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PHOENIX -- A jury is now deciding whether Jodi Arias killed Travis Alexander in self-defense or carefully planned to take his life in June 2008.
Arias' fate is in the hands of eight men, four women and, possibly, three alternates.
Maricopa County Judge Sherry Stephens turned the case over to the jury at about 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, after giving final instructions.
Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi finished his three-hour-long closing argument Friday afternoon. Nurmi focused his final remarks on trying to disprove the prosecutions assentation that Arias premeditated Alexander's slaying.
"Why, if somebody is there to commit a murder, do you hang out and let the intended victim of this murder take pictures of you, at what you assume will be a crime scene?" Nurmi said.
Nurmi was referring to naked photos of Arias that police found on a memory card in Alexander's camera.
"If this is a preplanned murder ... why create this crime scene of chaos," Nurmi said in regard to the exceptionally bloody crime scene. "It doesn't make any sense as it relates to premeditation."
Nurmi also addressed Arias' memory problems. During her 18 days on the witness stand, Arias testified her mind went into a "fog" after she shot Alexander. She said she has no memory of stabbing him nearly 30 times or cutting his throat from ear to ear.
"If she's lying ... wouldn't she have actually made up a lie she remembers?" Nurmi said.
The defense attorney said it is clear the case is full of sex, lies and dirty little secrets, but there is no evidence to support the contention that Arias planned to kill her ex-boyfriend. It is, according to Nurmi, a case of self-defense. Arias was forced to kill Alexander when he attacked her after she dropped his camera, he said.
"The one thing that is clear ... this scenario of Jodi Arias being forced into doing something -- into defending her life ... is a much more plausible scenario then premeditation," Nurmi said.
During his rebuttal closing, prosecutor Juan Martinez made it clear to the jury that the State has little doubt Arias killed Alexander in cold-blood.
"Her intent was to kill, not to defend herself," Martinez said. "The defendant is a liar and a killer."
The veteran prosecutor said there is no evidence to support self-defense in Alexander's slaying. He pointed to the killing as proof and said Arias "gutted" Alexander.
"She stabbed him first, he wasn't dying fast enough ... for good measure she shoots him in the face," Martinez said. "Jodi Ann Arias killed Travis Alexander ... She just gutted him."
When he finished his rebuttal, Martinez asked the jury to return a verdict of premeditated first-degree murder.
"It is the State's view that nothing indicates it was anything other than a slaughter," Martinez said.
In her final instructions to the jury, Stephens said they must come to a unanimous decision.
"All twelve of you must agree on each verdict," Stephens said.
The jury finished deliberating Friday at about 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. They deliberated for just under an hour. According to a courthouse spokesperson, the jury will now deliberate weekdays, from noon to 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. There will be no weekend deliberations.
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Recess
The judge has called recess. The jury has been told they may go back and start deliberating the case. The trial will resume Monday at 12 p.m. Eastern time.
'All Twelve Of You Must Agree'"All twelve of you must agree on each verdict," Stephens said.
Jury InstructionsJudge Sherry Stephens is going over the jury instructions again.
Closing Rebuttal Finished"I am asking you to return a verdict of first-degree murder," Martinez said.
'Nothing Indicates It Was Anything Other Than A Slaughter'"It is the states view that nothing indicates it was anything other than a slaughter," Martinez said.
'Jodi Ann Arias Killed Travis Alexander'"Jodi Ann Arias killed Travis Alexander," Martinez said. "She just gutted him."
'He Didn't Have Any Deadly Weapons'"He didn't have any deadly weapons on him. He was sitting there sopping wet," Martinez said.
'Are You Going To Believe Her?'"She claims he threatened physical force. Are you going to believe her," Martinez said.
On Juan:Arias Appears To Be Tuning Out Martinez"Maybe his lips were deadly weapons." Oh Juan how you amuse me! #jodiarias
— Nan McD (@nanspud) May 3, 2013
"Her intent was to kill, not to defend herself," Martinez said.
'The Defendant Is A Liar And A Killer'"The defendant is a liar and a killer," Martinez said.
'She Stabbed Him First'"She stabbed him first, he wasn't dying fast enough ... for good measure she shoots him in the face," Martinez said.
On Premeditation:Martinez is again explaining the conditions for premeditation.
On The Stabbing:Martinez is now suggesting the reason some of the stab wounds were shallow was because Arias had cut herself and her hand was slipping on the knife.
'A Dildo With A Heartbeat'Martinez just mentioned the May 26, 2008 text Alexander sent to Arias, in which he said he was nothing more to her than "a dildo with a heartbeat."
On The Alleged Sexual Assault:Martinez said there is nothing to support the defense's allegation that Alexander sexually assaulted Arias.
'All Of This Is Nothing'"All of this is nothing," Martinez said of the defense's closing arguments.
On The Trip:"Every part of her trip was documented, except the part where she came to Arizona," Martinez said, referring to Nurmi's argument that Arias did not try to hide her activities during her trip.
On The Gas:'A Lie Is A Lie'nice. corroborating evidence #jodiarias didn't return the gas can
— Robert Frank (@Robert__Frank) May 3, 2013
"A lie is a lie and she looked right at you ... and told you that," Martinez said of Arias' testimony regarding the return of the gas can.
On The Gas AgainMartinez is pointing out Arias said she had returned the gas can to Wal-Mart, despite the fact there is no record of the return.
On The Hidden Messages:Martinez is reading the messages in the magazines.
The Sidebar:
The defense is objecting to just about everything Martinez is saying.
SidebarThe attorneys are at another sidebar with the judge.
'Coded Messages'Martinez is now talking about the "coded messages" Arias put in the magazine while in jail.
'Objection'"If she really wanted to cause him some damage why didn't she go to the media," Martinez said in regard to the pedophilia allegations. The defense objected to the line of questioning and the attorneys are now at a sidebar with the judge.
RebuttalProsecutor Juan Martinez is now giving his rebuttal to the defense closing.
Back In SessionRelated on HuffPost: Get Alerts
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