Jodi Arias

Warning: This article contains graphic crime scene and autopsy images that may be distressing to some readers. Use discretion, and keep your wits.

Sociopaths are part of everyday society. They’re our mums, dads, partners or bosses. They’re part of the very fabric of society. While sociopaths are not always violent and dangerous people, some most definitely are. The sense of entitlement and self-importance can lead a sociopath to commit absolutely heinous acts. To scorn them is to destroy their sense of self. This is the story of a sociopath who snapped. This is the story of Jodi Arias.

11429 E Queensborough Ave, Mesa, Arizona, United States. June 9, 2008.

Friends of 30-year-old Travis Alexander knock on his door, concerned he hasn’t been in contact with them for a few days. He missed an important work conference call, which was entirely unlike him. The red flag was raised when he also didn’t show up for the groups trip to Cancun. Travis’ roommates answer the door, believing that Travis had already left for Cancun. The friends locate the key to Travis’ master suite and what they find is beyond what any of them imagined they would find. Pools of blood lead down the hallway and a horrendous scene appears.

Salinas, California, United States. July 9, 1980.

William and Sandra Arias welcome their second baby, Jodi Ann, into the world. Not much is known about her childhood, as it seems to be pretty normal and uneventful. Jodi herself claimed that her childhood, however, was wrought with abuse from both her mother and her father. It was said that Sandra and William would beat Jodi and her siblings with belts and wooden spoons, starting from age 7. Jodi had an interest in photography from age 10 and attended Yreka Union High School. She dropped out in year 11, later earning her GED.

jodi-arias-2 — **Jodi Arias. Image:** http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/jodi-arias_106471

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. September 2006.

Whilst working at a restaurant at the Ventana Inn and Spa in Carmel, Jodi starts work with Pre-paid Legal Services (PPL), a multi-level marketing company currently known as LegalShield. Jodi was at a conference for the company in Las Vegas when she met salesman and motivation speaker for PPL, Travis Alexander.

Travis Victor Alexander was born in Riverside, California on July 28, 1977. Both his mother and father were drug addicts, so at age 11, Travis went to live with his Grandmother, Norma and her husband, James. Norma and James were dedicated members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as Mormons. They introduced Travis to the religion, taking him to church with them.

travis-alexander-6 — ***Travis Alexander. Image:***Murderpedia.

Jodi had been leaning more and more into Mormonism as the years at passed, so when she met Travis, a Mormon man, she was instantly drawn to him. It also didn’t hurt that Travis had a magnetic energy. He was a well-kept man with a neat appearance and a charming personality.

However, it seemed Travis didn’t take his Mormon faith too seriously, as he and Jodi started a sexual relationship later that week (according to Travis oral and anal sex don’t count as sex, although they did have vaginal sex occasionally too). Their attraction was instant and intense. They travelled together and became inseparable. Jodi became heavily infatuated with Travis, so far as to confirm her commitment in front of God.

California, United States. November 26, 2006.

Jodi is baptised by Travis himself into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jodi claimed she was baptised so she could be closer to Travis, through his faith. At the time, Jodi was in a 3-year-long relationship with a man named Darryl Brewer. Their relationship ended in December of 2006.

jodi-arias-and-travis-7 — ***Jodi and Travis at her baptism. Image:***Murderpedia.

Mesa, Arizona, United States. 2007-2008.

February 2 saw Jodi and Travis commit to each other in a confirmed relationship. Jodi packs up her life and moves to Mesa, Arizona, to once again be closer to Travis.

Unfortunately for Jodi, the relationship is short lived. Jodi and Travis break up on June 29, 2007. Less than a year after meeting the man of her dreams, and it was all over for Jodi. She and Travis maintain a sexual relationship, and her obsession grows. At one point, Jodi accuses Travis of physically and sexually assaulting her but soon returns to have more sexual encounters with Travis. Jodi begins stalking Travis. She hacks into his email, social media and voicemail. She sends threatening messages to any women who Travis dates, she even sends some to Travis. Travis also claims Jodi has been known to slash his tires. Despite all this, they travel together once again in March 2008.

A Series of Calculated Events. 2008.

April 2008, Jodi leaves Mesa, moving back home to Yreka, California with her grandparents.

May 28, 2008, a .25 calibre gun is stolen from Jodi’s grandparents home in a home-invasion/burglary. The gun is never recovered.

June 2, 2008, Between 1am and 3am, Jodi calls Travis four times, the calls do not connect. After 3am, Travis calls Jodi back twice, the first call lasting 18 minutes, the second lasting 41. At 8:04am, Jodi rents a white Ford Focus from Budget Rent-a-Car in California. She then contacts her ex-boyfriend Daryll Brewer and asks to borrow two 5-litre gas cans for her trip to Utah for a PPL conference.

