Would the loan, (for the house), have been organised before or after the subprime crash?
Not that I think it makes much difference, or is an incredibly important mitigating factore, but I think it most likely that Jodi was in fact sexually abused as a child. ( I was, and feel catagorically confident in saying it is no excuse, nothing like it)
Also, on the family support side, sometimes families may offer "support", which, for whatever reason isn't appropriate, helpful, whatever. (Don't we all have those family members? Now while I'm airing dirty linen, I could tell you about one of my sisters who drinks way too much, is a drama queen, and an expert at the revision of history. I do love her dearly, but, during some very dark days in my life many years ago she was anything but supportive, although she would claim the opposite)
There seems to be a lack of connection between Jodi and her family, going back to her being a teenager, that was never solved. Jodi can only be described as completely needy, I wonder why she didn't lean on her folks more? ( I know they thought her different/difficult or whatever, but she wasn't a murderer back then. She was their daughter/sister/neice.If she had had that support, percieved she did at least, well would things have been different?
(I know she might have just been a spoil brat, rejecting the support that was offerred, but, o lor, she was so needy, why didn't SHE need them more?)
Her poor parents, I know, impossible to put yourself in their situation, but, well, the smiling in court, the ribbon wearing, the letters etc. Just doesn't seem quite right.
I found the journal evidence very uncomfortable, because I was once in an abusive marriage, and kept a diary, and didn't write a thing about the abuse in it. Don't tell, don't say, and NEVER write it down is what I learnt as a child.(I knew anyhow, of course I did, I remembered what happened after that picnic so lovingly described in the diary etc) I do not think Travis did abuse Jodi. I think it wasn't written because it didn't happen, but journal keeping is not a science, and we are all complicated critters.
Now that I have written all that out, I'm not sure I actually have much of a point. I think Jodi was abused by someone as a child, and that her family support might have been lacking at some time in the past, but it in no way mitigates the unspeakable crime she committed. (Although it may, as the DT are hoping,go towards mitigating her responsibity insomuch that her penalty is not the DP- penny dropping moment here folks, is this what they are actually contending?)