Jodi Arias Trial: In Her Own Words.. How I Killed Travis Alexander With HIS Gun and HIS Knife
Photo Courtesy AP Pool
Phoenix, Arizona- In today’s highly anticipated morning testimony, Jodi Arias finally “gets there”.
After weeks of what can only be described as the dog ate my defense testimony led by Kirk Nurmi, Jodi Arias explains the events leading up to and during the murder of Travis Alexander.
Arias describes an irate and menacing Travis who bounds from the shower, causing her to drop his new camera and pouncing on her, knocking her to the wet tile floor.
“ A five year old can hold a camera better than you.” Arias stated Alexander screamed at her among other threatening expletives while she struggled to break free.
She then ran to the master bedroom closet and apparently using the Spiderman techniques she absorbed via osmosis from the alleged Valentines gift, retrieved a gun she claimed Travis owned over two feet out of her reach while he was sprinting behind her.
She pointed the gun at him, did not realize it went off and then Travis, still coming at her, stumbles to his knees on the now bloody tile beneath him. ( Editors Note: As I have always said, I believe the order of this injury is true and is important to the charges against her)
Enter gratuitous memory gap.
“I have no memory of stabbing him.” – Jodi Arias
Although Arias admits to having flash backs, she states she cannot remember any other details with the exception of her crouched in the bathroom covered in blood and drops a knife she believes was upstairs used by Travis to cut ropes he used to tie her up to the bed.
She did however, have the presence of mind to grab the ropes, the gun, apparently removes and loses her shoes and has no idea what happened to the knife she used to stab Alexander 29 times and slit his neck from ear to ear.
Next memory she is driving in the desert with the gun she alleges was Travis’s when she pitches it out the window at a random location, then puts the ropes in a dumpster behind a gas station and washes blood off her hands.
Pause for Arias innocuous driving babble and road scenery.
“Why didn’t you call 911 and tell them what happened?” Kirk Nurmi asks his sniffling but tearless client.
” …He attacked you, why did you feel You messed up pretty badly?”
“This time it was different, he had done it before and nothing happened, it was heightened.” Responded Arias.
While approaching a check point in Utah, she feels like she will be apprehended there.
Arias decided to do a “whole bunch of things” to cover up she was ever there.
So .. “I called his phone to leave a voice mail”. For nearly 16 minutes she says she tried numerous times to leave a cheery voice mail to ask as if she was not present in Alexander’s home.
“I just thought they would be listening to his voice mail, so I just thought it would throw the scent off for a while.”
– Jodi Arias
Yes, she actually said that on the stand. Defense Attorney Kirk Nurmi was observed writing a note to co-counsel Jennifer Wilmott to send an assistant out to Sam’s for an industrial size supply of Tums.
I made that part up. Testimony continues following jury lunch break.
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Futureman says:
April 12, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Any more defense witnesses next week? Please say ‘no.’
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This was the post I was commenting on.
@Word Girl
“she is a shell”
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And residing within the shell is the “devil”. I hope she’s incarcerated for the rest of her unnatural life.
@Blink
“I am catching up on the morning session and I have to say, the question regarding the bigger perp of domestic violence (sic) by the juror has me confirming my earlier fears. That juror thinks there was a definite argument, and a def abuse pattern, imo. Not what I want to hear, but expected.
Sigh.
B”
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Me too…but how can any juror overlook the fact she went far and beyond a killing in self defense. I would hope common sense and forensic evidence would nullify the case the defense has presented.
I am eagerly waiting closing arguments.
We can’t say what the overall opinion is in context lyla- it is what it is, but what I maintain, and have from the beginning- is that what are the odds based on this feedback that 12 folks will agree? Rhetorical.
We say “jury” all the the time, but let’s be real here- the triers of fact are a sum of their parts to the nth- as far as verdict is concerned.
In a recent thesis I wrote- and I will not be permitted to publish in the near future- I compared the criminal jury to a dozen fresh eggs.
Do Folks = Yolks?
snipped by author
“Identical in their proper shell- armor as it were. I could not tell them apart.” There is fantastic pressure to assess which may be subject to crack first, or last- and scientifically there is no correlation to cause. Can I just focus my gaze on them? Should I perhaps turn on Court coverage of a trial for the eggstra sensory perception.
Toss them from a building with various eggsoskeletal protections from hardship and hope they sustain?
Sustained Indeed.
ps. so not pumping my academic submissions, but I am trying to make the same point here. Fragile and eggshell- is what it is.
B
I have just started to listen to ALV answer jury questions. The scope of the questions so far tells me that this jury still believes Jodi is guilty of PreMed. The questions to me seem less like questions, but more of their thoughts. Still under the tone of “I dont believe her lies, why do you?”
Futureman says:
April 12, 2013 at 4:32 pm
I see now from B’s response that the tech expert is, in fact, a state witness. Too bad I’ll be in class most of next week. The rebuttal phase should command attention.
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Yes the prosecution does have a computer tech in their rebuttal witnesses. I think the defense does as well but not sure. Read that on the facebook page previously mentioned. IF that is true than you may not miss any of the rebuttal. God only knows how long the defense will drag out questioning another witness. Is your head spinning yet? lol.
