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First Posted: 5/15/2013 (AP) The same jury that convicted Jodi Arias of murder one week ago took less than three hours Wednesday to determine that the former waitress is eligible for the death penalty in the stabbing death of her one-time lover.
The swift verdict sets the stage for the final phase of the trial to determine whether the 32-year-old Arias should be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty for the 2008 murder of Travis Alexander in a Phoenix suburb.
Prosecutors will call Alexander's family and other witnesses in an effort to convince the panel Arias should face the ultimate punishment. Her defense lawyers will call family members in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors to save her life. It's not yet known if Arias will testify.
Arias showed no emotion Wednesday after the jury returned a decision that was widely expected given the violent nature of the killing. Investigators say she slashed the victim's throat, stabbed him in the heart and shot him in the face in what they say was a jealous rage after Alexander wanted to date other women and take a trip to Mexico with his latest love interest.
The jury simply had to determine the killing was committed in an especially cruel and heinous manner to complete the "aggravation phase" of the trial and move on to the penalty portion. The jury got the case around noon, took a lunch break and returned the verdict around 3 p.m.
Family members of Alexander sobbed in the front row as prosecutor Juan Martinez took the jury through the killing one more time earlier in the day. He described how blood gushed from Alexander's chest, hands and neck as the 30-year-old motivational speaker and businessman stood at the sink in his master bathroom and looked into the mirror with Arias behind him.
"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," Martinez said. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain."
Wednesday's proceedings played out quickly, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense. The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands.
Arias, wearing a silky, cream-colored blouse, appeared to fight back tears most of the morning, but didn't seem fazed by the verdict. Afterward she chatted with her attorneys. Arias spent the weekend on suicide watch before being transferred back to an all-female jail where she will remain until sentencing.
Arias' attorneys didn't put on much of a case during the aggravation phase, offering no witnesses and giving brief opening statements and closing arguments. They said Alexander would have had so much adrenaline rushing through his body that he might not have felt much pain.
The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy and explained to jurors how Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.
Minutes after her first-degree murder conviction last Wednesday, Arias granted an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ, only adding to the circus-like environment surrounding the trial that has become a cable TV sensation with its graphic tales of sex, lies and violence.
"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."
However, Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to recommend a sentence.
Arias acknowledged killing Alexander, saying it was self-defense. She initially denied any involvement in the killing, even proclaiming to a detective after her arrest in 2008: "I'm not guilty. I didn't hurt Travis. If I hurt Travis, I would beg for the death penalty."
<a title="Associated Press" href="http://www.ap.org" class="url org fn">Associated Press</a>

Jurors find Jodi Arias eligible for death penalty