Death Sentence: The Jodi Arias Case

Brittany Davis

Tara Blaser

Composition II

2 November 2015

Death Sentence: The Jodi Arias Case In June of 2008, the investigation of the murder of Travis Alexander began. Jodi Arias, the deceased’s ex-girlfriend, was charged with first-degree murder and ultimately found guilty of the crime. After the second and final jury trial, Arias was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (Kiefer) Sparks flew after pertinent information, previously withheld, became public. Police research uncovered Jodi’s timeline during the events and revealed the suspect measures taken by Ms. Arias after the crime, all of which prove definitively that she deserves life in prison. The trouble began for the couple in September of 2006, when Mr. Alexander was working

However, a ruling was made that forbade certain information to be publicized until after sentencing. After the sentence was passed down, a video of Jodi Arias’ strange behavior in the interrogation room was released to the public. The video had never been shown to the jury. In the video, Arias was reported to be “singing, laughing, talking to herself, and doing a twenty-second headstand.” She spoke to herself about inconsequential things, like lamenting her lack of makeup during the interrogation. A person who regrets something they’ve done, who is truly reticent of a mistake, should not giggle and be so flippant. (Pow) If a person is claiming self-defense, she should not lie and repeatedly change stories. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a fitting and accurate diagnosis, but it does not diminish the horror of the crime she committed. She changed her plea from guilty to not guilty, and then explained it was self-defense, and then again elaborated that it was a case of home invasion.(Pow) Nevertheless, throughout it all, Arias was only able to recall minimal details from the event. Sources claim she suffered from the diagnosis post-traumatic stress disorder, but that would not make light of the state of affairs. (Pow) The presiding judge stated, “The crime was especially cruel. It involved substantial planning and preparation…The defendant destroyed evidence… and went to great lengths to conceal her involvement.” (Kiefer) Ms. Arias tried to cover up her crime, but not because she knew what she did was