Yes NaNa I have heard of this guy. Look at the cases he is talking about. The Natalee Holloway case and Casey Anthony case were both on this site. Without seeing his work, I would doubt he could find anything of real value. Dave Holloway, Natalee’s father gives him credit on the web site, but is that a true quote from Dave?
Please don’t think that I am picking on you as this is the second post where I disagreed with your position. We are always looking for the truth and we must often make ourselves look beyond the surface to find it.
Trying to catch up, but slowly. Would someone please inform me as to the hearing substance on Monday morning and who Ms. Wong is in relation thereto? She has an attorney retained. Judge Stephens does not seem pleased with LV.
My take on LV the last few days Is that she appears to be quite biased, appears to have feelings for Arias, appears to be anti-male, and gives little credence to making factual statements. She has a combative, non-committal attitude and appears to be staring at Arias, almost fearfully, for acknowledgement. Speaking of power in relationships, it seems obvious to me who holds the power in that relationship. I would bet Arias holds the power in most of her “relationships”.
She gets cheated on and dumped pretty frequently for having such power, fwiw
B
Lyla,
Thanks for your underscore of my post, only because it opened the door for Blink to bring on a deeper layer, relating to shells.
I want to say that most eggs are the same on the inside. Their eggoskeletons react similarly when broken; heat, not enough space, can do some interesting things, but poaching–now there’s eggactly the way they should be handled–because they come out with the best result. Save for a bit of salt. Okay, and a crumb of Neuske’s bacon.
Easy does it should have been the watchword for the Prosecution. Don’t boil the eggs. They’ll get hard inside.
Eggistential WG.
B
Oh! I want a grandbaby!! So jealous and happy for you all at once Pam. I keep telling my daughter I need a baby in my life and she simply won’t make one for me
She’s probably right. Might be better if she gets married and finishes college first, LOL.
(sorry Blink, I had to respond. I love babies and am VERY happy for Grandma Pam)
Pam- blessings!
nana- good health!
all other blinksters- feel like I am getting to know each one of you and its is great.- thank you so much for every thought you are sharing on this trial!
A Texas Grandfather…I dont see you picking on me. I also didnt say I believed the Forensic Profiler, or that it was sound practice. All I said was “wouldnt it be nice if…” I wish we could hear what Jodi’s subconscious person says.
Funny, so many buttons to push.
Curiousity killed the cat. It has got has got my goat. Why was court cancelled so suddenly today? What is in store for Monday? Blink, you may be correct, that this has something to do with Samantha tA sister. The judge didn’t seem to be to pleased with Al today. AL said today in court under oath during testimony answering questions from the jury, specifically, the qustion concerning other people that she has interviewed other than Jodi A. AL answered that I quote, “that she was not able to to interview TA family, because of the law”. However, she did confront Samantha ! And did have an exchange with her. This could be the issue.
Other possibilities could include the prosecution: State could have called a hearing on Al misrepresenting herself. Reference article:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/jodi-arias-trial-day-46_n_3072337.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
I think that this may be the more plausible action. If this motion is heard, and it is ruled that Al did misrepresent herself, how will this way on her testimony as expert witness? Would her entire testimony have to be thrown out and stricken from the record?
There also could be a speculation that the defense may be presenting evidence that the prosecution was signing autographs, blah, blah blah,……and a juror saw it…..still, I cannot see a mistrial on that motion. Wong is scheduled to testify on Tuesday. So unlikely not that issue. Deduction. This is the most unlikely scenario IMO, but do not know for sure. Something is brewing though.
Blink, what is your take on the events of today? We do know that today dimissal does relate to AL, but we don’t know what? I am just thinking of the possible scenarios. In your opinion, if the defense files for a mistrial (even though they won’t get it) do you think that their continued filing for a mistrial will help them on appeal after the guilty verdict? They have filed 3 or 4 now. Or do you think that
Blink
I do not understand why Ms LaV did not have a copy of Judi’s testamony
Or access to people to interview
Did the defense not help her or what or did she simply go on her own reading only
Did she have the right to all the videos witnesses and all reports
I can not understand what happened with Ms LaV
And it bothers me to hear people are trying to have her fired from her job
I kept hoping she would just step down
Anyone else can respond to this post
This woman is not young and has years on the job she does
I feel a little concerned for her future after this is over
She was a terrible witness but I still feel kind toward her
Malty- as usual, you said it way better than I.
As a witness, she is “invoked”, meaning she may not watch testimony, or coverage of same- that is standard at trial.
B
Then there is what is wrong with Jodi from my view over in this corner of the PNW
It seems she lost all trust in people when her folks searched her room
So she thought everyone was cheating on her and grew more suspicious with everyone
And jealous
That’s all I see she checked everyone out
And drove her self crazy and eventually became dangerous just
My lay person opinion
Gr-r-eat. Another juror released today.
I cannot believe this sideshow. I can see why the male juror is sick.
Certainly doesn’t help that this prolonged trial is slipping from the grip of the prosecution.
The following story is AP but I’m not sure if it accurately reprinted as it’s one of the worst stories I’ve ever read. Must be that everybody is getting tired.
http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA5K99O81%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=931
@ WG
Yeah, another juror bites the dust. However, he was released due to illness. What can ya do? I hope it’s not serious.
