Throughout the investigation into the murder of Travis Alexander, Jodi Arias managed to incriminate herself time and again with inconsistent stories that she concocted in an ill-fated attempt to hide her guilt. The killer had first told investigators that she was in no way involved in Alexander’s murder, and that she was not in town at the time. But as evidence emerged that placed her at the scene, she overhauled her story dramatically. In a bizarre twist, she later claimed to have been at the murder scene — but that she wasn’t the one who attacked her ex-boyfriend. Arias stated that she had been at the house with Alexander when the property was invaded by a pair of masked intruders, who murdered him while she managed to escape. Of course, this explanation begs more questions, including why she did not report the murder herself.
By the time of her trial, her defense claimed that she had indeed killed Alexander, but had done so in self-defense after he grew aggressive. Despite all evidence to the contrary, her team attempted to convince the jury that there was no premeditation to the slaying, a crucial aspect of the case as the penalty for first-degree murder is life imprisonment or death. In the case of second-degree murder, the convict might one day be released. The jury did not believe her.
Jodi Arias remains behind bars in Perryville state women’s prison in Goodyear, Arizona, where she reportedly works in the prison library. She will not be released under the current legal framework.
