Arias Death Penalty Option: Trial Reconvenes To Determine if Convicted Murderer Will Receive Death Penalty or a Life Sentence

Prosecutors, led by Juan Martinez, tried to convince jurors that Jodi Arias should be eligible for the death penalty, saying Travis Alexander suffered tremendous pain as he fought for his life while Arias stabbed and slashed him nearly 30 times, the Associated Press reported.

The trial resumed in a new phase to decide whether Arias should be eligible for the death penalty. The same jurors who convicted Arias a week ago before deliberations to determine whether Alexander's murder was done in a "cruel, depraved and heinous" manner leading to his death. If they agree that standard has been met, the penalty portion of the trial will decide whether Arias will receive a life sentence or the death penalty.

"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," Martinez said. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain."

The "aggravation phase" of the trial played out in quick fashion, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense, news reports said.

The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands on June 4, 2008, the AP also reported.

"She made sure she killed him by stabbing him over and over and over again," Martinez said.

"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it." However, Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to recommend a sentence.

Testimony in her trial began in early January. The jury reached its verdict after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days. All 12 jurors, eight men and four women, unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated.

Tags

Jodi Arias Trial, Death Penalty Option, Travis Alexander, Murder investigation

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