I’m completely discouraged by media and talking heads. Is anyone afraid to call it as they see it? HLN et al, especially Mark Eiglarsh, are saying this is a slam dunk case and that JM will be convicted. It is from our perspective, but not for the jury. #chewingmynails
This trial is convoluted with details that take away from the real picture…not to mention Blink’s fears that the forensics of this case, is NOT JM’s main focus. I would have loved for him to ask JA WHY she went for the jugular, literally. As per Blink, he missed more than a few shots. WHY?
In other news (blame the randomness on insomnia combined with benylin)….AL is so determined to protect Jodi, as opposed to being a textbook ‘expert witness’. She is too much attached to the defendant. She’s blatantly demonstrated her inability to remain impartial. JA either freaks you out or wins you over. The bullying is unacceptable. No one deserves this kind of lynch mobbing. What bothers me is AL tweeting about WHY she’s being discredited by public….
Alyce LaViolette @ADLaViolette 8h
To the followers of the #jodiarias trial who have decided to personally attack me, my book, my job and even my life after my testimony. Why?
Sidetracking…is it a coincidence that the day Lisa Andrews and Travis Alexander speak to each other about reconciling their friendship, also happens to be the same day JA stole the gun from her grandparents? What if???….
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjnuhn (interesting theory and plausible)
Also, Chris Stark posted this transcript of Dr. Drew’s show. If what Paul Stern is saying is true, Jodi WAS INDEED freaked out that Travis was determined to move on….
-snipped
STERN: Well, the day before she left, she was pretty frantic that she had to go back and see Travis, and she talked about how he was seeing other people and she asked to borrow money and I gave her money.
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1302/06/ddhln.01.html
Is that why she killed him? Not sure, but Blink has shared her beliefs that TA had something on JA. The surface has only been scratched in this trial…..and I’m not feeling confident. The more I read, the more I understand Blink’s underscoring the need to pay attention to the details of the killing, itself. JM has allowed the defense to side step the murder with details of a dysfunctional relationship. My fear is that this will overshadow the fact that JA killed Travis, not once but 31 times. This was very personal for JA. The near decapitation is a statement, in sorts, that ‘it ends right here, right now’. I pray the jury hones in on the wounds and overkill.
SIDEBAR:
Alyce LaViolette @ADLaViolette 8h
@VinniePolitan I had a valid reason, I understand I am under subpoena and I will be there on Tuesday for #JodiArias
For kicks…
Alyce LaViolette @ADLaViolette 8h
@TheWholeTruth13 I’m new to tweeter but I am learning. I wouldn’t say that #jodiarias has a boob job. #lookedgood2me <—-say wha???? Looked good to her and no boob job? Come on, Alyce…and it's twitter, not tweeter. # <— is called a hashtag, btw.
ANNNNNND….last not but not least, if you have time for 'simple reading', interesting and entertaining opinions…. (social media has officially changed future trial settings, especially the big 'uns like TA's case)…
https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=%23jodiarias
…and I just have to add this about Alyce LaVoilette…
It appears to me that she is using this case to endorse herself. A book she wrote, coincidentally, is about to be released. She has invested herself into the defense, imho, for ‘secondary gain’. Kudos for JM bringing that up during the trial. Amazon has since reduced her book by $6.00 b/c of the controversy. Was it worth it, Alyce? (a year from now).
Sell. Out.
@Pam
So very happy for you. Congratulations
Is this verifiable…..Travis WAS going to take Jodi to Cancun, initially? AND AND AND….he threatened to call her out, to others, that JA was a sociopath? Is that what he had on her? (kinda rhetorical)
It almost makes sense BUT, Chris Stark provides no sources or references, unfortunately. Perhaps she’s presenting this, theoretically?
-snipped
Travis threatened to expose Jodi and her narcissistic sociopath stalking ways. Jodi went rageful when hacking into Travis emails and voicemail finding out Travis removed Jodi from Cancun ticket and replaced Jodi with Mimi Hall.
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjk1tt
No, not verified.
B
Forget the JA hashtag.
I wish I thought of this myself. Travis is the victim.
@Cayleesjustice Good morning! Thx for the reminder. RT: Trial watchers: use #travisalexander instead of JA. RT use #trayvonmartin not GZ.
Blink please clarify for me. If a hung jury, can JA (which also stands for Jack A$$) walk free??
No, she can’t unless the state would not refile charges for some reason, which would not happen. I do believe she has a very strong chance of getting that murder 2 deal.
B
A Grace Wong is a producer for TruTV HLN. Not sure if she is the same Ms. Wong being ordered to testify on Monday. Could pertain to either Cesarez’ testimony or possibly she witnessed LV approach Samantha.
Judge Stevens does not seem pleased with LV.
LV misrepresented about MEN for whom she testified in criminal court. None. Cannot recall names. Reminiscent of Arias not being able to recall the mens’ names with whom she was going camping, armed. Great juror question.
It is my opinion that LV feels as if she is Arias’ guardian, protection, and she will blatantly defend Arias even to the demise of her own integrity. Is Arias the grandstand in her lifelong efforts to find all men accountable for domestic violence? I am now quite curious to know what LV has hanging in her proverbial closet… father issues?
Biased much?
I am having a hard time being terse about an expert who is simply recounting the experiences of her practice. She was asked if she treated female abusers and her answer was yes. She was asked if she had seem domestic abuse where the female was the perp, she answered yes.
