Killer Girlfriend: The Jodi Arias Story by Josh Hoffner Brian Skoloff
Authors: Josh Hoffner Brian Skoloff
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Martinez
Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez is a small man with a loud voice and an
angry demeanor when he is ferociously questioning adversaries — sometimes even his
own witnesses.
Outside court, he’s cordial and gregarious, and attracted a fan following who flocked
to the courthouse each day for a chance to catch a glimpse of the man who hoped to
see Jodi Arias join just two other women on Arizona’s death row.
He’s done it before.
Known as a bulldog with a never-let-up approach to prosecuting cases and questioning
witnesses, Martinez won a first-degree murder conviction against Wendi Andriano, who
was about the same age as Jodi when she poisoned, bludgeoned and stabbed to death
her husband in the couple’s Phoenix-area home.
Much like Jodi, Andriano also testified in her own defense during her four-month
trial, claiming she had been battered by her husband, and on the day he died, he flew
into a rage and she was forced to defend herself.
Martinez, who has been a county prosecutor here for 25 years, the last 17 solely
focused on homicide cases, portrayed Andriano as a greedy, cheating wife who savagely
killed her ailing husband.
The jury took just four hours to find the killing so especially cruel that it merited
consideration for the ultimate punishment. Then in just four days of deliberations
after hearing testimony in the penalty phase, the panel returned a recommendation
that she be put to death.
Martinez emerged victorious.
During Jodi’s trial, Martinez was at it again. Ferocious. Unstoppable. Unapologetically
intimidating.
He shuffled across the courtroom floor, rarely staying at the podium or even in one
spot too long. He snapped at witnesses after rapid-fire questions, followed simply
by him saying, “Yes or no.” He raised his voice in anger when witnesses meandered,
and objected at every turn.
He unleashed his wrath on the expert witnesses for the defense.
Martinez became the star, unusual in such a high-profile case.
It’s typically the flamboyant defense attorneys who gain notoriety as they work to
get their client off and bask in the spotlight of all the publicity.
But defense attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott would largely remain a backdrop
to Martinez’s dramatic performance. Nurmi, a tall, burly man with a crew cut, beard
and a serious demeanor in questioning witnesses, stood in sharp contrast to Willmott,
much more casual and gregarious in her approach. Nurmi was given the more uncomfortable
assignments, quizzing Jodi and other women about their sex lives in a bid to discredit
Travis.
While Martinez clearly was the main attraction, the trial elevated Nurmi, Willmott
and Judge Sherry Stephens into national figures as well.
Stephens has been presiding over cases in the Phoenix area for more than a decade,
following more than 20 years as a prosecutor for the Arizona Attorney General.
The judge provided much leeway to lawyers throughout the case, largely because it
was a death penalty trial and she wanted to cover her bases. She kept a rigid schedule,
often starting her day several hours before testimony began in Jodi’s trial, handling
other cases on her docket. Testimony in Jodi’s trial was often delayed as the judge
handled her other duties.
The trial typically began at 10 a.m., followed by an hour and a half lunch break,
and then an afternoon session that ended at 4:30 p.m. Jurors also got one 15-minute
break every day.
Stephens also ended up with a larger role than most judges because of Arizona law
that allows jurors to directly question witnesses as a matter of rule. Stephens read
each question aloud to witnesses, often in a monotone voice that resembled the tone
of a schoolteacher. She would tilt her head down, her glasses resting toward the tip
of her nose, as she ticked off one question after another in a detached demeanor.
Nurmi and Willmott had been assigned the case. Jodi
Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez is a small man with a loud voice and an
angry demeanor when he is ferociously questioning adversaries — sometimes even his
own witnesses.
Outside court, he’s cordial and gregarious, and attracted a fan following who flocked
to the courthouse each day for a chance to catch a glimpse of the man who hoped to
see Jodi Arias join just two other women on Arizona’s death row.
He’s done it before.
Known as a bulldog with a never-let-up approach to prosecuting cases and questioning
witnesses, Martinez won a first-degree murder conviction against Wendi Andriano, who
was about the same age as Jodi when she poisoned, bludgeoned and stabbed to death
her husband in the couple’s Phoenix-area home.
Much like Jodi, Andriano also testified in her own defense during her four-month
trial, claiming she had been battered by her husband, and on the day he died, he flew
into a rage and she was forced to defend herself.
Martinez, who has been a county prosecutor here for 25 years, the last 17 solely
focused on homicide cases, portrayed Andriano as a greedy, cheating wife who savagely
killed her ailing husband.
The jury took just four hours to find the killing so especially cruel that it merited
consideration for the ultimate punishment. Then in just four days of deliberations
after hearing testimony in the penalty phase, the panel returned a recommendation
that she be put to death.
Martinez emerged victorious.
During Jodi’s trial, Martinez was at it again. Ferocious. Unstoppable. Unapologetically
intimidating.
He shuffled across the courtroom floor, rarely staying at the podium or even in one
spot too long. He snapped at witnesses after rapid-fire questions, followed simply
by him saying, “Yes or no.” He raised his voice in anger when witnesses meandered,
and objected at every turn.
He unleashed his wrath on the expert witnesses for the defense.
Martinez became the star, unusual in such a high-profile case.
It’s typically the flamboyant defense attorneys who gain notoriety as they work to
get their client off and bask in the spotlight of all the publicity.
But defense attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott would largely remain a backdrop
to Martinez’s dramatic performance. Nurmi, a tall, burly man with a crew cut, beard
and a serious demeanor in questioning witnesses, stood in sharp contrast to Willmott,
much more casual and gregarious in her approach. Nurmi was given the more uncomfortable
assignments, quizzing Jodi and other women about their sex lives in a bid to discredit
Travis.
While Martinez clearly was the main attraction, the trial elevated Nurmi, Willmott
and Judge Sherry Stephens into national figures as well.
Stephens has been presiding over cases in the Phoenix area for more than a decade,
following more than 20 years as a prosecutor for the Arizona Attorney General.
The judge provided much leeway to lawyers throughout the case, largely because it
was a death penalty trial and she wanted to cover her bases. She kept a rigid schedule,
often starting her day several hours before testimony began in Jodi’s trial, handling
other cases on her docket. Testimony in Jodi’s trial was often delayed as the judge
handled her other duties.
The trial typically began at 10 a.m., followed by an hour and a half lunch break,
and then an afternoon session that ended at 4:30 p.m. Jurors also got one 15-minute
break every day.
Stephens also ended up with a larger role than most judges because of Arizona law
that allows jurors to directly question witnesses as a matter of rule. Stephens read
each question aloud to witnesses, often in a monotone voice that resembled the tone
of a schoolteacher. She would tilt her head down, her glasses resting toward the tip
of her nose, as she ticked off one question after another in a detached demeanor.
Nurmi and Willmott had been assigned the case. Jodi
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