Arizona prosecutor Juan Martinez on Wednesday got a key defense witness to admit Travis Alexander was "extremely afraid" of Jodi Arias, the former girlfriend accused of brutally murdering him.
“Isn’t it true that Mr. Alexander was extremely afraid of the defendant, Jodi Arais, based on her stalking behavior?” Martinez asked Alyce LaViolette, the defense team’s domestic violence expert.
“He was afraid of her, yes,” LaViolette replied.
“Because of her stalking behavior, correct?” asked Martinez.
“Correct,” LaViolette said.
The acknowledgement of the alleged behavior by a key witness for the defense could be seen as a big win for the prosecution.
LaViolette has spent eight days on the witness stand detailing her opinion on the dynamic of Alexander and Arias' on-again-off-again relationship. She testified it was her opinion that Arias was physically and emotionally battered by Alexander and feared for her life when she shot him, stabbed him nearly 30 times, and cut his throat from ear to ear in his Mesa, Ariz., home on June 4, 2008.
Prosecutors say Arias killed Alexander in a jealous rage.
Martinez based Arias’ alleged stalking behavior on information that she had spied on Alexander with another woman after their breakup and later confronted him about the incident. He also pointed to an instant message Alexander had sent to a friend in which he allegedly called Arias a stalker.
Despite her admission under cross-examination that Alexander was afraid of Arias, LaViolette said she wasn't convinced Arias had actually stalked Alexander.
Following the back and forth on the alleged stalking behaviors, Martinez finished his cross-examination of LaViolette.
The trial is scheduled to resume at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, when defense attorney Jennifer Willmott will redirect LaViolette's testimony.
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