She is a defense witness, and as a result, she came into this with a level of belief in JA, and while I DO AGREE some of her testimony did not support information I read with a different “take away”, the reality is that most intimate partner domestic abuse of record involving physical abuse or violence is perpetrated by men- not all, not by any means, but it worked for the widow Winkler.
Once Again, I find Martinez missed opportunities he had to obliterate her “view” in this case. He focused on freaking fable and the difference between a keynote speaker and luncheon address or some crud- on her 20 page CV. Her basic appearance was to support the defendant claim of self defense- I never saw a nexus, but members of the jury clearly did- and imo, had Martinez used what he had in his quiver, like as an example images of Travis deceased and asked her to count wounds, or note the amount of fatal wounds, etc and relate those to any abuse cases she has ever had. You get the idea. You have to demonstrate how her “view” cannot be applied to this case, not bait the woman so badly you end up having jurors feeling sorry for her. Statistically speaking, there are jurors who have been victims of abuse or knows someone who has .
I feel like Martinez is like the surgeon who finds out he was supposed to remove the left arm and he removed the right. His response is- well there are 2 arms so I had a 50% chance of getting right or wrong.
B
This is all in fun. Guaranteed to make you laugh.
Duchess, I honestly do not find humor in that at all. I would like to believe as a society we have moved past making fun of sexual orientation and body size and type. I have no issue with occasional levity in such macabre circumstances, but not at a specific individual’s expense.
I removed the link.
B
Read me please:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-harper/the-mobbing-of-alyce-laviolette_b_3064306.html?utm_hp_ref=jodi-arias
Did anyone else pick up on ALV nervousness on Friday? She didnt seem so overly confident and I thought she looked like she was shaking at one point. She gave me the impression that JM has beaten/discredited her. Or maybe shes fearful with media backlash.
B @ Apr 13 at 845am
Agreed, thank you.
And THANK YOU for being open to agreeing to disagree on occasion, and seeing professional commonalities aligned with social reality.
B
I haven’t been online for a long time but have continued to watch this trial on tv. I am so upset that the defense attorney and as a matter of fact, the Judge that they allow this last witness to be so very very rude to the prosecutor. My thoughts that she made the case worse for Arias by her obvious lies and contention to the attorney’s questions. The fact that she could Never agree with the prosecutor on any questions should show to the jury that they are both liars…If I was in court I wouldn’t have the fortitude to talk back and be a smart — in the courtroom. I believe this woman has purgered herself on many occassions. What a hateful witness to match a hateful murderer!!! Ms Arias could have gotten out of the house when he was still alive and when she shot him. Why didn’t she just leave instead of continuing to do an unjust murder. As far as I’m concerned the witnesses have both been liars and they match the defendant.. Oh, I’m mad at this unbelievable Laviolette..
Amys Sister says:
April 12, 2013 at 9:08 pm
Oh! I want a grandbaby!! So jealous and happy for you all at once Pam. I keep telling my daughter I need a baby in my life and she simply won’t make one for me
She’s probably right. Might be better if she gets married and finishes college first, LOL.
(sorry Blink, I had to respond. I love babies and am VERY happy for Grandma Pam)
***********
Amy’s Sister>
I have the same problem !! Too funny.
Congrats Pam!
Friday was a scheduled half day only, so it did not end “early”.
Ms Wong is Beth Karas’ Producer for HLN. She is being called in re to Nurmi’s problem with Martinez supposed fan club/video issue brought about by HLN programming. This is scheduled for testimony at 11am Monday.
AL is to check back in Monday and is still under subpoena and will likely return to the stand Tuesday for—– so many possible things, lol, pick one!
According to the newly established website for Aria, her art work is selling in the thousands. I am not including the link to her website because I do not want any responsibility for sending traffic there, I am just using that as a reference for these claims.
My point is this:
Arias was appointed a public defender according to Maricopa county rules http://www.maricopa.gov/pdweb/
But if Arias is making thousands of her art, where is the line drawn with regard to her financial responsibilities of court costs?
I realize that selling a drawing of Grace kelly for the alledged price of over 3,000 dolaars is nothing compared to cost of trial, but would any kind of income be accessible by the state under the circumstances that she is on trial , using public defender, and has an income?
It appears that within the last four months, she has made around 7 k in sales of art work ( again according to her website)-
The average per capita income of Mesa is 27 k in 12 months- ( I posted that link in a previous comment) Arias has made about a third of that in 4 months…..
sorry, bad math- In the last four months, Arias has made about ONE QUARTER of the average annual income for Mesa, Arizona. Does she have any financial responsibility to the courts who have proovided public defenders because she was indigent.
Stats for income in Mesa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_locations_by_per_capita_income
You are so lucky I was reviewing comments backwards. LOL
Thanks for the adjustment.
B
I guess I don’t want to talk to Jodi 44 hours
I understand LaV was for the defense and if I was battered it would be great to have her on my side
But she seemed not to know this case
And I just hate how Travis has been trashed in front of his family so it narrows my view of this whole trial
Yes ma’am. To all of what you said.
B
Thx, B. I read the Huffpo piece by Janice Harper (prev. Psychology Today). A well-written and compassionate plea to question the message and to leave the messenger alone.
I don’t feel the need to tear AlV apart even though I don’t agree with much of her message or her belief that JA was in an abusive relationship with Travis.
