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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As I’ve stated before, I’ve had to step away some at times from this trial and the whole JA thing sometimes because she always always reminded me of the BPD in my life.
ALWAYS.
Blink said:
“She is Jodi’s obstacle in her mind. Except I think it reminds me a lot of what I think sent Jodi reeling in her other relationships- when she was confronted with her mental issues.”
*****
The BPD in my life will go bat shite crazy if someone calls her ‘crazy’ or confronts her on her mental issues and it’s not on her ‘terms’.
Meaning, she can tell you she has issues, but by God….you ain’t telling her.
Also, the whole ‘self harm’ discussion:
Many BPD will mirror this. (this particular person is 5 years older than me…not gonna say how old I am…lol, but it plays into her story some)
One of the times my bpd was ‘committed’ to a hospital for said issues….she calls me and (as usual) it’s everyone elses fault she’s in there except hers. Oh, and these were her exact words…
“OMG…there is a girl in here, she’s like 17 or so, and she CUTS herself….like writes things in her skin. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???”
You guessed it…a month later, she proudly showed off a shallow ‘cutting’ in her forearm.
I said something like “ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME??”
of course….OF COURSE she has no idea what the hell I’m so upset about with her.
But, bpd patients ARE vampires (especially narcissistic disorder along with it)
And I’ve had ‘Walking on Eggshells’ as my bible.
I set limits and I see maybe some in JA’s life have set boundaries, I could kindof hear it in her fathers interview.
He was exasperated with her, you could tell.
Ok, I don’t know if I can finish live streaming more of today, but watching JA sit there and ‘doodle’ or draw her manifesto piece de’ resistance…..
(or however the hell it’s spelled y’all….)
just makes me upset.
I watched part 1 and part of part 2 from yesterday. Did they give JA an assignment to help control her behavior in court? She looks like she is working on some kind of homework assignment or something. It gives the impression that the testimony is irrevelant from her perspective and hard for me to tell if she is really listening or not. Me thinks she knows that this may be the one and only person alive in this world that knows her true mental status.
I am impressed with Ms.D. It seems as she was rehearsed in some aspects but I keep getting the impression that she was rehearsed specifically on broader subject matter. Unless she is a great actress, her surprise in answering some of the questions related to the two prior witnesses seems genuine. She seems oblivious to prior testimony. JMOO
Unrelated and in reference to the eyesight speculation, I too get migraines. I documented food, cycles, activities, stress and other factors for my doctor when originally diagnosed with them to determine triggers. One of them is eyestrain. I can’t help but wonder if some of JA’s migraines come from wearing a prescription which isn’t suited for her. Just more speculation.
“Agreed. One of the things I am struggling with is that to my knowledge, Jodi has no history of self-mutilation. None. As you know that is a major hallmark of BPD. Is it possible that the component of hurting oneself can be sort of a transference to a different sort of intentional self-harmful behavior manifestation?
B”
Like continually subjecting yourself to being the recipeint of anal intercourse, that you now claim was uncomfortable and not necessarily your cup of tea? All of which I am convinced was precipitated by JA herself.
Hmmm. Judge dismisses the jury early due to an issue that has emerged. And JA appears very unhappy. Thoughts?
Court recessed early today…Jodi looks sick.
Rose or Grace or anyone else who might know, does the female menstral cycle affect BP women? It seems that their would be some differences between men and women in syptoms.
“symptoms”
I actually like Willmott… I bet she’s a very nice gal. She’s doing better as the day goes on but this witness is solid.
Idk about dsm 5 being an improvement as to BPD. Going to let those mcbt’ers diagnose a whole lot more potential clients. This case seems simple without any diagnostics. Evidence of preplanning (gas cans, gun theft) & effort made to get to TA without any other reason to make that drive. Motive: his breakup with her. It seems to me it’s then forensics. She didn’t realize a 9mm to the head was insufficient. So the knife is overdone in the heat of fear & a passionate struggle. The throat finale? I bet she was remembering all that oral sex (vindictively). Anyway, she’s confessed on the stand.
to clarify, it was a .25 cal GSW. A nine mil would have killed him instantly in that entry, imo.
But yes, agreed, this case is a forensics case, and should have ended as a result with a plea of life wop v death.
