Jodi Arias has changed her mind about wanting the death penalty over spending the rest of her life in prison. The 32-year-old, who was convicted this month of the brutal murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander, addressed the jury Tuesday as part of the penalty phase of her trail. The jury will determine if she will be put to death or if she will spend the remainder of her life in prison.
In her plea to the jury, Arias listed ways she would be an asset to society. She said she would donate hair to Locks of Love, teach sign language and Spanish, and start a recycling program that may create jobs for the community. "If I get permission, I’d like to implement a recycling program… each week, huge loads of waste are hauled off to landfill. A substantial proportion of that could be kept out of landfill and recycled instead. It may even create new jobs for the people there. This is one small thing that could have a positive and far-reaching impact on the community and planet,” she said.
Arias also asked the jury to disregard an earlier Fox interview in which she stated that she preferred to be put to death. "I've made public statements that preferred the death penalty. I lacked perspective," she said.
She asked that her family be considered. "I can't in good conscience ask you to send me to death because of them. That would be tantamount to suicide. Either way, I’m going to spend the rest of my life in prison. It’ll either be shortened or not. If it’s shortened, the people who will hurt the most is my family. I’m asking you please, please don’t do that to them. I’ve already hurt them so badly along with so many other people. I want everyone's healing to begin and for their pain to stop,” said Arias.
Arias did the Fox interview minutes after being found guilty of first degree murder. “The worst outcome for me would be natural life, I would rather die sooner rather than later,” she said. “Longevity runs in my family and I don’t want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place.”
“I said years ago I’d rather get death than life and that still is true today,” added Arias. “I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I’d rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it.”
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