Jodi Arias Trial Update: Prosecution Tries To Tear Apart Her Story

Jodi Arias
Jodi Arias appears for her trial in Maricopa County Superior court in Phoenix. (AP)

The sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias retrial started again Monday morning when the prosecution continued tearing apart defense arguments that she was an abuse victim at the hands of a man she later killed.

Arias has already been convicted in 2013 for the first-degree murder in the death of her ex-lover, Travis Alexander. However, Michael Kiefer of The Arizona Republic reported that prosecutor Juan Martinez tried to unravel the defense narrative that was presented in court.

"Claims made by an unidentified witness that Travis Alexander was seen viewing child porn on a computer and strong-arming another girlfriend were refuted," Kiefer wrote.

Kiefer added that Martinez plans to use a "police computer analyst" to counter allegations that Alexander's personal computer contained pornography. The prosecutor will also present a psychologist who testified about Arias back in 2013.

The defense allegations could also be torn apart by other witness testimony. Steve Stout of AZfamily.com reported that Deanna Reid, an ex-girlfriend of Alexander, testified Wednesday that she never suffered abuse under him.

"It's important because it's showing Travis Alexander isn't an abusive man that the defense is suggesting he is," legal analyst Jen Wood said. "Deanna Reid is actually getting out that he was a very loving person, he was a good person, he would never do that to her, he would never touch her or harm her, and that's exactly what the state wants this jury to hear."

Defense attorney Jennifer Willmott took a stab at Reid's credibility, contending that Reid wasn't being truthful in early depositions about whether or not she knew Alexander had sexual relationships with other women. Stout reported that Reid admitted to having such a relationship with Alexander during Arias' first trial.

"There is quite a bit of sparring going on between Jen and Deanna because what Jen Willmott is trying to do is show that Deanna Reid wasn't exactly honest that she's had sex with Travis Alexander," Wood said. "But in the reality of it, Jen Willmott and the defense didn't come out and ask Deanna Reid if she had sex with Travis Alexander, so it's a matter of wording that they are fighting over."

Kiefer reported that Alexander was a boarder in a house owned by a Mormon bishop. Martinez then produced the bishop in court.

"Though the bishop, Vernon Parker - who brought his own attorney to court - said the computer in question had problems with pop-up ads showing scantily-clad women, he avowed that it occurred after Alexander had moved out of the house," Kiefer wrote.

Parker added that never saw Alexander use the computer in question and thought that another house guest triggered the pop-up ads, which came from a virus.

Kiefer reported that the Arias retrial is happening because the jury that convicted her of murder could not decide on her penalty, which was either the death penalty or life in prison.

"A second jury was impaneled in September for what's called the 'mitigation' stage of a death-penalty trial, where Arias' attorneys could present witnesses and evidence to persuade the jury to bring back a life verdict," Kiefer wrote.

Kiefer estimated that the trial could continue well into February.

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