The case of Jodi Arias has been in the public spotlight for more than a decade. She was convicted of first-degree murder in 2008 in the death of her ex-boyfriend, Arizona salesman Travis Alexander, and has since been profiled in numerous television specials and documentaries, the latest of which One is Lifetime’s “ Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets.” Seven years later, Arias remains in prison serving a life sentence.
According to the New York Times , Alexander was found dead in his home in 2008 with his throat slit, nearly 30 stab wounds on his body, and a gunshot wound to his head. He and Arias met at a work conference in Las Vegas in September 2006, ABC News reported. The relationship between the two developed quickly, and Arias even decided to be baptized as a Mormon to be closer to Alexander. The couple split in 2007 but remained in contact.
After Alexander's death, Arias became the prime suspect in the case. Although she initially denied having anything to do with it, a camera found in Alexander's washing machine showed photos of Arias and Alexander taken the day she was murdered, photos of Alexander in the shower, and even And Alexander’s bloody body after the camera fell. Handprints containing the blood of Alexander and Arias were also found at the scene, CBS reported. Arias eventually admitted to the crime, but claimed she was a victim of domestic violence and killed Alexander in self-defense, USA Today reported.
Arias was ultimately convicted in 2013 after two juries failed to reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty. She is currently in the maximum security unit of Perryville Women's Prison in Goodyear, Arizona, according to the New York Daily News . Prior to sentencing, Arias was being held at the Estrela Prison in Phoenix, where she was kept in her cell for 23 hours a day, CNN reported.
Over the years, Arias has not been shy about speaking with the media while in prison. The New York Daily News reported on a Jan. 10, 2016, phone call Arias had with rapper Kareem "Lefty" Williams, who made a bizarre music video for the convicted murderer defend. During the phone call, Arias shared details about her life in Perryville with Williams. "That's all good. If this is what it feels like to be hated, then keep hating," she shared her mindset. "There's so much love coming my way, I can't even respond right now."
During the same call, Arias complained to Williams about prison food. "They gave us hot dinners on the weekends and sandwiches and stuff like that on the weekdays," she said, according to the same New York Daily News report. "Nothing is great. I guess you can Compare it to hospital food because it's not bad, just not great."
People reported in September 2017 that Arias had been considering applying for release from prison in order to attend the funeral of her father, William Arias, but it appears she never made the request.
In October 2019, Arias' lawyers attempted to appeal her conviction, accusing prosecutor Juan Martinez of improperly questioning witnesses, ignoring evidence, pandering to the media and making baseless accusations. The state denied the accusations of prosecutorial misconduct, noting that "the evidence of guilt in [Arias'] case was very strong." However, Martinez was disbarred in July 2020, Arias' representative Karen Karen Clark told Fox 10 Phoenix she can guarantee "this will be an issue that competent criminal appellate attorneys will raise in the future."
Ultimately, Arias is still serving his sentence without the possibility of parole. What she does in 2020 is no different than what she did in 2019 or 2021. She's in jail and as things stand, she'll never get out.
