Jodi Arias; the sequence of events

[RealityMan]

I added a couple more slides to my reconstruction. I also added some clarification on how I see the body movements in slide #3.

Counting the tiles and following the tile grouting, I've oriented the crime scene photos in these new slides with respect to the position of Jodi's foot in the 'foot' photo, as well as the last known position of the camera.

The death scene and blood trails make sense to me, but I've struggled a bit over the location of the camera for the final 'dragging' photo. Clearly the body is being dragged from left to right in the photo. But we also know that the body is being dragged away from the carpet and toward the bathroom. Therefore, the camera must be up against the wall, as depicted in the last slide. There's no other way for the body to be appearing to go from left to right and still match the blood trail up the hallway toward the bathroom.

Unless... the forensics guy inadvertently reversed the image during recovery from the memory card....

The last photo is maddening, as the angles don't look quite right and the photo is so grainy. But I do think the body is quite close to the camera, so its possible that the camera is up against the wall. Remember, we are only seeing a small portion of Travis' body, so it is hard to get the perspective of how close it is to the camera. The camera could have been jostled when Jodi is walking backward dragging Travis' body, and then 2 seconds later the camera shoots that final photo. Jodi is no longer visible after the 2 second delay, as she has left the field of view.

Considering the struggle that occurred following the 'foot' photo, it seems highly unlikely that the camera was not kicked to a new location. In the 'foot' photo, it stood squarely between the participants and the carpet. If the struggle occurred as depicted in slide #2, there would have been kinetic energy on the opposite side of the camera (the blood smear wall), so it would make sense that the camera would be kicked in the direction of the opposite wall, putting it in position to snap a photo of the body being dragged from left to right, away from the carpet.

What do you guys think??

Dave

Hey Dave, thanks for putting these pictures together.

A couple of thoughts:

* I think JA delivers the neck slash either before or after both of the last two photos. In other words, I don't think it's possible that, after the first bleeding photo, TA makes a final lunge toward the carpet, falls face first, has his neck cut, and is then dragged back toward the bathroom in the last photo. There are a couple of reasons I believe this is not possible: (1) the position of TA's foot suggests that he is completely unconscious in the first bleeding photo. I understand that it is possible that TA just lost all feeling in his lower body, and is still able to move his upper body, but I think he would need to use his legs to make the final lunge you are describing; and (2) the bleeding shown in the last two photos is almost identical. Therefore, I don't think any additional injuries have been inflicted upon TA between the two photos. If the neck slash had been dealt between the two photos, I would expect a significant difference in the appearance of the blood streaking down TA's back between the photos.

* I don't think the camera is kicked to the opposite wall. It makes more sense to me that the camera is positioned in almost the same spot as in the previous photo. All that has changed is the orientation of the camera. It has been rotated to the right by about 45-90 degrees. Note: rotation of the camera to the right is consistent with TA's body bumping the camera as JA drags his body toward the bedroom in the 76 seconds between the photos. Or perhaps JA bumped the camera as she went around TA's body to grab his arms. I think the only explanation for the position of TA's back in the last photo is JA is grabbing both of his arms and pulling on TA toward the bathroom. I don't think TA is fighting at all here.

Also, in my opinion, the blood we are seeing streaking down TA's back is the remainder of the blood from TA's body after the neck slash has been dealt. That is a lot of blood streaking down, and I don't think there is any other injury on TA's body that could explain that kind of bleeding. Also, I think the ME implied during his testimony that he believed the blood streaking down was coming from the neck wound. So, with regard to the last two photos, I'm a neck-slash-firster. That is, I believe JA delivers the neck slash before the last two photos, but not before the gunshot.

As for why TA's body is positioned closer to the bedroom in the last bleeding photo than in the previous photo taken 76 seconds before, I think JA might've just been wrestling with TA's body to get it into a better dragging position and ended up moving TA slightly toward the bedroom before dragging him back to the bathroom.

In conclusion, I think the sequence is something like this: (1) JA drops the camera in the hallway. (2) JA slashes TA's neck. (3) TA bleeds out partially on the carpet area. (4) JA starts dragging TA toward the bathroom. (5) While wrestling with TA's body, JA accidentally bumps the camera twice, capturing the last two photos.

 

[Captain86]

I don't think she dragged him to the bedroom. I agree, that makes no sense. I think Travis got as far as the carpet on his own power after rolling to his left following the foot photo (per reconstruction), whereupon Jodi administered the coup de grace.

