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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