Jodi Arias Admits to Killing Alexander, Dating 'Vampire Hunter'
Jodi Arias has admitted in court to killing Travis Alexander in self-defense, claiming he was abusive to her, both physically and emotionally. Arias is currently on trial for brutally killing Alexander and has painted a picture of a string of abusive relationships.
"Yes, I did. He attacked me and I defended myself," Arias told her defense attorney Kirk Nurmi in court yesterday. She then explained about her abusive childhood and other relationships with men that left her mentally fragile.
One relationship ended when Arias was 15 because the boy "had all kinds of wild ideas," she told the jury. "He entertained the belief in vampires," and wanted to move to San Francisco in order to hunt them.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Arias later met Alexander at a retreat and converted to the Mormon faith for the relationship. Yet the defense has presented Alexander as an abusive man who was so ashamed of his sexual relationship with Arias that he kept her a secret from family and friends. The two exchanged numerous graphic photos with one another, and one photo showed Arias naked on Alexander's bed the day that he died.
Arias is charged with shooting Alexander in the head, then stabbing him 27 times before slitting his throat from ear to ear. She has taken the stand again today and will continue to plead her case in order to avoid the death penalty, which she faces if found guilty of the crime.
The trial has captivated the nation, given its brutality and the fact that Arias has made controversial statements about her participation in the crime. She initially gave police three separate accounts of her actions on the day Alexander was killed and finally settled on the story of self-defense.
She is one of the few women to actually face the death penalty in the state of Arizona. The trial will continue tomorrow, but it is unknown whether Arias will again take the stand.