If Travis was already 'out' or dead in the 'foot' photo, it is hard to make any sense of the crime scene that followed.

Dave

What aspects of the crime scene that followed would be hard to make sense of? I have ideas on some things, but it would help to know what you're looking at, so we're on the same page.

 

[Captain86]

Where's the grommet in this picture?

Can you lighten the picture up a little. There is something there, but in the pic you are posting, that area is really dark and you can only see one edge of it.

 

[RealityMan]

Another thought:

If JA dragged TA's body back to the bathroom by straddling his legs and pulling on both of his arms, as is suggested by the last photo, then doesn't this also explain why there was no tearing around the stab wounds on TA's back? The only parts of TA that would've been dragged on the floor would have been the backs of his legs and his buttocks.

 

[RealityMan]

Where in the sequence of the "kicked camera" pics is this one? I have not seen this pic with a time stamp on it to know where this one falls. My assumption is that it is fairly late, i.e. after the other dragging picture.

Here's the sequence of photos with timestamps:

http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/w...jpg.html?&_suid=13644097022570416253544459861

I posted a link to a better collage in some of my previous posts, but apparently the mods deleted every one of those posts.

I have no idea why the mods have been deleting some of my posts.

 

[wilsodh]

Hey Dave, thanks for putting these pictures together.

A couple of thoughts:

* I think JA delivers the neck slash either before or after both of the last two photos. In other words, I don't think it's possible that, after the first bleeding photo, TA makes a final lunge toward the carpet, falls face first, has his neck cut, and is then dragged back toward the bathroom in the last photo. There are a couple of reasons I believe this is not possible: (1) the position of TA's foot suggests that he is completely unconscious in the first bleeding photo. I understand that it is possible that TA just lost all feeling in his lower body, and is still able to move his upper body, but I think he would need to use his legs to make the final lunge you are describing

Thanks for the good discussion RM. I addressed the foot positioning in a previous post. Travis could have been going into some shock and may have 'crumpled', as during feinting (rather than falling straight back. On the ground, with some additional blood flow to the head, he could have been gaining his bearings like a boxer trying to get up from the canvass. Partially conscious, he would have corrected his leg positioning only after gaining enough bearing to attempt one last movement to protect himself: rolling over to his stomach.

(2) the bleeding shown in the last two photos is almost identical. Therefore, I don't think any additional injuries have been inflicted upon TA between the two photos. If the neck slash had been dealt between the two photos, I would expect a significant difference in the appearance of the blood streaking down TA's back between the photos.

If the neck slash had been dealt with Travis on his stomach, the major bleed out would have been directly on the carpet, confined to a fairly small area. This blood would not have appeared on Travis' back.

* I don't think the camera is kicked to the opposite wall. It makes more sense to me that the camera is positioned in almost the same spot as in the previous photo. All that has changed is the orientation of the camera. It has been rotated to the right by about 45-90 degrees. Note: rotation of the camera to the right is consistent with TA's body bumping the camera as JA drags his body toward the bedroom in the 76 seconds between the photos.

The we have to wonder why Jodi would drag Travis away from the bathroom and onto the carpet. Seems she always intended for Travis to end up dead in the shower.

Or perhaps JA bumped the camera as she went around TA's body to grab his arms. I think the only explanation for the position of TA's back in the last photo is JA is grabbing both of his arms and pulling on TA toward the bathroom. I don't think TA is fighting at all here.

Agreed, I think in the 'dragging' photo Travis is deader than a doornail. If Travis is being dragged to the bathroom, the body is going in the wrong direction if the camera is in relatively the same position.

Also, in my opinion, the blood we are seeing streaking down TA's back is the remainder of the blood from TA's body after the neck slash has been dealt. That is a lot of blood streaking down, and I don't think there is any other injury on TA's body that could explain that kind of bleeding. Also, I think the ME implied during his testimony that he believed the blood streaking down was coming from the neck wound. So, with regard to the last two photos, I'm a neck-slash-firster. That is, I believe JA delivers the neck slash before the last two photos, but not before the gunshot.

It's tempting to go with neck slash prior to the 'foot' photo, but I can't get my head around Jodi dragging Travis to the carpet after slashing his neck to the spine on the tiles, which would have killed him quickly. I suppose its possible that Jodi made an initial attempt while Travis was on his back, causing some major bleeding prior to a coup de grace on the carpet.