B
Hi Grace
Good to see you back. I believe that Jodi did attempt one suicide,but she said she stopped because it hurt too much. This tells me she is unable to harm herself, but has no compunction about harming another.
Jodi wanted Travis and would do anything he wanted to snare him. However, Travis like all the other men Jodi was involved with soon found out her real behavior and dumped her. She couldn’t have him and she was willing to do whatever was required to prevent another female from having him.
I hear you Grace, and I heard that testimony, but why can’t I reconcile my feeling that there was never, ever a time where JA would consider harming a hair on her own head, let alone actually attempting it- as she has no history of anything in any relationship of the sort as well. How do we address the difference in her saying it to manipulate the situation over having the actual ideation. Could her participation in what she considered demeaning sexual practices be similar to self-harm?
Yes, I know, she sounded like she was having a ball, but if the end game was to snare Travis ultimately into some sort of committed relationship I could see that behavior as masochistic.
B
______
Not sure how much it matters but Jodi scored way higher on ‘sadistic’ than she did masochistic on one of the test results Willmott put on the projector. I paused it to review the scores. I cannot recall which test it was but it was during Willmott’s questioning of Demarte today.
Though diagnosed as borderline my sisters abuser certainly showed a lot of narcissistic traits. He greatly feared her leaving him but at the same time everything had to be about him and his needs. He took the master bedroom and bathroom door off their hinges so she couldn’t have any privacy. Just totally controlling and crossing all boundaries. Like Jodi, I can’t imagine him ever hurting himself. It was always about what was in his best interest and what he wanted or thought he needed. My sister was there to be toyed with and do his bidding and the worst he made her feel the better he felt and the happier he became.
Then, when she finally made moves to leave, she died.
Jodi reminds me so much of him.
GraceintheHills says:
April 17, 2013 at 1:25 pm
Blink says, “I hear you Grace, and I heard that testimony, but why can’t I reconcile my feeling that there was never, ever a time where JA would consider harming a hair on her own head, let alone actually attempting it- as she has no history of anything in any relationship of the sort as well. How do we address the difference in her saying it to manipulate the situation over having the actual ideation.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Blink,
I think you are really picking up on her brand of pathology. With this disorder, and specifically in her case, you really don’t have to differentiate because we know all the suicidal threats she made in her relationship with Travis were empty. I think when all is said and done we will hear a lot more about her uncanny ability to manipulate those who are unfortunate enough to come into her orbit. She is one of a kind.
G, I certainly appreciate your response, and I agree.
B
BINGO Blink!!
Let me back up. Thank you for the response to The article on Alyce. I didn’t agree with many of her assessments but I have no idea why people think that makes her public fodder for PERSONAL bashing. I am hoping those who NEEDED to read that, did so.
ATG ‘Jersey sounds?’ From a TEXAN!? hee! (always LOVE your intelligence here)
Sadly, personal experience leads me to post we have a BPD in our family. She has been HELPED greatly by therapy and support, but it’s a sad, scary (sometimes) thing to live with & heartbreaking for family. MUST ADD: NO self-harm (and it was popular among her friends when she was a teen); definitely suicidal ‘talk’… but here it is: she gave herself to ANY man in ANY way they wanted her. She never felt love for any of them, she was being used and using too. She was YOUNG when she began acting out sexually (no abuse in family, but she lost her mom, my sister, when she was 5 yo. and always looking to fill that hole.)
We always looked at the sex as HER hurting herself, totally.
Had to post bc of BPD and self-harm and then BAM, you posted that and I almost couldn’t type fast enough!
ALSO, I found the similarities in age and appearance (Jodi & DJD)very sad. Jodi threw her life away.
JUSTICE FOR TRAVIS
Someone commented that Dr Demarte seemed angry or like she had something against Jodi. I think her attitude reflects that she thinks Jodi is a liar who is trying to make the jury think she’s been battered and abused and Dr D knows that she has not. It’s a game that Dr D doesn’t feel like playing. I think that’s why the Dr was happy to announce that JA is a liar (although not professional). I agree that she should have said “I found Ms A to be untruthful in the following areas…” and list them out without any emotion. Either way, I think the jury agrees with her. I read that the crew in the courtroom today say the jurors have not submitted any questions with this witness which speaks volumes.
