Jodi Arias Found Guilty of First Degree Murder

Ashley Bigley

The family of Travis Alexander hugged and sobbed when Jodi Arias was found guilty of first degree murder today. The death penalty is still to be determined.

Alexander was killed in 2008 and Arias admitted to killing him during the trial. The trial was filled with explicit stories of lies, sex and death; the jury was left to decide if the murder was  a crime of passion or if Arias acted out of self-defense.

People from around the world have been following this trial, some have attended the proceedings.

I have not been following this trial as closely as many others, but this was the first live verdict I have seen. The trial began in January 2013. Almost every night various news outlets would give a brief update on the trial. 

And now the media buzz of this trial will explode leading to the decision for the death penalty. Five jurors found her guilty of premeditated murder, and seven found her guilty of premeditated and felony murder. Officials say that premeditated and felony charges can lead to a death penalty. However, there is not clear answer whether she will be receive the death penalty.

According to a news release, the siblings of Alexander look to file a civil wrongful death suit in the near future.