Jodi Arias gives 3 interviews after day of pleading for life
May 22, 2013, 8:05 AM | Updated: 10:06 am
Jodi Arias gave three interviews to local TV stations after speaking in front of the jury for nearly 20 minutes on Tuesday.
She wore makeup for the interviews and showed up in a jail classroom with a comb in hand as she fixed her hair for the cameras.
Arias had originally said she wanted the death penalty but has since changed her mind. She told the jury that she wanted to live for her family.
“I’m asking you to please, please don’t do that to them. I’ve already hurt them so badly, along with so many other people,” she said. “I want everyone’s healing to begin, and I want everyone’s pain to stop.”
Arias was convicted last week of first-degree murder in the June 2008 stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander. Prosecutors described it as a cold, calculated killing carried out in a jealous rage. She has maintained she acted in self-defense.
The jury began deliberating Tuesday whether she should live or die for her crime. If the jury opts for a life sentence, the judge will have the option of determining whether she spends the rest of her days behind bars or is eligible for release after 25 years. Arias acknowledged it was unlikely she would ever be released, but believed she deserves a second chance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