As Harper says, let’s put the pitchforks down and use our brains instead.
As much as I think Ms. Laviolette’s testimony is bias it is what it is. I do not wish her any harm and anyone attacking her as a person is nothing but a bully. Thank you Blink for having a site and administrator that will not tolerate it. I apologize if I ever treated her as a person badly. I still do not like her conclusions and what seems to me assumptions regarding the victim, Travis, and for seeming to not answer questions directly, but this lady is not getting a fair shake in the public. Focus needs to be directed away from what type of person Ms. L is and needs to be put back on to Jodi Arias.
Sound assessment and respectful.
I openly admit that I have to work at my emotions taking a front seat in this case and others. That said, on a personal level and admittedly not professional- I know kind when I see it. This woman is a kind person who bit off more than she could chew, with an unprepared and lackluster PD that may have strengthened their case at her expense.
B
NaNa says:
April 13, 2013 at 11:57 am
Did anyone else pick up on ALV nervousness on Friday? She didnt seem so overly confident and I thought she looked like she was shaking at one point. She gave me the impression that JM has beaten/discredited her. Or maybe shes fearful with media backlash.
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Yes Nana, I noticed the same thing. More likely to the media backlash IMO. Also noticed that Jodi’s confidence shrunk as well. Probably mirroring AL but who knows with her. None of what she displays are genuine emotions anyway.
Also thanks to all for the well wishes. I am eggcited and eggstatic.
(I love the way you write blink)
Ragdoll
Jodi only killed Travis three times and the gun shot would not have killed if he had been able to get to medical help. The wounds that were deadly are the stab wound to the heart area from the front; the throat cut; the shot over a good amount of time. The rest would be painful, but not deadly. Without the ability to get medical help, he could have died from a gradual loss of blood from the wounds at the back of the head and the multiple other cuts.
the hln coverage of this is so ,,, my gosh they are covering it from every angle , at times ,its very informational , but i have to admit at times it is overkill , and i start to appreciate the defense pundits, who keep it on track.i couldnt vote death in this case . the nurse who injected 47 babies in texas who is about to walk free , or the al. college tenure board shooter ,who also killed her brother,yeah either of those. i do believe travis was abusive to jodi ,she unfornately set her self up for it .she served herself up to be his dark side co conspirator . i think the fog started when she stole her grans gun . very important to me is how her grandparents handled this house robbery , why did jodi report the gun stolen instead of the gun owner -grandpa?-did they suspect that jodi had stolen it , so they made her report it? i think _’she remembered the knife was on the bedstand’– and therefore i cOULD not agree with self defense , she could have escaped,locked herself in the bedroom, called 911 .or beat on the walls till the neighbors did-IF IT WERE TRUE that he attacked her- . i believe she did suffer post stress after stabbing and slitting his throat , that is why she didnt wipe her hand print off the wall and put the cammera in the washer . (the card was seperated from the camera , i think she wrapped in a towel to wipe fingerprints off the camera and take the card with her,she just forgot the camera and card were in the towel),i think the upside down liscense tag was fog also, (she took it off ,when she entered az, and put it back on upside down) .that’s the best i can give
-to a underdog .i like jw, feel sorry for al.i dont mind martinez’s style if it behooves,something.
I am real sad that Alice LaViolette over extended her area of expertise. She may be a good and thoughtful counsler, but she did not use good judgement in taking on this murder case. She did not examine the documents or ask the proper questions of Jodi and the defense team,nor did she attempt to verify the central elements of Jodi’s story with those that knew Travis. This is a total lack of understanding good investigative practice IMO.
Juan Martinez reminds me of a little Boston bulldog who one gets started in a direction, cannot balance his tactics. He is great in formulating questions. However, IMO he needs to never be left as a singular counsel for the state.
Who really is Jodi? How did she get to the point in her life where she took anothers life and seems to have little or no remorse?
The following are quotes from Sandra L. Brown’s book at page 232 and 235:
Childhood Conduct Disorder
Characterized by behaviors that ignore or disrespect the rights of others and that society would recognize as “wrong,” including displaying hostility by threatening others verbally or physically; committing property damage; dishonesty; stealing of insignificant, unnecessary items; repeatedly breaking rules like curfews and school attendance.
Individuals who are diagnosed with conduct disorder as children are often later diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder which represents the most serious diagnosis on the pathology continuum.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
The main symptom of this disorder is a chronic disrespect for the rights of others or the rules of society. The pattern usually begins in childhood or early adolescence as symptoms of conduct disorder. In adulthood, antisocials have ongoing behavioral problems arising form their disrespect for the rules and laws of society. Antisocials are pathological liars and con artists. They will lie to and manipulate even their closest family members. They are impetuous and will react in knee-jerk fashion without much thought or planning. Their behavior results in inconsistency in most areas of their lives, including child rearing, working and paying bills on time. Their only skill for resolving conflict tends to be aggression, a pattern that often results in repeated assault charges. They enjoy pushing the limits of safety and will engage in impulsive or daredevil behaviors like speeding or reckless driving. Antisocials have very little ability to show conscience and remorse for things they have done.
Both of these quotes appear to be based on the DSM-IV.
If you search the news online there are many stories of women who stabbed their boyfriends to death. There are very few stories of men or women who slit someone’s throat. Inflicting that type of wound will certainly gain you notoriety.
