Hmmmm... you do make a good argument for the gunshot first scenario.. imo its just a couple issues that for me seem to solidify the use of the knife came first.. the top one being the defensive wounds.. I just cannot get past that issue as imo the main indicator that the knife came before the gun.. I, personally have a small .25 caliber handgun that hubby bought me after I received my CWP(tho, I do not carry it with me ever) .. but IMO you're correct about gunshot to the head not being a guaranteed immediate death due to the small caliber, the angle of travel, and the point of entry...but IMO tho not guaranteed to be immediate death, however IMO it would have definitely rendered him incapable of in any way attempting to defend himself from the point in time when shot..jmo.
The one other issue is that it seemed to me that the ME was indicating that there was a good possibility the gunshot could have evn come very soon before he died.. or even possible he was actually dead at the time of the gunshot..
So, with that being my opinion I just cannot believe that the gunshot came before the stabbing.. IMO the stab to the area of the heart was the first manner and point of the attack to which he was still able to make attempts of defending the continued attack with the knife..of course this is jmo based on what little I know and the info we've been given throughout the trial..
But TBH I will just never understand why, why, why she did not use the gun first..because I absolutely agree with you that the gun was the intended weapon to kill Travis.. so, what in the world led to her instead using a much more difficult, much less accurate, much less effective WRT immediate incapacity and/or death..???
Truly in my mind the only thing that I can think of is that she wanted to make this a more personal murder..she wanted to be up close and personal, with a much more hands on approach of murdering Travis.. and this for me IMO shows just what type person and mindset we are dealing with..someone that IMO truly has psychopathic traits, especially where this victim and his murder are concerned..
Otherwise for me there just is zero cause or reason for Jodi choosing to not go with the gun which would've been the easier, more effective manner in which she could have killed him.. IMO the simple reason is that she wanted and preferred to murder him in an extremely personal and vicious way..
Again all jmo and as I said you make a great argument for the gunshot first scenario..