Jodi Arias found guilty of murder

Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder after a lengthy trial for the killing of her boyfriend in Arizona. Courtesy Fox News

JODI Arias has been found guilty of first degree murder in the stabbing death of her one-time boyfriend Travis Alexander.

As the guilty verdict was read, Arias opened her mouth, licked her lips and swallowed hard, and then fought back tears with a look of disbelief. Alexander's family smiled and hugged each other. Outside, people cheered and hugged, then began chanting "USA, USA, USA."

Jurors reached a verdict after deliberating about 15 hours over four days on whether the former waitress should be convicted of murder in the 2008 fatal stabbing and shooting of her one-time boyfriend at his suburban Phoenix home.

Authorities said Arias, 32, planned the attack in a jealous rage after being rejected by Alexander, a motivational speaker and salesman, while he pursued other women.

The trial will now move into a phase during which prosecutors will argue the killing was committed in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner, called the "aggravation" phase. The outcome of their decision on aggravating factors will affect how harsh Arias' sentence could be. Both sides may call witnesses and show evidence during a mini trial of sorts. The jurors won't change.

Authorities said Arias, 32, planned the attack in a jealous rage after being rejected by Alexander, a motivational speaker and salesman, while he pursued other women.

The trial will now move into a phase during which prosecutors will argue the killing was committed in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner, called the "aggravation" phase. The outcome of their decision on aggravating factors will affect how harsh Arias' sentence could be. Both sides may call witnesses and show evidence during a mini trial of sorts. The jurors won't change.

Following news of the verdict, some racy modelling shots of Arias, never seen before, emerged.

A mob of spectators gathered outside the courthouse to learn the verdict, while TV crews, media trucks and reporters lined nearby streets. Family and friends of Alexander wore blue ribbons and wristbands with the words "Justice For Travis."

Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias. Picture: Supplied

Arias initially denied involvement and later blamed the killing on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said she killed Alexander in self-defence.

Jurors got the case on Friday afternoon. They reached a decision overnight.

Testimony began in early January, with Arias later spending 18 days on the witness stand. The trial quickly snowballed into a made-for-the-tabloids drama, garnering daily coverage from US cable news networks, and spawning a virtual cottage industry for talk shows, legal experts and even Arias, who used her notoriety to sell artwork she made in jail.

Alexander suffered nearly 30 knife wounds, was shot in the forehead and had his throat slit before Arias dragged his body into his shower. He was found by friends about five days later.

Arizona woman Jodi Arias has been found guilty of the murder of her boyfriend Travis Alexander. Picture: AP

Arias said she recalled Alexander attacking her in a fury after a day of sex. She said Alexander came at her "like a linebacker," body-slamming her to the tile floor. She managed to wriggle free and ran into his closet to retrieve a gun he kept on a shelf. She said she fired in self-defence but had no memory of stabbing him.

Arias acknowledged trying to clean the scene of the killing, dumping the gun in the desert and working on an alibi to avoid suspicion. She said she was too scared and ashamed to tell the truth at the time, but insisted at her trial she wasn't lying to jurors.

As deliberations dragged on, dozens of people gathered daily on the courthouse steps waiting for a verdict.

A first look at some old modelling shots from Jodi Arias.

Arias faces either life in prison or a death sentence.

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