As for why TA's body is positioned closer to the bedroom in the last bleeding photo than in the previous photo taken 76 seconds before, I think JA might've just been wrestling with TA's body to get it into a better dragging position and ended up moving TA slightly toward the bedroom before dragging him back to the bathroom.

Its possible. Although the 'dragging' photo looks quite deliberate. One wonders about the effort required to simply turn a body in a hallway vs. dragging it one way, turning the body, and dragging it the opposite way. Not that I'm interested in finding out any time soon!

In conclusion, I think the sequence is something like this: (1) JA drops the camera in the hallway. (2) JA slashes TA's neck. (3) TA bleeds out partially on the carpet area. (4) JA starts dragging TA toward the bathroom. (5) While wrestling with TA's body, JA accidentally bumps the camera twice, capturing the last two photos.

So, if I understand one of your scenarios correctly, Travis would have bled out on the tiles because 76 seconds elapsed between the photos. Then she drags him toward the bedroom (kicking the camera) to turn him around to go back to the bathroom.

Alternatively, she slices his throat and drags him toward the bedroom, then turns him around and drags him back and kicks the camera 76 seconds later for the second photo. If this is the case, the camera needs to be near the wall as depicted in slide #5 in order to show the body going from left to right, doesn't it?

Dave

 

[Captain86]

Here's the sequence of photos with timestamps:

http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/w...jpg.html?&_suid=13644097022570416253544459861

I posted a link to a better collage in some of my previous posts, but apparently the mods deleted every one of those posts.

I have no idea why the mods have been deleting some of my posts.

The last picture in that sequence looks like he is wrapped up in something. The 76 sec difference would be enough time for her to grab something and get him onto it. It would have to be close, like the bed sheets, comforter, or something she had brought back with her after loading her car up. I think she had to have something besides him to hold onto while dragging him. Blood is slippery. He was covered. She was covered. The floor was covered. Just not a good set up to drag 200lbs of dead weight (for lack of a better term). She would need something that she could get a grip on to get him back down the hall. This is just a guess, but I imagine that she was trying to drag him in the first picture (5:32:16 pic) but lost her balance, kicked the camera, and in an attempt to regain her footing flung her hand out leaving the palm print. She decided this was not working so she got something to put him on to help her, and that is what we see in the last photo. What was found in the washing machine? If anyone knows right off the top of their head. I can find it if no one does, but I'll try the lazy approach first.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Hey Dave, thanks for putting these pictures together.

A couple of thoughts:

* I think JA delivers the neck slash either before or after both of the last two photos. In other words, I don't think it's possible that, after the first bleeding photo, TA makes a final lunge toward the carpet, falls face first, has his neck cut, and is then dragged back toward the bathroom in the last photo. There are a couple of reasons I believe this is not possible: (1) the position of TA's foot suggests that he is completely unconscious in the first bleeding photo. I understand that it is possible that TA just lost all feeling in his lower body, and is still able to move his upper body, but I think he would need to use his legs to make the final lunge you are describing; and (2) the bleeding shown in the last two photos is almost identical. Therefore, I don't think any additional injuries have been inflicted upon TA between the two photos. If the neck slash had been dealt between the two photos, I would expect a significant difference in the appearance of the blood streaking down TA's back between the photos.

* I don't think the camera is kicked to the opposite wall. It makes more sense to me that the camera is positioned in almost the same spot as in the previous photo. All that has changed is the orientation of the camera. It has been rotated to the right by about 45-90 degrees. Note: rotation of the camera to the right is consistent with TA's body bumping the camera as JA drags his body toward the bedroom in the 76 seconds between the photos. Or perhaps JA bumped the camera as she went around TA's body to grab his arms. I think the only explanation for the position of TA's back in the last photo is JA is grabbing both of his arms and pulling on TA toward the bathroom. I don't think TA is fighting at all here.

Also, in my opinion, the blood we are seeing streaking down TA's back is the remainder of the blood from TA's body after the neck slash has been dealt. That is a lot of blood streaking down, and I don't think there is any other injury on TA's body that could explain that kind of bleeding. Also, I think the ME implied during his testimony that he believed the blood streaking down was coming from the neck wound. So, with regard to the last two photos, I'm a neck-slash-firster. That is, I believe JA delivers the neck slash before the last two photos, but not before the gunshot.