Has anyone posted Willmott’s “what a bitch” slip, yet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En7UIKNzwg4
oh Jane…your experience with your bpd and the sexual promiscuity is exactly what we’ve dealt with with the one in our family too.
I’ve always wished I had a better way with words, to truly write the journey of our family with her.
I maintain limited contact because she has a huge part of my world, my heart, my sweet little niece.
I maintain limited communication via text, Facebook, etc. and endless packages to my niece….lol
Sometimes I have a sister.
And it makes me sad.
word girl says at 8:02
Has anyone posted Willmott’s “what a bitch” slip, yet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En7UIKNzwg4
—
whatever Willmot said, it did cause Arias to look up- check it out.
FTR, I do not believe Atty Willmott said that.
B
Rose says
April 17, 2013 9:24AM
@GraceintheHills. Thank you for your insights.
I was so focused on those 1-3 word notes JM was putting on the overhead (that will be tagged as
Exhibit & will be relied on by jurors imo), I was inattentive to her affect, but you are right, it was gleeful, or
exhuberant. Imo it goes back to whatever clashes occurred in interviewing. I don’t call it bias, but
there is some kind of anger there. I bet she blames Jody for the laptop theft & has residual
feelings.
***********************
@Rose, you are very welcome! I always look forward to your thoughts as well. I do think you hit the nail on the head: I would bet those clinical interviews were tense, especially when JA realized she couldn’t schmooze JD.
Omy goodness, it does sound like Wilmot says that slang.
I’m not sure that I understand why the hearing concerning ALV would need to be sealed and why Nurmi would request it to be sealed as well in the event of a guilty verdict. In addition, what do you believe was the subject matter of this hearing?
Lastly, what if any is the significance of this event re: hearing and sealing the info
All I know so far is that something was “uncovered” re LaViolette and that JM went after her aggressively during the hearing as a result, and the judge found his behavior to be appropriate.
She raised her eyes when Nurmi said he was glad she had been there to witness JM badgering a witness and I took that to mean right then his argument was nil.
Nurmi requested it be sealed subject to additional hearing in the event Jodi is found guilty. ( Meaning the media challenge to unseal it will need to be renewed for cause).
B
Quite a few people see Willmott as snarky over at Scared Monkeys. I resonded:
I think Willmott is being too courteous and it makes her look weak. I imagine myself doing the cross and no way would I allow the witness to control the question/answers as she’s doing. Willmott is ‘giving’ too much IMO.
This is a solid witness and she needs a confident and direct questioner so the playing field becomes more level. Willmott did get better as the day progressed but she asks open ended questions and then responds in the affirmative when the witness gives an answer. It’s not working for the defense.
I’m not seeing snark as much as you and others are with regards to Willmott, though. I think she’s a genuinely courteous person who doesn’t realize her mannerisms come off as snarky. If she could chill with the eye rolls, quit being so mannerly, and start being more direct I think people would give her a little more respect. I give her credit for at least trying to do the best she can under the circumstances and believe she has potential to be a good defense attorney.
JMO. I’m not hatin’ on Willmott. Every person in that courtroom is under a microscope and that cannot be easy on any of them.
________
Demarte is the shiznit but she played games with Willmott a couple of times only because she could. She minces words when she knows exactly what Willmott is asking. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because by doing so she’s protecting her image and professional stature. Willmott will step back and analyze tonight. I bet we’ll be seeing a slightly different Willmott tomorrow.
i dont particularly appreciate Wilmotts style of questioning- her flippant smiles hands on hips smugness her “saccharine sweetness ” – .
But I dont think she would be so unprofesssional to call a witness a dirty word..
I can almost 100% guarantee what Ms Wilmott actually said was:
“le’megetchyou”
meaning let me get you -what you(Dr Demarte)are asking for–
AJMO
Agreed. Painful to watch. I am not sure if it is because she has so little to work with or her personal style but she is getting nowhere with this witness.
B
O/T
It appears that we have at least four musicians posting.
Yes jane, all this from a Texan. Thank you for your comment. My wife and I have traveled extensively in the USA, Canada, Europe and the far East. We often play a game with our waiter or waitress when eating out as to where they grew up or spent a lot of time. We listen to how people say certain words and can detect sometimes exactly where they are from.
