Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
More than a decade has passed since Jodi Arias’ conviction for the 2008 murder of Travis Alexander, who died of multiple stab wounds. The autopsy report also stated that he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Alexander was Arias’ on-again-off-again boyfriend whom she had been stalking, as per claims made by the former’s friends. The crime occurred in the victim’s home in Mesa, Arizona, where authorities found evidence incriminating Arias.
In 2013, a jury convicted Jodi Arias of murdering Travis Alexander despite her claims that she committed the crime in self-defense. Nonetheless, the jury failed to decide whether to hand her the death penalty or not, resulting in a mistrial. The following year, a second jury deadlocked, prompting the judge to give her life in prison without parole. She received the sentence based on the 2013 conviction.
The popular documentary series Jodi Arias: An American Murder Mystery revisits the infamous case. Other true-crime shows such as Dateline NBC have also aired episodes on the murder of Travis Alexander and the case against Arias.
Travis Alexander’s autopsy: How did Jodi Arias kill him & why?
According to CBS News, the medical examiner who conducted Travis Alexander’s autopsy testified during Jodi Arias’trial. A Maricopa County medical examiner, Dr Kevin Horn, revealed details about Alexander’s horrific death. The prosecution stated that Travis Alexander’s cause of death was a fatal slit to his neck from ear to ear. He had also suffered a near-fatal stab wound to the chest and a gunshot wound to the face. The trial resulted in a conviction that landed Jodi Arias in prison for life.
Reportedly, Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander met at a company convention in Las Vegas in September 2006. The duo started seeing each other shortly after. However, according to People Magazine, Alexander’s friends noticed “disturbing” patterns in Arias’ behavior. They claimed she was allegedly excessively possessive and always “had to sit right by him” whenever they all hung out together. Alexander’s friend Clancy Talbot claimed Arias “didn’t appreciate when he was talking to another female.”
Five months later, their relationship ended. However, according to claims made by Travis Alexander’s friends, she began displaying strange behavior. Arias, who lived in Palm Desert, moved to Mesa, Arizona, where Alexander lived. She also started exhibiting stalker-like and suspicious behavior and lived in Mesa for eight months before moving back to California in April 2008.
The outlet reported that text messages later proved the two had a contentious fight in May. Moreover, Travis Alexander was about to go on a trip to Cancun with friends the following month but mysteriously disappeared. Police would later find him dead in a horrific crime scene in his Mesa home on June 9, 2008, and the evidence led them to Jodi Arias.
Travis Alexander’s autopsy revealed he died of a gunshot wound to the head, almost 30 stab wounds, and a slit throat. Experts also determined that his murder took place on June 4, 2008, five days before police found his body, per People Magazine. Additionally, at the crime scene, they discovered evidence, including bloody handprints and a camera.
Investigators linked Jodi Arias to the scene of the crime using the pictures from the camera and the bloody handprint. Authorities also learned that a .25-caliber gun missing from her grandparents’ house matched the caliber of a bullet casing they found at the scene. Arias initially denied being at Aleaxander’s house on the day of the murder but later admitted to being there. She claimed to have had sex with the victim and that they were taking pictures in the shower when masked intruders attacked them.
Authorities refused to believe Jodi Arias’ story and charged her with Travis Alexander’s murder. Over four years later, she stood trial on the charges but changed her story while taking the stand. Arias alleged that Alexander was physically and emotionally abusive, confessing to have murdered him in self-defense. Meanwhile, the prosecution argued that she murdered him in a rage and jealousy-fueled attack.
Per AZ Central, the accused further claimed that on the day of the murder, she was taking pictures of him in the shower. He allegedly slammed her on the floor for dropping his expensive new camera. Arias admitted that she shot Alexander when he tried to attack her again. However, she maintained she could not recall stabbing him or slashing his throat.
Jodi Arias is now serving time at the Perryville State Women’s Prison in Goodyear, Arizona.
