Turns out spa-time is good for the soul.
Yes, she deserved the DP and no she didn't get it, and yes the Alexanders didn't get the sentence they wanted. But it really is exquisitely perfect how it turned out.
If anyone thinks the DP meant different conditions at Perryville, you haven't read about the rules changing and how little different her day to day existence would have been in very short order, DP or LWOP. The genuine big difference is she is GONE. She will be without any outside support, ever, except for a mother 1,000 miles away and the inevitable groupies she would have had either way, and she's been robbed of the extra dozens of years she could pretend to herself she'd be free on appeal. The Slumber party book talks about how much difference it makes to be able to hold onto that hope.
Better yet, she's been robbed of any pretense she's a victim. The jury didn't believe she was a victim, and hated that she tried to victimize Travis in court. They dislike her so much they wanted her dead. They loved the prosecutor she hates, didn't believe ANY of the lies she manufactured, including *advertiser censored* on the computer. That is complete and total repudiation of HER.
The retrial revealed WAY more about her than the first. Everything she wanted to hide is out in the open. She didn't get the DP so she can't even play poster child DP victim.
And, the holdout juror has TAINTED the outcome, rightfully or not. Most folks will always believe that she should have received the DP and would have if......or, if....... That is a a hugely different and better outcome than last time, when some jurors DID believe she was abused, 8-4 thought she should be spared, and nobody questioned the legitimacy of the verdict.
I'm sure she knows she lost, and her last tweets are evidence that's so. I've been popping in and out reading the threads here and get that most folks here are angry and don't agree with what I'm saying. Hugs to you....I'm totally at peace with the outcome and ready to let go of all things JA.
PS- warning about the May 26th text. It will likely make you sad to read it. MF didn't make up her story whole cloth about Travis feeling suicidal. She twisted the truth, and she sure did lie 100% about JA being suicidal, but Travis was a deeply unhappy man in late May. JA deserved every last word he said to her on May 26, but it is also the case that he was blaming her for his own inability to kick her out of his life completely, once and for all.
One part of Travis' legacy that I'm walking away with a powerful reminder of the necessity of setting absolute boundaries and that sometimes forgiveness needs to be earned.