I know Texans are supposed to be slow talking with a pronounced drawl, but not all have it. When I am going to be in the Midwest, I will spend a few days making certain that I clearly enunciate the beginning and ends of words and keep the rhythms at a speed that is close to what they normally use.
If I choose to, I can sound just like Amos and Andy of radio show fame during the 1930′s and 40′s.
I knew I would get a chuckle from our beautiful Blink with my comment about Jersey sounds. But it is true that she does have them. Voices have a very pronounced effect on the sincerity and truthfulness of someones speech as well as how it is received by the audience.
O/T: Okay, maybe very slight but never in my falsetto
B
Very disappointed I fall asleep a few minutes and Jodi is leaving and it is over for the day
I like DrD she can answer questions JW poking for lack in her abilities and qualification
Is boring
The only girl I heard claim to be border line came to work and the first few months worked harder and better than any one and won honors of special employee
Even tho she claimed to have been fired on that last job for kicking and fighting
In a year she was fired from our place drinking on the job lies and fighting
Her hair was always a new color and braids LOL
That is all I know about BD and I don’t know if she was one like she said
Oh yes she talked about her sex life all the time this girl I wrote about
She had no secrets
I am so much older than her I ignored her but employees her age complained constantly about her behavior
Is there any limit on how many times Jodi can shut off court with illness
Blink?
Yes Malty, but not as a specific rule. Her rights allow her to confront her accuser and assist in her own defense. I suspect they had her examined by a Dr. at some point yesterday who confirmed something allowing them to recess for the day. If it becomes a habit, the Judge can and will, imo, rule to proceed without her, but we are so close to close I doubt the defense wants Jodi’s behavior to piss off the jury.
B
FTR, I think that JW definitely said,
“What a bitch.” Just a little slip,
accidentally on purpose. Very
Unprofessional. IMO
Word Girl says:
April 17, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Has anyone posted Willmott’s “what a bitch” slip, yet?
LOL! I wish there was a like button.
The unfortunate truth is that JW has postured herself so that people would attribute to her something so disrespectful and unprofessional. I would be interested to hear JDs assessment of the behaviors being elicited in this courtroom. KNs body language seems to indicate a disconnect from this defense.
ATG nailed it with the vocal register, which is of paramount importance in many occupations. In order to “sell”, you need to reach everyone, including those who learn by sight, those who listen, and those who feel. I believe this especially to be true of men as indicated by ATG. In all sincereity, I feel that counsel would do well in the future to take vocal lessons to redirect her sound projection. And manage control of the eye rolling and sarcasm.
I will be interested to hear the query regarding flight or fight today. My contention remains that the two cannot occur simultaneously, as Arias testified.
@ PaMom says:
April 18, 2013 at 6:45 am
Hi Pam!
I believe Willmott replied, ‘you betcha’. I found this comment on a youtube link. It makes sense….
-snipped
ballucnbdaddy 1 hour ago
“I betchyou” is what she says, as in “I bet you it’s in this other pile as opposed to the first pile i just looked in”….not “you’re a bitch” 3 feet from the judge. Jodi looks because SOMETHING is said, but not what most think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1zP8WS3Lfc
My speakers aren’t working on my puter, so I’m not able to listen. However, I’m sure if you listen to the context of the exchange, you’d hear it. I believe Dr. D asked to see a copy of something…not sure what that is.
Anyways, I believe in the benefit of the doubt. Emotions are high, but I don’t see Willmott sinking to that level.
JMHO
Have a super fantastical day, Pam! ((((HUGS))))
Jodi is probably not eating, intentionally. She does look thinner and her face lacks colour. Look at the attention it gets her…and the power. Like Malty commented, Jodi, in her mind, shut the trial down…again. If she’s not eating, her blood sugars are crazy and no doubt, contributing to her migraine attacks.
She’s sick, but it’s self inflicted. There’s your self mutilation, Blink.
Imo JW just lacks the intellect & knowledge base to cross an expert witness in the psychiatric arena where an opinion relies in part on psychological test results. I believe there would be much there to go on, but JW never picks 2-3 things (in the credentials arena, or testing arena, or her assessments of peers’ work products) and ride that horse to a logical conclusion, rather skips over to something inane or silly (test version given) & belabors it.
