Jodi Arias, who is charged with killing her lover Travis Alexander out of malice, broke down in tears on Monday, describing her relationship with the victim who she said merely sought to satisfy Alexander's "deviant" sexual urges and how he once beat her, kicked her in the ribs, and broke her finger, as reported by the Associated Press.
The 32-year old, spent four days on the witness stand recounting her troubled childhood, which was marred by continual parental abuse, as well as, a slew of bad relationships, capped off by her harrowing relationship with Alexander, who she admitted killing last week, only in self-defense.
Prosecutors, however claim she killed Alexander in a jealous rage, stabbing and slashing him 27 times, slitting his throat and shooting him in the head. Arias first told authorities that she was not with him at the time of the murder; she then blamed the incident on masked intruders. She now claims Alexander attacked her, forcing her to fight for her life.
In the over two-week trial, Arias told jurors on Monday that she continued to date Alexander, even while believing he was cheating on her, because she had low "self-esteem."
"I was kind of a door mat," Arias said to the jurors.
Arias testified she never sought medical treatment because she was worried authorities would get involved, and that Alexander instead made a split for her hand at his home. She said she was later ashamed of herself.
"I used to think that women in situations like that, that it was partially, if not equally, their fault because they kept staying there," Arias said. "I went home and was disgusted with myself. I thought, 'Great, now I'm one of those people.'"
She also described how she once awoke from sleeping in his bed to find the victim having sex with her, an incident for which she felt responsible.
"I went to sleep next to him. I was wearing a T-shirt, cute shorts," Arias said.
Repeatedly throughout her testimony, Arias said Alexander made her feel like a prostitute and humiliated her. Julie Haslem, a friend of Alexander who has been watching the trial, called Arias' testimony "ridiculous."
"She can say whatever she wants, but Travis isn't here to speak for himself," Haslem said outside the court. "It's bad enough that she took his life. Now she's trying to take his reputation, too."
Arias is set to resume her testimony on Tuesday.
Here is Day 16's morning session:
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