Accused murderer Jodi Arias was challenged today by phone records, text message records, and her own diary entries that appeared to contradict her claim that she caught her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, looking at pictures of naked boys.
Arias had said during her testimony that one afternoon in January 2008, she walked in on Alexander masturbating to pictures of naked boys. She said she fled from the home, threw up, drove around aimlessly, and ignored numerous phone calls from Alexander because she was so upset at what she had seen.
The claim was central to the defense's accusation that Alexander was a "sexual deviant" who grew angry and abusive toward Arias in the months after the incident, culminating in a violent confrontation in June that left Alexander dead.
Arias claimed she killed him in self-defense. She could face the death penalty if convicted of murder.
Catching Up on the Trial? Check Out ABC News' Jodi Arias Trial Coverage
Today, prosecutor Juan Martinez, who has been aggressive in questioning witnesses throughout the trial, volleyed questions at her about the claim of pedophilia, asking her to explain why her and Alexander's cell phone records showed five calls back and forth between the pair throughout the day she allegedly fled in horror. Some of the calls were often initiated Arias, according to phone records.
Jodi Arias Doesn't Remember Stabbing Ex-Boyfriend Watch Video
Jodi Arias Murder Trial: Testimony About Ex's Death Watch Video
Arias on Ex-Boyfriend's Death: 'I Don't Remember' Watch Video
She and Alexander also exchanged text messages throughout the afternoon and evening at a time when Arias claims the pedophilia incident occurred. In those messages they discuss logistics of exchanging one another's cars that night. Alexander sends her text messages about the car from a church social event he attended that night that she never mentioned during her testimony.
Arias stuck by her claim that she saw Alexander masturbating to the pictures, and her voice remained steady under increasingly-loud questioning by Martinez.
But Martinez also sparred with Arias on the stand over minor issues, such as when he asked Arias detailed questions about the timing and order of events from that day and Arias said she could not remember them.
"It seems you have problems with your memory. Is this a longstanding thing? Since you started testifying?" Martinez asked.
"No it goes back farther than that. I don't know even know if I'd call it a problem," Arias said.
"How far back does it go? You don't want to call them problems, are they issues? Can we call them issues? When did you start having them?" he asked in rapid succession. "You say you have memory problems, that it depends on the circumstance. Give me the factors that influence that."
"Usually when men like you or Travis are screaming at me," Arias shot back from the stand. "It affects my brain, it makes my brain scramble."
"You're saying it's Mr. Martinez's fault?" Martinez asked, referring to himself in the third person.
"Objection your honor," Arias' attorney finally shouted. "This is a stunt!"
Timeline of the Jodi Arias Trial
Martinez dwelled at one point about a journal entry where Arias wrote that she missed the Mormon baptism of her friend Lonnie because she was having kinky sex with Alexander. He drew attention to prior testimony that she and Alexander used Tootsie Pops and Pop Rocks candy as sexual props.
"You're trying to get across (in the diary entry) that this involved a sexual liaison with Mr. Alexander right?" he asked. "And you're talking about Tootsie Pops and Pop Rocks?"
"That happened also that night," Arias said.
"You were there, enjoying it, the Tootsie Pops and Pop Rocks?" he asked again, prompting a smirk from Arias.
"I enjoyed his attention," Arias said.
Arias Challenged On Pedophilia Claim
This article
Arias Challenged On Pedophilia Claim
can be opened in url
http://newsfortunize.blogspot.com/2013/02/arias-challenged-on-pedophilia-claim.html
Arias Challenged On Pedophilia Claim
