General questions here

[ToothPickle Sticks]

she said she pointed it with both hands (but she claims "it just went off")

hhhmmm I did hear her say "it just went off". Isn't that different than shooting him in self defense? If "it just went off", then that's an accident and therefore isn't self defense, right? Wouldn't that claim in itself nulify her self-defense defense?

 

[shoregirl]

I think I asked this question on the wrong thread. I am a newbie and have not followed the trial until recently. I believe that that JA claims that two damaged CDs started an intense fight with TA. Where are those CDs now? Thanks for your patience.

I would doubt they ever existed, however if they did that was a long time ago and I doubt anyone would have kept damaged CDs.

 

[garthmax]

Would it be possible for the jury to look at Jodi's left ring finger to see if there is a cut along the tendon? vs a break?

 

[KittyBoodles]

Hi again,

I posted a few posts up, looking for a specific text message. I'm not sure where they would be posted - but I did find what I was looking for and did screencaps.

Here are the links (a few people above also are looking for them) Thanks

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/kittyboodles/Travis State Vs Arias/text2.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/kittyboodles/Travis State Vs Arias/text0003.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/kittyboodles/Travis State Vs Arias/text0004.jpg

 

[shoregirl]

Going along with the theory that in every lie is a tiny bit of truth ...Has it occurred to anyone besides me that she did in fact shoot him first, and that her intention was to shoot him to death... BUT Like in her ninja story... the gun jammed and she had to finish him off with the knife? Still doesn't explain the overkill though, huh?

The forensics (from what I understand) shows he was shot last. Does anyone else think the last picture of him sitting down in the shower seems odd? His facial expression is haunting to me. I am thinking that she already had control of him at that moment. From the angle of the stab wounds and shots she would have had to been standing over him.

 

[pfunkrandy]

An alternate juror when the case goes to the jury goes to the jury room and wait while the regular jurors deliberate on the case. The alternate usually goes to the main jury room where the regular jurors goes to the jury room associated with that particular court room. The alternate does not deliberate or vote but if a question is asked or if the jury wants to look at some evidence then that alternate jury is ask to look at the evidence too. The alternate is there until the judge dismissed them. In this case where a verdict is reach with 12, then if a jury gets ill while deliberating then that alternate would still have the facts and presents facts to have a voice in their vote.

 

[KittyBoodles]

Would it be possible for the jury to look at Jodi's left ring finger to see if there is a cut along the tendon? vs a break?

Looking only at the finger it would be impossible to tell (edit) that information. The most they could tell just by looking is at any scarring she would have there. (end edit)

An x-ray of her finger *might* show evidence of a previous break if it occurred - actually it would only *possibly* show evidence of a previous break that had healed...most times extra bone or calcium deposits would show, or if a bone was broken but not re-set so it healed straight - but it depends on many, many factors. - how badly it was broken, if so, did it heal straight or was it not set so it would heal straight - how much time has elapsed since the break and the new x-ray - dependent on age of the person, how bad the break was, how fast that specific person heals, what shape the person has been in, any vitamin deficiencies, if that person has arthritis, joint disease, and other factors.

A Radiologist would probably be able to tell there was an injury "in the past" they can not tell how long ago it happened with any accuracy.

A bone density test could be done and it would show more than a 'regular x-ray' but still would not be able to tell you when it happened to any accurate degree.

An MRI could, or probably would, show past or current tendon damage. But again, there is no way to accurately tell *when* it happened.

In all cases above, soft tissue damage (ex; bruises) would probably not show up unless the injury was new.

If it was a larger bone than just a finger (and we are most likely talking a tendon and/or joint injury, not just a tiny little finger bone) - say, a femur or rib, clavicle, etc more healing bone growth would show up and there would be a better chance of getting an idea of when it happened... however, even then, they would be unable to pinpoint when it happened, especially without any previous records - to either days, months, years. More like longer spans of years. Example; either from birth to age 20 or age 20 to now.

 

[Isabelle]

Thanks for the new thread. My question:

Does court usually break for lunch at 1 Arizona time? Am trying to plan and need an estimate on this. Thanks

 

[Isabelle]

hhhmmm I did hear her say "it just went off". Isn't that different than shooting him in self defense? If "it just went off", then that's an accident and therefore isn't self defense, right? Wouldn't that claim in itself nulify her self-defense defense?

I guess it could, but considering Jodi's credibility, I don't believe the gun "just went off".

 

[Nova]

Why do the THs (especially Vinnie Politano) keep saying "it's a heavily Mormon area and that may affect the jury"?

Mesa, AZ and the surrounding Maricopa County have about the same percentage of LDS adherents: 12%. That's about a quarter the number of Roman Catholics in the same jurisdictions.

http://www.city-data.com/county/Maricopa_County-AZ.html


I think we can find a lot of Western communities with similar numbers (and even higher numbers in Utah, of course).

If the jury is representative, that will result in 1 Mormon on the final panel. Hardly "Mormon dominated".

IMO, at most, the number of Mormons in Phoenix may make it less likely that the jury will dismiss Alexander's beliefs as "cultish" or "weird and abusive".

 

[miscalling]

I don't think they've ever been able to determine that the unknown purchases at Walmart were for hair dye. Has anyone found this out? Is there still an issue of what color her hair was when she rented the car. It seems to me that the color issue has been dropped.