ALV did seem nervous Friday afternoon. Think she was bothered by the need to return next week.
@Ragdoll
(snipped) “Ragdoll says:
April 13, 2013 at 6:44 am
…and I just have to add this about Alyce LaVoilette…
It appears to me that she is using this case to endorse herself. A book she wrote, coincidentally, is about to be released. She has invested herself into the defense, imho, for ‘secondary gain’. Kudos for JM bringing that up during the trial. Amazon has since reduced her book by $6.00 b/c of the controversy. Was it worth it, Alyce? (a year from now).
Sell. Out.
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This trial is “infamous” and jmo all involved are trying to make a buck. Is there no justice for Travis Alexander? I beginning to wonder.
Blink said: “I openly admit that I have to work at my emotions taking a front seat in this case and others. That said, on a personal level and admittedly not professional- I know kind when I see it. This woman is a kind person who bit off more than she could chew, with an unprepared and lackluster PD that may have strengthened their case at her expense.”
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Totally agreed Blink.
I have met many men and women who faithfully enter the prison system on a weekly basis to conduct group meetings for the prisoners who want to turn their lives around when they re-enter society. People like ALV put their hearts into their life’s work and have a calling to help the most damaged among us. Not everyone can have the compassion for a known abuser and want to show that person how to make better choices.
Ms. ALV may have had a weak spot for JA and it took control over her emotions. She wanted to help JA so badly, and save her from the death penalty, that she compromised herself on the stand as a defense witness. From my view, she got emotionally involved with JA and it showed. She was not a believable witness. If Ms. ALV had kept to her professional instincts, she may never have taken the job as a defense witness for this case or this defendant. Had she been thinking professionally and intellectually in this case, she would not have been able to make the stretch of domestic violence or abused woman for JA. Ms. ALV only saw what she wanted to see in the evidence and hear what she wanted to hear from the defense because of her attachment to JA.
I have the feeling that ALV was an abused person somewhere in her life and that her choices may have put her in a position to be abused. I think she repeated a pattern in choosing to be a defense witness for JA that put her in a bad position again to be abused by those who feel she sold out. That’s because she got emotionally involved in this case with the defendant. For me – that is apparent. I’ve seen it happen when officers become emotionally involved with a prisoner. They become ineffective as an authority figure, and the other inmates pick up on it. JM picked up on this emotional involvement and saw it as a weakness – which it is in this case – and used it to his advantage.
Yes. Agreed.
B
“Alyce LaViolette was well aware of the facts of the case when she agreed to defend Ms. Arias and justify her confessed killing of Travis Alexander”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-harper/the-mobbing-of-alyce-laviolette_b_3064306.html?utm_hp_ref=jodi-arias
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It’s this statement that gets me going. Does anyone here believe Jodi was justified in hacking this man to death? What facts would justify his brutal slaying? None. I didn’t see today’s testimony. Is AL still undergoing cross?
Three simple facts that dispute the self-defense theory. She traveled to see him. She chose fight over flight, in any circumstance. She over-killed him.
Irrespective of all testimony regarding domestic abuse, an able-bodied adult that chooses to return without commitments of home, health, children, marriage or employment negates the battered partner theory the moment he/she willingly walks back through the door, or crawls through the dog door.
LV testified that Travis and Arias were in the closet when the gun went off, and that the knife was left on the nightstand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBw-BZJJI0o
LV used the word “murder” when referring to June 4:
“Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide (such as manslaughter).” – Wikipedia
Malice aforethought = premeditation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq5hdPtcOs
Mrs blink, I know last trial you felt a whole lot more confident in the Floridian murderer being convicted of murder. Because of the Floridian catastrophe of a verdict, does it make you less confident in the correct outcome of this trial which should be murder one, because of the make up of this defendant being similar to the Floridian. I personally believe she will be convicted of murder one and I sure hope I am right. I believe in these jury members. Sure seems like we have a much different make-up of a jury in Phoenix
Are you referring to the CA trial? I did not wish to answer without knowing for sure.
B
Jden
You have quite well expressed the things that the prosecution should present in a closing argument. Jodi made all the choices. She hid her trip to Arizona so she in effect stalked and killed Travis.
LV may have testified to what Jodi wanted her to believe regarding the gun and the knife. If the gun was fired in the closet, there would be evidence in the form of blood splatter in the closet and forensics would have found it.
I believe that Jodi entered through the garage by using the keypad code. She is a snoop and inserted herself into as many facets of Travis’s life as she could.
We have no report of the type of slashes to the car tires so we cannot know for certain Jodi did it. However, there are two ways to quickly flatten a tire. Both require a very sharp knife or cutter. The least damaging way is to simply cut the valve stem. The second and more destructive way is to use a sharp dagger style knife with a sturdy blade to cut the sidewall. If the sidewall cut is large or if more than one, it is difficult to repair and will most times require replacement.
I believe that Jodi did cut the tires and that is the same knife she used to attack Travis. The knife was Jodi’s and had been in her possession for some time.
okay answered my own question about Arias selling her art.
Inmates in Maricopa county are not allowed to sell items while they are incarcerated.
BUT
there is nothing stopping a third party from doing so.