I find Dr D’s unprofessionally peremptory attitude (likely a personality thing) extends from some conclusions she pronounces on JA to doing the same with her professional peers, baldly & flatly accusing them in abrupt words of fabrication and mental instability. ie that Dr S altered test scores & fabricated his work. without ever interviewing them about their process, methods & outcomes, I don’t see how she could pronounce some of the strong accusations against them that she did.
I am amazed L Walker is still alive. I don’t know how Dr D can opine in the DV area without having gone to workshops led by others, annual meetings of prof assns (and consumer groups) in the field, and regularly reading
relevant journals with an ability to name them & some of her favorite researchers. I think she is very weak in PTSD, DV, trauma (not meaning TBI, which she probably does see for State Voc Rehab testing), but JW is making nothing of those weaknesses.
JW was sorting thru papers when she made the comment, trying to find the right one. I thot she was muttering to herself “….which….” wrt to determining where the right paper was
@Graceinthehills. re: “I would bet those clinical interviews were tense, especially when JA realized she couldn’t schmooze JD.” IIRC, Dr D said that she did all but 30 minutes of the 12 hours of clinical interview prior to testing. She mentioned one day with 5 hours of testing. In my area, most neuropsychologists break the WAIS into 2 days (fatigue factor). Additionally they do extended clinical interviews after the objective testing rather than before. It seems to me testing could arguably be unreliable if administered by the same person who did the clinical interview & assessment if it was given after 12 hours of likely adversarial interviewing from which both parties emerged with mutual contempt. If her practice was larger, she would have had a colleague to call on to do the testing piece, and she could interpret it along with her clinical interviews & other data. I don’t know though if an “expert” is required to do it themself. If so, testing should’ve come first. I am also not sure what interviewing Steve Alexander added. I would have done her family of origin, and then considered others to whom she had a strong long term attachment if any.
I don’t think the WAIS is split up to my knowledge Rose, at least I have not seen that in any cases I have had come across my desk where neuro testing took place. 5 Hours on just the battery of the usuals sounds right to me.
B
I looked up Dr Bayless & his gifted son who left Wall Street to take over as ceo. He greatly expanded in Jan 2011 adding a new location. Seem like 2 bright individuals going far. Did JW say it had closed?
I am amazed L Walker is still alive
Rose, she was a guest via video on Nancy Grace last nite.
The defense has presented Arias as a wronged woman, with feelings and foibles, from the opening statement describing Arias as ” Travis’s dirty little secret” to emotional expert witnesses who focus humanity above black and white testimony. The defense has at least succeeded in drawing everyone into the emotional world of Arias, and making the jury question just how much Arias state of mind affected her actions.
DeMarte has been presented as a person qualified to give the tests that have a scientific background, and report results accordingly. If the State’s goal is to put the actions and words of the defendant in a legally acknowledged scientific setting, they are succeeding in doing so.
The cross by Willmot is failing ( IMO) in that one cannot refute science with emotion. Picking away at DeMarte’s CV cannot counteract numbers achieved with testing. Willmot would have to attack the validity of the testing itself in order to “cancel out” the results.
The state was able to attack ALV because she presented her personal experience in the feild of domestic violence as the basis of her judgement, presented herself as a woman who used her experience to decipher Arias. JM was able to attack ALV on her subjectivity because of this. If ALV had been able to back up her position with testing , it would have been a different story. But ALV is not qualified to give tests.
So in Demarte, in approach and personality, there is a 180 difference in approach, and in my opinion, that in and of itself is effective. At the very least, the juy has to think again if they bought ALV’s declaration that Arias was a victim, just by showing that it is possible to interpret Arias actions so differently that ALV did.
Ok I do not want to believe that JW said “bitch” under her breath so I will let that go but today she did hmmmph the judge when she sustained one of JM’s objection. Seemed very disrespectful.
I don’t think the under breath chuckles are appropriate either.
B
@Ode re Grace in Walker. Last night I got TV on my phone for the first time (figuring out the tech) to see it.
What I got was 70% commercials. I also got a snip of police interview with Arias’ mother calling her bipolar.) Walker was “all that” in the 70s when new-found women’s movement legacy women in their 40s, & us younger ones,
went to grad school. Today I gave viewing a pass; looking to see ya’ll insightful comments.
