Live in the Jodi Arias crime home? No thanks

In 2004, Travis Alexander bought the house Jodi Arias would later kill him in.

He paid $250,000 for it. One year after his death, another family moved in. Their realtor told them what happened in there, but the house was too good to let go. They purchased it for only $206,000.

The wife admitted to Gannett she felt a little uneasy about it.

“I was a little nervous about it. My husband, though, it didn’t bother him. He said, ‘This is a good deal. It’s a beautiful home. It’s in a great school district,'” she said. “When we signed the papers, we didn’t realize this was going to be that big of a case.”

They still live there — and more power to them — but I don’t think it’s something I could do. I just imagine thinking about Alexander’s death all the time, but I may be saying that because of the all media attention this case has somehow commanded. My trepidation could stem from the fact that I’ve seen the gruesome crime scene photos taken in that bathroom.

Either way, knowing a violent death happened there makes me uncomfortable.

The current occupants hadn’t seen the photos in 2009 and probably didn’t know the exact details of the case. To them, it was a perfect home for a perfect price in the right neighborhood. Even though I’d be skittish about moving in, I can, on some level, understand why someone would.

But what I can’t understand is why Jodi Arias tourists would drive by their house to stop and take pictures of it. One of the neighbors describes what’s she’s seen since the trial began back in January:

“We get a lot of out-of-town or out-of-state license plates who kind of do those drive-bys of the house. That’s creepy, and it honestly does worry me a little bit because they’re staring at the house and not the road.”

She’s right. It is creepy, especially because all you can see is the exterior of the house.

I can see people slowing their cars down and pointing, thinking they are seeing a home with historic significance similar to Paul Revere’s house. As they drive by they may say things like, “That’s where Jodi shot Travis in the head and stabbed him 27 times.” Like it or not, this type of behavior has made Jodi Arias a celebrity.

I’ve tried to understand it. I just can’t.

Maybe the family living in the house now could turn this into a money-making venture. They could offer tours of the house and show you exactly where it all went down. It sounds silly, but there’s no doubt people would probably be lining up just to catch a glimpse.