013/04/11/jodi-arias-trial/2076421/
QUESTION- (slightly off topic)
This jury is in the room observing the witnesses as they interact with the lawyers and judge. They are asking their own questions and getting a response.
If the jury only had access to written transcripts of her testimony, would it affect their opinion of Alyce LaViolette?
this link goes with my 1:40 a.m. post.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/11/jodi-arias-trial/2076421/
Blink
You brought to our attention the Huffington article
I would like to voice my thoughts-
Thank you
“” snipped portions of Article The mobbing of Alyce Laviolette
“But a hallmark of mobbing is that when those in a position of influence (in this case, the media) give the green light to criticize someone, criticism will rapidly turn into attack and if not restrained will become increasingly aggressive until the target is destroyed. ”
It is not wrong for anyone to highlight legitimate concerns whether they be over political issues or economic issues or social issues—even if these issues are concerns over a specific figure whether political – or as in this case an expert of domestic violence.
Whether or not someone in the media believes their commentary has given a “greenlight” to criticize or not- is not the issue-
Criticism is not bad- Concern is not bad-
Bringing anyones attention to a legitimate issue or concern is needed and wanted- and should not be silenced
This is part of the medias job-
Although there have been times throughout history when voicing “criticism” has been squashed even by those in the media-
Criticism will NOT rapidly turn into an attack if not restrained nor will it inevitably become more and more aggressive until the “target is destroyed”
To even hint at that is to say that all criticism and hope for change inevitably results to violence and character assassination- instead of positive changes in policy- law or society- etc.
Every cause has began with just one person standing up- to speak out against a wrong-
whether this person is a journalist or not- standing up to voice concerns and to organize grass root operations is a good thing-
Think Civil rights- voting rights womens rights victims rights
Sometimes a group of people collectively standing up to be heard and to voice their views- is not a “mob” but a courageous dissenting movement
“Far more troubling, however, have been comments on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook denigrating Ms. LaViolette for her looks, weight, age, and speculated sexuality. As the comments increase, they extend to calls for her physical harm or even death.
People comment on blogs twitter and fB all the time and yes some comments are petty and mean and hateful they are wrong as is posting ALVs home phone -
This is the web and it can be harsh and still the written word can easily be misinterpreted
Of course noone should threaten to harm anyone or kill anyone- or publish personal # not even in jest
“More recently, a petition is circulating that as of this writing has more than 5,000 signatures. It demands that “Alyce LaViolette should no longer be given the opportunity to speak at abuse seminars based on her testimony in The State vs. Jodi Arias Murder trial.”
“Aside from the obvious First Amendment protections such a petition seeks to undermine, to professionally shun someone and prevent them from presenting their views just because those views are antiquated and unpopular is far more disturbing to me than the views Ms. LaViolette is espousing.”
First illegitimate and laughable petitions bounce up all the time – To want to squash a citizens from taking up their right to bring about a petition and for those of like mind to sign it is wrong-
2nd- Petitions can be legitimate and can bring about changes in wrong laws or policies- and antiquated beliefs-
Petitions are what brought about legalizing medical Marijuana for instance or same sex marriage etc
3rd this petition does not seem to want to take away Ms LAViolettes right to free speech it seems to seek to prevent her from giving speeches on abuse at seminars- where her views and beliefs are helping to formulate others beliefs
And I would think this petition was not brought about because Ms laviolettes thinking is antiquated or unpopular but because it is potentially Harmful to have this “expert” spreading these biased antiquated teachings to a new generation
IMO she shouldnt be in a position where she trains others to identify and then work with people who were arrested for DV -
AS by her own testimony she can not seem to distinguish perpetrators from survivors without looking at what sexual organ they may have been born with and whether or not they have a history of childhood trauma
I am appalled that this author thinks a group of concerned citizens coming together to sign a petition out of real concerns is worse than the testimony ALV gave in this case regardless if ALV believed what she testified to or not-
“There is real concern that her inability to objectively assess domestic violence may have grave consequences for those she counsels, but there are also grave consequences to any socially sanctioned effort to revoke a person’s right to free speech. It is far better to present professional papers that critique her views and testimony, than to demand she be excluded, shunned and silenced from her profession for having them.”
I agree her professional papers and testimony should be presented and critique should be about her views and testimony
but this does not seem to be against ALV free speech but more so against her belief and biases being taught
As she is being sought to teach others and is being paid in some instances – paid to spread these views not only here but in other countries by our own state dept- and she can do more harm than good not only to those she counsels but to those relying on her “expertize” and if her expertize is encapsulated within her testimony then we are right to be very concerned
ALV testified she helps these countries to set up DV legislation, creates laws – sets up community organizing around battered women shelters and sets up programs and these programs incorporates the whole family males and females alike-
here, she has worked with teens on dating violence and if her lack of objectivity or gender bias rears its ugly head during any of these efforts then her antiquated thoughts and potential gender bias may have far reaching serious repercussions.
“Similarly, there are currently over 500 one-star reviews on Amazon that have been posted denigrating her book, It Could Happen To Anyone: Why Battered Women Stay, even though the vast majority admit to not having read the book. This is a more ambiguous issue because if I have reason to believe that an author is not credible, and espouses views elsewhere that readers ought to be aware of before buying the book, it can be persuasively argued that leaving a one-star review of a book I haven’t read is reasonable, given my knowledge of the author. But when hundreds do so in response to a social outrage, and these hundreds admit to never having read the book, then it might also be argued that Amazon should remove the reviews because they amount to a publicized smear campaign, something any of us who publish could find ourselves subjected to.”