As for why TA's body is positioned closer to the bedroom in the last bleeding photo than in the previous photo taken 76 seconds before, I think JA might've just been wrestling with TA's body to get it into a better dragging position and ended up moving TA slightly toward the bedroom before dragging him back to the bathroom.

In conclusion, I think the sequence is something like this: (1) JA drops the camera in the hallway. (2) JA slashes TA's neck. (3) TA bleeds out partially on the carpet area. (4) JA starts dragging TA toward the bathroom. (5) While wrestling with TA's body, JA accidentally bumps the camera twice, capturing the last two photos.

That's all good analysis, except why do you believe the last photo location is closer to the bedroom than the previous?

 

[RealityMan]

Here's my depiction of how JA dragged TA back to the bathroom.

Sorry, I'm no artist!

 

[sacrablue]

That is not a car mat is it on the bottom? There appears to be blood on something on top.

 

[RealityMan]

That's all good analysis, except why do you believe the last photo location is closer to the bedroom than the previous?

I'm assuming the camera is in the same spot as in the previous photo. If the camera only rotates to the right by 45 degrees or so, it would appear that TA's body is now closer to the bedroom than in the previous photo.

 

[geevee]

That is not a car mat is it on the bottom? There appears to be blood on something on top.

I think it's the missing shower mat.

 

[SMK]

Here's my depiction of how JA dragged TA back to the bathroom.

Sorry, I'm no artist!

So you mean face first? And wouldn't it be difficult with his legs in front like that? I had envisioned like this , except for the arms out like handles or crossed:

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

It does look like he's being lifted by the arms, but that may have been part of her first attempts to move him. She may have later changed to lifting by the legs.

 

[RealityMan]

So you mean face first? And wouldn't it be difficult with his legs in front like that? I had envisioned like this , except for the arms out like handles or crossed:

That would've been more logical, but that does not appear to be the orientation of the camera in the last photo.

Unless, as wilsodh suggested, the camera was kicked to the other side of the hallway and improbably rotated to capture the last bleeding photo.

I think it's more likely the camera was only rotated slightly to the right and not kicked across the hallway and rotated.

Also, as Smelly mentioned, JA might've tried a different method later if she was having trouble.

But, based on the last photo we have, I think she dragged him the way I depicted.

If she dragged him by his feet, there would've been some tearing on the stab wounds on his back.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

So you mean face first? And wouldn't it be difficult with his legs in front like that? I had envisioned like this , except for the arms out like handles or crossed:

Wasn't Travis naked? You mean she'd drag him by his extended arms?
That would lift his shoulders up from the carpet too.

 

[SMK]

Wasn't Travis naked? You mean she'd drag him by his extended arms?
That would lift his shoulders up from the carpet too.

yes, but I think I have it wrong....:blushing:

 

[commspecialist]

The eighteen-page letter to Grandma should stand as Exhibit 'A' here -- who the heck does something like that, if not someone with a serious personality disorder?
...
She claims an eternal love which all of us normal mortals are simply incapable of understanding, though she will condescendingly deign to allow us a glimpse via her ramblings. Even when what she says clearly points to an obsessive, unhealthy stalker-like attitude, she can't help but tell us about it, because that is the only way we will remember the only important thing in this case -- her.

Sorry for snipping, but that reminds me of my ex and I really hope she will get over/forget me completely :cold: I think that's a part of why this case haunts me so much.. that kind of obsessiveness is so scary

 

[commspecialist]

Part of me keeps nagging that she must have shot him first. A knife would be easy to spot on approach and overpowering him would be hard if he saw it. I think she shot him and brought the knife in case the shot didn't kill him. And when it didn't kill him right away, she went into an even worse enraged frenzy and that's why there's so many stab wounds. But the throat injury is so brutal.. so unnecessary.. makes me wonder if she shot him last. Either way, it'll be a travesty if she is not found guilty.

--MOO

 

[SMK]

Here's my depiction of how JA dragged TA back to the bathroom.

Sorry, I'm no artist!

Sorry to belabor, but wouldn't she have grabbed him by the ankles and dragged his that way? In your depiction, how could his torso NOT have flopped down onto his upper legs as she dragged him? what would keep him in the position as per your drawing? his legs stretched out would seem to block the motion of his upper body? or am i missing something? It looks illogical and awkward in terms of getting all the way to the bathroom. Maybe she was just turning him?