 

[pufnstuf]

I have questions about the day she was arrested and the items found with her and in the car... are there any good sources out there from which to get this info? Thanks.

 

[MinnesotaMary]

I also would like a link to see what stuff was in Jodi's car. I also wonder if there's a link to Jodi's mom talking to the police about the gun in Jodi's car. And I wonder where exactly was Jodi going?? Links please.

 

[MinnesotaMary]

Some people say Jodi surprised Travis showing up at his place the day she killed him. Aren't there lots of phone calls and text messages between her and Travis prior to her arriving, and over the course of the weeks prior to her arriving?? It seems to me that Travis and Jodi would have had their time together planned-out, because neither would want any interruption.

I also wonder: If someone deletes their text messages, are those retrievable, or are they gone forever?

 

[Colt46]

Random thoughts:

1. Gas cans. Did JM ever ask JA if she ever brought containers of gasoline with her on her numerous sojourns between Palm Desert and SLC/and or Mesa? Or to other destinations, i.e. Monterey, Pasadena, etc. She was a self-admitted 'road trip' junkie - obviously paranoid about running out of gas in the middle of the night in the desert. Or was it just on the road trip to murder Travis that she suddenly feared running out of gas?

2. JA's 'inadvertent' foot picture. Has it been determined if JA was wearing shoes or socks? I have viewed that photo dozens of times and it looks like a shoe. IIRC, JM asked her what she did with the socks. She couldn't remember. Could she have put socks on over her shoes? Seems unlikely, but with JA, anything is possible. I have to believe she was too 'smart' to wear shoes for obvious reasons.

3. Premeditation. Does the fact that JA claims that she and Travis had 2 sex episodes after she arrived take all of the obvious premeditation before and during the road trip to Mesa off the table up to that point? Of course, premed goes back on the table during the 100 or so seconds it took to murder him, i.e. the knife AND the gun.

The fact still remains that she is a pathological liar who murdered TA in cold blood. If I were a juror, I would dismiss ALL of her testimony, plus that of Samuels, and vote for the DP. If she doesn't deserve the ultimate punishment, who does???

 

[LunaticFringe]

Is there a possibility that when Jodi took that last picture of Travis that she may have temporarily blinded him with the flash,and then stabbed him?

 

[Lilly12]

What does nefArias mean? I saw it on another thread. Also does Jodi's family have money? Do they own more then one restaurant? Thanks!

 

[wenwe4]

What does nefArias mean? I saw it on another thread. Also does Jodi's family have money? Do they own more then one restaurant? Thanks!

it's a play on words . . . Nefarious means wicked or evil . . . . the dastardly villain. (And quite clever whoever came up with this . . . kudos!)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nefarious


JA's family had to sell off all of their restaurants (I think there were 5) when she was still in high school.

 

[wenwe4]

Random thoughts:

1. Gas cans. Did JM ever ask JA if she ever brought containers of gasoline with her on her numerous sojourns between Palm Desert and SLC/and or Mesa? Or to other destinations, i.e. Monterey, Pasadena, etc. She was a self-admitted 'road trip' junkie - obviously paranoid about running out of gas in the middle of the night in the desert. Or was it just on the road trip to murder Travis that she suddenly feared running out of gas?

2. JA's 'inadvertent' foot picture. Has it been determined if JA was wearing shoes or socks? I have viewed that photo dozens of times and it looks like a shoe. IIRC, JM asked her what she did with the socks. She couldn't remember. Could she have put socks on over her shoes? Seems unlikely, but with JA, anything is possible. I have to believe she was too 'smart' to wear shoes for obvious reasons.

3. Premeditation. Does the fact that JA claims that she and Travis had 2 sex episodes after she arrived take all of the obvious premeditation before and during the road trip to Mesa off the table up to that point? Of course, premed goes back on the table during the 100 or so seconds it took to murder him, i.e. the knife AND the gun.

The fact still remains that she is a pathological liar who murdered TA in cold blood. If I were a juror, I would dismiss ALL of her testimony, plus that of Samuels, and vote for the DP. If she doesn't deserve the ultimate punishment, who does???

I will try to answer the parts that I remember . . .
1) I don't remember if he asked about previous road trips and carrying gas cans but she stated she didn't want to run out in the desert. In My Opinion (IMO) I think she did not want to have any record of gas purchases (or any other verification) of her being in the state of Arizona.

2) JA admitted she was wearing socks in that picture. There was one bloody shoe print if I remember correctly but no mention of her wearing shoes. JA stated when she pulled over in the desert to clean herself up from the bloody scene, she was not wearing shoes.

3) Not sure why the sex episodes would cancel out premeditation . . . after all - serial rapists/murders get convicted of premeditation.

 

[cosmos]

1) She did testify to being on at least one previous road trip with gas cans, but she had been a passenger and they were not her cans.

3) In opening statement, the defense told the jury that they would hear evidence from the prosecution that Travis believed he had a stalker who was crazy, but that the sex tape would show that Travis in fact did not talk to her as if he was afraid of her since he described sex acts he wanted to perform with her. The tape also shows that Jodi expected to marry someone else some day, and she knew about Travis' trip to Cancun without being jealous, which argues against the killing being premeditated. (Note: The prosecution never alleged that Jodi was the stalker, but they get many things Travis said about the stalker into evidence.) However, the defense did not mention in opening the sex on the day of the killing so they have not yet made any claims about that.