June 3, 2008, Jodi purchases another 5-litre gas can, sunblock and facial cleanser from a Walmart in Salinas, California. Later that evening, she leaves for Utah.

June 5, 2008, Jodi visits her new love interest Ryan Burns at his home in West Jordan, Salt Lake City, Utah. Ryan notices that Jodi’s usually stark blonde hair has been dyed a dark brown and that she had substantial cuts on her hands.

June 7, 2008, Jodi returns the rental car. The company noted that the mats from the car were missing and there are red stains throughout the car, the stains resemble kool-aid. Although, they can’t prove that the car ever had mats and the car is cleaned before the red stains can be investigated.

11429 E Queensborough Ave, Mesa, Arizona, United States. June 9, 2008.

A call is placed to 911 dispatchers by Travis Alexanders friends. They have found Travis’ naked body in his shower. He has multiple wounds to the face and head.

jodi-arias-crime-scene-8 — ***Travis Alexander’s body. Found in his ensuite bathroom. Image:*** Murderpedia

The injuries to Travis’ body were especially brutal. He had more than 20 stab wounds to his body, his throat was slashed and there was a gunshot wound in his head. He had a large number of defensive wounds on his hands, meaning he had fought against his attacker for his life.

Travis’s hand with deep defensive wounds at Autopsy. Image:Murderpedia

Investigators found a bloody handprint on the wall, along with Travis’ newly purchased digital camera, damaged inside of his washing machine. The images on the camera revealed a disturbing narrative.

11429 E Queensborough Ave, Mesa, Arizona, United States. June 4, 2008.

Jodi Arias had travelled to Arizona, arriving at Travis’ house sometime on June 4, 2008. They took sexually explicit photos, the first being at 1:40 pm. At 5:29pm, the final photo of a living Travis Alexander was taken.

jodi-arias-crime-scene-2 — **The last photo of Travis alive. Image:** Murderpedia

It is believed that after the photo was taken, Jodi attacked Travis with a knife, stabbing him multiple times and slitting his throat. Unsure of whether or not Travis was dead, she then shot him in the head. She then left the home, locked the door behind her, got into her rental car and drove away. Sometime between the murder and the time she arrived at West Jordan, Utah, she died her hair dark brown.

Jodi has maintained over the years that she acted only in self-defence, as Travis was abusing her like she had claimed in the past. The only problem is that if someone is attacking you, there is a doubt that the majority of the wounds would be on their back. Travis Alexander was by no means a perfect person, but his murder was clearly not an attempt by Jodi to defend herself against him, but an attempt to annihilate him for the hurt he had caused her (mind you, more emotional pain than anything else).

The camera found in Travis’ washing machine showed recently deleted photos, photos believed to be accidentally taken during that night. The photos include a body (Travis) “bleeding profusely” on the bathroom floor.

4276_1_became_maria_lawyers_with_was — ***Body. Image:*** http://newswalle.com/celeb/jodi-arias-could-still-face-the-death-penalty-the-judge-decides/

Jodi, ever the photographer, may have also managed to capture herself attacking her ex-boyfriend on camera.

4276_0_evidence_in_while — ***Image:*** http://newswalle.com/celeb/jodi-arias-could-still-face-the-death-penalty-the-judge-decides/

Jodi was arrested on July 15, 2008. Five weeks after the murder. She asks detective if she can do her makeup before her mugshot.

Maricopa County Jail, Arizona, United States. September 24, 2008.

Inside Edition was covering the case before Jodi’s trials began. In an interview with Jodi at the Maricopa County Jail, she boldly stated:

“No jury is going to convict me … because I am innocent and you can mark my words on that. No jury is going to convict me.”

April 13, 2014.

After years of trials, mistrials and resentencing, Jodi Arias is sentenced by Judge Stephens to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The entire trial was live streamed and is currently available on YouTube, along with Jodi’s interrogation videos. The first part of the interrogation can be found here. Throughout the entire trial, one thing was obvious: Jodi was more concerned with her appearance and the way she looked to the world than she was with the charges she would face. At one point she even held up a white t-shirt with the word “SURVIVOR” on it, claiming she would be selling the shirts to raise money for domestic violence groups.

Jodi maintains her innocence to this day, despite the fact she has been caught out multiple times in her attempts to cover her tracks. She is currently housed in Arizona Department of Correction’s Arizona State Prison Complex, Perryville in the maximum security Lumley Unit. She has been described by previous cellmates as an absolute sociopath.

She murdered her ex-boyfriend out of a jealous rage, out of embarrassment for being rejected, out of absolute hate.