It's safe to say that the case surrounding Jodi Arias' first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008 has captivated the nation.
Just in case you have not had enough of watching the trial unfold on television or reading about it via news reports, there are a number of books written about the case. One of the latest is a new book written by Arizona true crime writer Shanna Hogan called "Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story: A Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover and a Brutal Murder." The book, which hit store shelves Tuesday, explores the relationship that Arias, a convicted murderer, had with her victim and on-and-off lover Travis Alexander.
Arias was convicted of first-degree murder on May 8 in the ghastly death of her ex-lover Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home. However, the same jury failed to reach an unanimous decision on her sentence. As a result, she will face another trial to determine whether she will be sentenced to death or life in prison.
Hogan told 3TV AZ Family that she became intrigued with the story after she started covering the case in 2009. "I was just really fascinated by the story," she said.
One of the things that caught Hogan's attention was the fact that Arias was an aspiring photographer and that she took photos of Alexander's dead body. Those pictures later became key evidence against Arias.
As she continued reporting on the story, Hogan learned that it went much deeper and was more twisted than anyone initially thought. She was also captivated by the backgrounds of Arias and Alexander and the events that brought them together.
During the initial trial, defense attorneys argued that the 32-year-old California native killed Alexander in self-defense because he was physically and emotionally abusive and sexually exploited her. However, the jury sided with prosecutors who claimed that Arias' jealousy drove her to deviously plot and carry out a cruel revenge murder after he began seeing other women following the couple's breakup.
Medical examiners found that Arias stabbed her ex 27 times, primarily in the back, torso and heart. She also slit Alexander's throat from ear to ear, nearly decapitating him, and shot him in the face, before she dragged his bloodied corpse to the shower. In total, the gruesome killing was done in a little less than two minutes.
Arizona Judge Sherry Stephens scheduled another pretrial hearing for Monday, Sept. 16 to allow herself more time to review the motions, according to the Huffington Post.