Jury finds Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder
May 8, 2013, 1:50 PM | Updated: Jan 13, 2014, 11:19 am
PHOENIX — On the fourth day of juror deliberation, Jodi Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander.
Arias could be sentenced to life in prison or be sentenced to death. She has already been in prison for five years.
Arias claimed she killed Alexander in self-defense. Jurors had the option of convicting Arias of second-degree murder, which would have carried a lesser sentence between 10 and 22 years.
Instead, jurors concurred with the prosecutors’ belief that she planned the murder after finding out Alexander wanted to end their affair.
Arias changed her stories several times throughout the investigation and trial. Initially, she denied involvement before changing her story two years later, saying she killed Alexander because he attacked her after sex.
Alexander was stabbed 27 times, shot in the head and his throat had been slit.
The verdict comes after a four-month trial that garnered international attention.
The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Arias was placed on suicide protocol after leaving the courthouse, per Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
No sentencing date has been set.
