Murder suspect Jodi Arias took to the stand on Monday, day 13 of her trial, coming to her own defense, and admitted to killing her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in self-defense.
A new revelation included that she made false statements early in the investigation about not being at the scene of the crime because she planned to commit suicide and never have a trial.
"Did you kill Travis Alexander on June 4, 2008?" her defense attorney asked her point blank.
"Yes, I did," she said. "The simple answer is that he attacked me and I defended myself."
Arias also testified that she was abused by her parents, forcing her to leave the house her senior year of high school. She also testified that she had once dated a vampire. Her tumultuous upbringing led her to having to support herself at an early age.
She said she made false claims early in the investigation because "at the time, I had plans to commit suicide. So I was extremely confident that no jury would convict me because I didn't expect any of you to be here. I planned to be dead," she said.
Arias disclosed in detail the abuse she suffered from her parents and she said she was tired of her parents' strict discipline. She testified that this boyfriend "entertained the belief in vampires."
Throughout the first two weeks of the trial, defense attorneys have depicted Alexander as both a liar and a cheater, and prosecutors insist Arias was a jealous ex-girlfriend turned stalker after their break-up, until finally snapping and killing him.
Authorities have already found her hair and bloody palm print at the scene of the killing, along with photographs on a camera discovered inside Alexander's washing machine that place Arias there on the day he died. Arias, and her attorneys have claimed self-defense, depicting a troubled girl with a maniac, and prosecutors claim that she killed Alexander out of jealousy and vindictiveness.
