As Travis Alexander's former girlfriend took the stand Tuesday, Jodi Arias' lawyers once again focussed on his allegedly salacious lifestyle, describing numerous lewd acts in lurid detail, forcing Alexander's ex to visibly recoil.
A 32-year-old photographer from California, Arias is charged with the grisly first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Alexander in June 2008, when she stabbed the 30-year-old man 27 times, primarily in the back, shot him in the face, slit his throat from ear to ear with so much force it almost decapitated him, and left his bloodied corpse crumpled over in the bathroom shower of his home - all in the course of 106 seconds. Arias' guilt is not up for debate - but her mental state at the time of the killing is. Arias' future depends on whether the jury believes she killed Alexander in self-defense, or was actually a jilted lover exacting jealous revenge.
With the defense having finally rested its case after roughly 12 weeks of testimony, prosecutor Juan Martinez is currently in the state's rebuttal phase. The prosecution's first expert witness, Arizona clinical psychologist Janeen DeMarte, easily poked holes in the credibility of the defense's experts, psychotherapist Alyce LaViolette, and psychologist Richard Samuels. Based on her review of the psychotherapist's notes, DeMarte said she did not believe LaViolette had conducted a thorough evaluation. DeMarte also said that she believed Arias was afflicted with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), not Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or memory problems, and said she showed no signs of domestic abuse, all arguments the defense has repeatedly hammered.
After finishing with DeMarte last week, Martinez called several new witnesses Tuesday to further establish an objective portrait of Alexander in general, as well as his character, and his relationship with Arias, and to lay ground work for showing Arias' premeditation in Alexander's death. Much of court revolved around witnesses providing testimony that invalidated Arias' claims about when, why, and how much gas she had purchased for her alleged road trip that resulted in Alexander's death, but the undeniable standout moment came when Martinez called Alexander's ex, Deanna Reid, to the stand.
Martinez sought to use Reid's testimony to prove that Alexander was a loving, non-abusive man, and not the monster the defense has portrayed him as. Reid, a teacher and practicing member of the Mormon Church, said Alexander was always respectful, and never once abused her physically or emotionally.
"Would he ever call you names?" Martinez asked Reid.
"No, he did not," Reid said.
"Did he ever strike you or physically advance on you or inflict any physical violence on you?" asked Martinez.
"No, never," Reid answered.
Reid testified that she and Alexander had sex only a few times while they were together, and that Alexander never tried to continue having sex with her once they broke up.
"He was always a gentleman. He never pressured me," Reid said.
Reid said that the couple parted ways amicably after she realized she was ready to get married, but Alexander wasn't.
What began as a fairly tame day in the trial flew off the rails immediately when defense attorney Kirk Nurmi began cross-examination of Reid. For what may have been the millionth time, Nurmi poured over the raunchy sexual details of Alexander and Arias' relationship in explicit detail, forcing a clearly embarrassed Reid to confront the defense's lascivious allegations.
Nurmi ran through a series of previously discussed text messages and conversations between Alexander and Arias in one particularly grating exchange:
"Did he ever use phrases with you like, 'You're the ultimate slut in bed?'" Nurmi asked Reid.
"No," Reid said.
"Did he talk to you about blowing enormous loads every time?" asked Nurmi.
"No," Reid answered.
It emerged earlier in the trial that Alexander had sent a text message to Arias that read, "U puts me on another planet. You are the ultimate slut in bed. No wonder I blow enormous loads every time."
"Did he ever ejaculate on your face?" Nurmi prodded.
"No," Reid responded.
"Did he ever call you a whore ... a slut ... a three-hole wonder?" asked Nurmi.
"Did he ever tell you that the way you moan is like a 12-year-old girl having her first orgasm?" asked Nurmi.
"No," Reid replied.
"Did he ever tell you about wanting to cork the pot of a little girl?" Nurmi asked.
"No," Reid said.
"[You two] must have had a different relationship than he did with Ms. Arias, correct?" Nurmi asked.
Martinez quickly objected, saying there was a "lack of foundation." Judge Sherry Stephens sustained, and Reid was not forced to answer.
Arias' lawyers have portrayed her as an innocent, naive, devout Mormon who was sexually exploited by an often sadistic and violent Alexander. Much of the defense's case rests on this version of Alexander. Arias has testified throughout the trial about her lover's supposed double life: a devout Mormon virgin on the surface, but a "sexually deviant" abusive control freak underneath. Alexander's friends contend the defense's portrait of him is nothing like the man they knew, and have said Arias was stalking him and was "possessive and jealous." However, Arias has consistently claimed the couple had a volatile relationship, and that Alexander was possibly a pedophile who was "emotionally detached."
Arias faces the death penalty if convicted. The trial resumes Wednesday when Martinez is expected to call his next witness.
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