Jodi Arias Will Not Get The Death Penalty

The jury deciding the Arizona woman's fate said it was hung on Thursday, and the judge declared a mistrial. It means that Arias will not receive the death penalty for the murder of her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

An Arizona jury on Thursday said it was unable to reach a verdict in the sentencing phase of the trial of Jodi Arias, who was convicted of murdering her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens said that she was declaring a mistrial and set a new sentencing date for Arias on April 13. Stephens will decide Arias' sentence. The jury deliberated for five days.

The mistrial means that the death penalty is off the table in the case. Stephens will decide to sentence Arias to either life in prison or life with the possibility of being released after 25 years, according to the Associated Press.

Alexander's family members sobbed as Stephens made the announcement and continued throughout her statement.

"The real justice will be in the afterlife when Jodi burns in hell," Alexander's sister, Tanisha Sorensen, told AzCentral.com after the decision.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery told reporters that although he was frustrated at the outcome, he believes everyone including the jury did their jobs to the best of their ability.

He said it would be pointless for anyone to beat themselves up over the jury's decision.

"You can go insane doing that, so you have to accept what the jury did and be prepared the next day to go pursue justice in other cases," he said.

A different jury convicted Arias of first-degree murder in 2013 after a lengthy and sensational trial.

However, that jury became deadlocked when determining Arias' sentence. A sentencing retrial was then ordered.

Earlier this week, Arias' attorneys said that the jurors determining her punishment said that they were deadlocked. The lawyers asked for a mistrial, according to the AP.

However, neither the prosecution nor Stephens confirmed that the jury actually was at an impasse.

Stephens said she would not declare a mistrial and instead read the jury additional instructions, according to the AP.

Arias' case grabbed headlines across the country for the brutality of the crime and the salacious details that she shared about her relationship with Alexander.

Alexander was found dead in his home in Mesa, Arizona, in June 2008.

His throat had been slit, he had dozens of stab wounds, and had been shot in the head. Prosecutors argued that Arias killed Alexander after he ended their rocky relationship.

After she was convicted, Arias said in an interview that she preferred the death penalty over life in prison, the AP reported.

Her attorneys during the sentencing retrial attempted to win the jury's sympathy by claiming she was a victim of abuse as a child and at the hands of Alexander.

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