Have you ever watched her LE interviews? I don’t mean the obvious BS storycrafting ninja ones, but the previous interviews as it unfolds. She is already under arrest with a month long lead time.
B
O/T: Blink what do you think of the location where Holly`s purse was found? Somebody in the neighbourhood knows where she is and I pray she will be found soon.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/18/renewed-search-under-way-for-holly-bobo-after-missing-tennessee-student-purse/?test=latestnews
Jury has returned from lunch..Jodi looks sick fwiw.
Did anyone else just pick up on Nurmi shaking his head and mocking DJD as Wilmott is quizzing her on being a DV expert? This defense team is truly so unprofessional! Did they forget they are being filmed?
Ms. Willmott is getting an “education” from Dr. DeMarte.
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/04/18/authorities-release-images-of-boston-marathon-bombing-suspects/
I’ve caught the last hour.
JM is rocking. Love the way they go back thru BPD factors as applied to Arias and testing both.
They keep saying Dr D and Jodi look alike
I can not see it
Dr D looks healthy and educated
Jodi looks pale and under weight
They do have similar hair but I suppose many women in that age group wares that hair style
I don’t see why anyone compares them
I think the general observation is noteworthy, as it relates to the contrast between the 2 in every other way.
No Malty, there is no other reasonable comparison, I agree.
I think Dr. Demarte held her own in what has to be an exasperating, but ENGAGED testimony.
Did we all catch her asking about what happened to her “stuff that was taken” at the end?
B
Whose expert testimony made more sense to you? Janeen DeMarte was excellent in her presentation. I believe she made a positive impact on the jury with her expertise and explanations for test results.
Trial resumes Tuesday 9:30am/pdt-12:30pm/edt
I was fortunate enough to have a psych professor devote an entire semester to the BPD theories of Margaret Mahler. If anyone is interested in the etiology of BPD, I suggest Googling Mahler’s theory and getting an idea of how BPD forms from infancy onward. It is a touching look at the way we individuate through the early care and love (or lack thereof) of our caregivers. We have no idea how Jodi was parented early in her life, but she sure does fit the profile. Self-harm and suicidal ideation fall into the same category, so it doesn’t alert me that Jodi didn’t self-harm or mutilate; I dunno, but committing an excessively sloppy, bloody murder and doing a half-assed job of mopping up afterwards could be seen as self-harm, no? Death penalty or life in prison ought to do plenty of damage.
The court camera got a shot of Tanisha leaving the courtroom today…she was smiling bless her soul.
@Elizabeth. other theorists are kohut & Kernberg.
I find this an excellent summary/overview on BPD.!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472266/
note that Dr D’s cognitive behavioral & dialectic behavioral (mcbt)
therapies are mentioned.
Personally, I think Dr D can give Nancy Grace a run for her money
to replace her in Chairing HLN commentary (not merely be an expert voice) in a
decade. Or her voice merits a radio show.
Exactly why Ms. Grace would never consider her.
B
Found these paragraphs interesting in link I just posted:
“As for the Axis I disorders that will be noted with regularity in BPD patients, the common ones include serious depressive episodes, bipolar II disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and/or bulimia), panic and other anxiety disorders, abuse of alcohol and other substances, and dissociative disorders. ******Also common in certain subgroups of BPD patients is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ******* The subgroup most likely to experience concomitant PTSD is that of BPD patients who had been the victims of incest by an older family member, especially before age ten. Females are much more likely to have been subjected to such experiences than are males, and this may account in part for the female preponderance in samples of BPD patients (2-4).
The role of mood disorder in BPD has been a matter of debate ever since BPD won official status as a diagnosis in 1980 (DSM-III). Akiskal (5) and Stone (6) have taken the position that a significant proportion of BPD patients developed their personality disorder as an expression or offshoot of an underlying mood disorder, often of a recurrent depressive or a bipolar II type. The BPD diagnosis may become manifest in late adolescence or in the early 20s, before the bipolar disorder finds full clinical expression. This evolution may be more common in certain samples of BPD patients; less evident in others. Other authors (7), in contrast, did not find compelling evidence for the equivalence of BPD and any mood disorder.”
(and the ! in my posts = a random iphone unintentional insertion)
Peeling this onion is a supertask. The only thing I am sure of as a non-diagnostic professional, is that we know less than we think we know about Ms. Arias, imo.
B