The review boards are there for people to give opinions- opinions on the author and the book-
- even if the opinions are repetitive they are posted-
most who have Not read the book state clearly they did not read the book their concerns over this publication are justified by the fact that it has been said this book is being taught in Universities- it is being used by attorneys in cases- –
This book is not simply a self help book which may or may not help
it is reaching a far bigger audience and is being used to teach about DV and may be used to effect outcomes in court
again if this incorporates the views she shared in her “expert” testimony we have a right to be concerned-
“Alyce LaViolette was well aware of the facts of the case when she agreed to defend Ms. Arias and justify her confessed killing of Travis Alexander. Ms. LaViolette alone is responsible for her theorizing and her thinking and her testimony, and should be prepared to face criticism for these views just like any other professional claiming expertise on a topic. ”
YES she should
“But it should come as no surprise that she had to receive emergency treatment at a hospital for anxiety attacks and heart palpitations when the attacks against her became so personal and vicious. Nearly anyone would fall apart at such collective aggression aimed at them and the only one responsible for such aggression are those who engage in it.”
Ms Laviolette testified that she is aware of organized campaigns as was carried out against Statefarm- She also testified she herself is no stranger to hate campaigns or “discrimination” including being called such things as a “man hater” she in fact said some of the vitriol aginst her was justified sometimes – -
she testified that in the past- she has stood strong against fear.. fear of even death- Killing from a violent murdering gangbanger-
Yet she continued on in her work she testified to being afraid a # of times from bodily injury from the men she counseled- IMMINENT threats-
This fear in most instances seems to be over what can be seen as gripes- a sharing of opinions over legitimate concerns -legitimate backlash- I would think ALV as a counselor of abusers as a friend of battered women-as an expert witness in family courts she is aware of and has faced backlash and death threats before-
For the most part these outspoken citizens seem to be held to the web- so how is it that she seems to be more frightened over tweets and blogs and review forums, then by the very personal threat of a known murdering gangbanger and other violent DV offenders she counseled?
Her publicist should make a file of legitimate or possible threats as most authors have their share of hatemail some potentially serious others just junk mail… they understand what must be done inorder to protect their clients =same with phone calls –make a file and let LE handle any legitimate concerns
“When we act against another without restraint and in a group, humans are capable of incredibly cruel and inhumane treatment of each other.”
Yes they are capable of this- the same as they are capable of bringing about positive changes to law and policy and social causes-
Citizens should not be “restrained” in sharing their concerns – their opinions -their disdain -they should not be restrained from forming groups they should not be restrained from writing petitions or from boycotting companies or speaking out against specific figures etc-
INDIVIDUALS who take it to a violent level should be investigated by LE but legitimate gripes, concerns, opinions even to the point of calling for reasonable action should not be retrained
“The only way to reasonably challenge Ms. LaViolette is to keep the critique focused and aimed at what she has actually said and done….”
“It’s the message she’s testifying to that merits attack, not the messenger who for whatever reason, has chosen to believe the unbelievable. Put the pitchforks away.”
Yes I agree but again if there is real concern over bias if There is a real concern that her inability to objectively assess domestic violence may have grave consequences for those she counsels than that concern must be applied for those she trains for those who are teaching her book or hearing her speeches or using her book in courts of law-
we as advocates must voice our concerns in a reasonable way even collectively –
otherwise we are as much to blame as she is for any harm done. Especially since other countries are creating DV programs and laws based upon ALV expertize–
AJMO
Peace
Do any of you think JM may try to impeach ALV’s testimony alltogether due to AL’s obvious bias & misrepresentation of her CV?
@ A Texas Grandfather says:
April 13, 2013 at 5:21 pm
ATG, thank you for your response.
I apologize that my point lacked clarify. My point was that it took 31 wounds, which were all intended to kill Travis. 29 stab wounds. One bullet to the head, along with a near decapitation. Technically, yes, one wound was ‘the fatal’ blow. I’m speaking metaphorically.
I hope that makes more sense. xo
WRT AL, I realize we need to separate the oil from the water, so to speak. The attacks on AL are completely unfair. I agree that she does emanate kindness and compassion. For someone who cares about the human spirit, it’s easy to be governed by the heart and at times, lose perspective of the big picture. Miss LaViolette comes across, to me, as someone who has deep wounds of her own. She relates to others pain. Perhaps the boundary between counsel and lifeguard becomes fuzzy to AL. The intent is to help, but it seems she’s become a rescuer. I know from personal experience, that’s an unhealthy approach. The one you help may pull you down like a drowning individual.
Her heart is in the right place. It’s not difficult to she is a good person, at the core. I won’t condone the lies and secondary gain, which has reared it’s ugly head, in her testimony. She clearly did not go into this with a clear head. She remarked her retirement funds are low. I don’t see what that has to do with this trail, at all. Freudian slip, perhaps. There’s a trend in trying to make $$$ off of highly covered trials. That became evident in Caylee’s murder trial. The defendants, jurors, witnesses, attorneys, family members…all looking to sell a book, a life story, whatever, at the expense of someone’s tragedy. That’s not justice.
AJMO