Jurors heard a sexually explicit phone recording Tuesday between a woman and her one-time lover in the months before she killed him, and she described again how he allegedly abused her both mentally and physically.
Jodi Arias, 32, faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of Travis Alexander. She is set to resume testimony Wednesday after spending five days on the witness stand where she described intimate details of her relationship and childhood.
The recording, which she taped just several weeks before the June 2008 killing, ranged from raunchy talk to banter about "Batman" and "Spider-Man" movies. Arias was giggly as the two joked, exchanged stories and sang an Alanis Morissette song to each other. As she listened to the recording from the witness stand, Arias broke down in tears, keeping her head down most of the time.
She later testified about more beatings she said she suffered at the hands of Alexander, recounting a time he choked her into unconsciousness. She had previously described similar instances.
However, Arias never went to a hospital for injuries she claims she suffered, never reported anything to police, and jurors have yet to hear from any witnesses or view any evidence establishing a history of the victim's violence or supposed interest in child pornography.
Alexander's friends say Arias is lying.
Arias has said that she didn't stop having sex with him after he became abusive because she loved him.
"I was making a string of bad choices during that time in my life," Arias said.
Prosecutors claim Arias killed Alexander in a jealous rage, stabbing and slashing him 27 times, slitting his throat and shooting him in the head in his suburban Phoenix home. Arias says it was self-defense after changing her story several times about what happened. She now claims Alexander attacked her, forcing her to fight for her life.
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