans mean nothing in this case and do not mean she premeditated anything. Jodi, I fully support you and I believe that you acted in self defense. It is clear to me that you had no way out. Luckilly, I did in my situation even though it took me years to gain back my self worth, however, looking back to my past, I can see know that I was headed in the same direction where you are today. Stay strong girl it will all be okay no matter how others may seem to want to trash you. People will say what they will but until they have walked in the shoes of those of us who have been horribly treated by men in our lives they should just shut their mouths. Sometimes we have to go with the flow to save ourselves.
Love,
A very avid supporter to you.
Heather in Connecticut
I agree that Jodi is trapped in another world that no one else knows about. In that world of hers, anything is justified, and she cannot be held accountable for anything. On the contrary, Travis is responsible for everything that happened to him and to Jodi. If he breaks up with her and is with another woman and his 4 tires are slashed, two nights in a row, he automatically blames her. But there is no evidence. Besides, if she did it, it was because she was trapped in a world in which it was his fault, not hers. He accuses her of stalking him, and tells her to stop or he will take actions. Her response is to threaten him (with accusations of pedophilia); her intention is to keep him from getting away from her, but in her world it is his own fault because she can no longer be held accountable for anything.
Same thing with the gas cans and every other piece of circumstantial evidence. What does it mean? Nothing. Not in the world Jodi Arias lives in. So what if she hired a rental car an hour from her home? That isn’t a crime. So what if she borrowed and bought gas cans? So what if a handgun simiilar to the “murder weapon” (he was already dead, right?) went missing from her home in suspicious circumstances just a week before? They were CIRCUMSTANCES! Even if handguns had to be registered in AZ, that still would not prove that TA didn’t own such a gun illegally! After all, he was a bad actor. He wanted to do costume play with her. Even if she had staged the robbery, filed a false police report, and illegally carried the handgun across state borders, what does that prove? Interstate transport of firearms is the jurisdiction of the FBI and the federal courts, not Maricopa County. What would it prove? She is allowed to defend herself. Even if it wasn’t because she was planning suicide, even if maybe she were contemplating killing TA, it is still his fault. Let’s not forget, he had created a world that only those two knew about, and now only Jodi lives in.
She appears to initiate and enjoy phone sex with him? So what??? Phone sex isn’t a crime. Abusing a woman emotionally is a crime. So what if she turned off her phone on her trip to AZ and did not use her credit cards? So what if she changed her story about losing her phone charger? You are going to condem her to lethal injection because she lost her phone charger under her seat? What does it matter if the floor mats of the rental car disappeared? Is that a crime? I am sure she paid for them, she can do whatever she wanted with them. So what if she changed her hair color twice in 48 hours, before and after she had to fight for her life? Are we going to put a woman to death for changing her hair color? What are we, the Taliban? Any woman has the right to change her hair color.
The day after her fight for life, she repeatedly initiates physical intimacy with a new man? What does that prove? Only that she was still trapped in the sick world created by TA. A woman is allowed to be assertive about her sexuality, anyway. Perhaps she was trying to find a new boyfriend. Perhaps she was testing this one, to see if he woud be true to his Momon public life, rather than someone who would have a sex life that he kept private. It just goes to show how badly abused she was by TA.
So what if no friends of hers ever noticed injuries from abuse? She never had many friends, anyway. She was shunned by women, who cast her out of their homes because they were afraid of what she would do with their husbands. Shame, shame, shame. So what if there are no hospital visits? No medical records? No testimony of contemporaneous disclosure? TA had her completely trapped, emotionally.
So what if she drove 1,000 miles to see him? She was trapped and trying to get away. She was economically oppressed by the power imbalance, because he was a successful charismatic salesman, and she was a waitress who never graduated high school. She was trapped by him, and kept going back, even when he kept pushing her away. It all just goes to show how he abused her emotionally.
So what if there is an absence of evidence of her accusations that he was a pedophile? She believed it, and in her world, that is all that matters.
So what if, after the unfortunate incident of the knife and gun in the shower, she did not go to police, and instead destroyed evidence (where is the gun?) and told a constantly changing story? All of that just goes to show how afraid she was of TA, and how even after his untimely passing–which scarred her, mentally–he continued to create an other-world in her mind in which she could not be held responsible for anything.
I think the message is clear. Here was a 28-year-old girl, who was being abused by an older, more powerful 30 year old man with unhealthy appetites. The only way she could have possibly gotten away from him was by killing him, and one day he created the situation in which she had to choose between her own life or his.
Any woman who has dated men must know that not all men will meet their emotional needs. Sometimes, those needs will never be met. Any woman could be Jodi Arias. We are all jodi Arias. If it could happen to her, it could happen to any woman.
Here is my question to you. If she went there to kill him and she had a gun, why not just shoot him in the back of the head while he was on his computer when she got there and set the house on fire with the gas cans? Why spend the night and risk having her car or her being seen by his roommates? Why wake up and have sex with him?
Bradley Hall- I get the feeling you are not a supporter of Jodi… You ask “So what?”
So get the f*ck out!
Was Jodi a smoker? Her rental car receipt indicates the car had a smoke smell.
You raise an interesting point. Maybe she was not the only one on the trip. Perhaps we should find “Smoker X”
The prosecutor is taking an invalid approach. He is trying to establish an evidence-based reality. But reality has nothing to do with Jodi’s world. Evidence means nothing here. What matters here is that her ex-boyfriend expected her to please him in their relationship.
How many women (and men!) in America are in the same situation? Trapped in a relationship in which they are supposed to meet their significant other’s expectationS? If a woman does not please her boyfriend, that’s it! No more relationship! No marriage! No happily ever after! Travis was only interested in relating to Jodi as long as it worked for him. As soon as the hard work started, he just wanted out! Jodi had to do everything she could, just to keep a little place in the margins of his life. How sick is that?
She even hod to threaten him with accusations of pedophilia, just to keep her in his life. What more “evidence” does the prosecution want of her state of mind? It is lucky for TA that he is already dead, because he would be in big trouble if he were still alive.
You have no clue. Nice twisty way you say things there.
Agree BeeCee,
The tone sounds sarcastic but maybe it’s coming across wrong in print. I don’t know…
Yeah JC.. I tried giving Bradley Hall the benefit of the doubt, thinking perhaps I was just ‘being too sensitive’, but I can confidently say that I’m convinced they are a TA-fan that is simply here to be an ass. Figures, since that’s how Travis and his douchey friends are!
Nice try Bradley Hall (who I’m sure didn’t give their ‘real’ name anyway)
Can someone please tell me what the letters are? Is it 10 letters written by Travis to Jodi? What are the emails that were sent to the Hughes? I am confused. What is this about a diary that belongs to Travis and what about a diary that belongs to Jodi?
Chris and Sky Hughes are nothing but Total Fame Whores!!