From the lawyer who put the woman who killed her ex-boyfriend in cold blood behind bars, an insider look at the courtroom drama that gripped the country.
Juan Martinez, the fiery prosecuting attorney who convicted notorious murderess Jodi Arias for the killing of Travis Alexander, speaks for the first time about the investigation and trial that captivated the nation.
Through two trials, America watched as Juan Martinez fought relentlessly to convict Jodi Arias of Murder One for viciously stabbing her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander to death. What emerged was a stunning story wrought with sex, manipulation, and deceit. Arias changed her story continually as her bizarre behavior surrounding the crime and its aftermath came to light. Unwavering, Arias and her defense team continued to play off the salacious details of the case, until she was finally found guilty and—controversially—sentenced to life behind bars.
Now prosecutor Juan Martinez explores key facts from the case and the pieces of evidence he kept close to the vest. Throughout the trials, his bullish and unfaltering prosecution strategy was both commended and criticized, and Martinez illuminates the unique tactics he utilized and how they led to a successful conviction, and—for the first time—discusses how he felt losing the death penalty sentence.
Going beyond the news reports, Martinez explores the multiple facades of Jodi Arias. Sparring with her from across the stand, Martinez came to know Arias like no one else could, dissecting what it took for a seemingly normal girl to become a deluded and unrepentant killer.
Complete with 16 pages of photos from the case and trial, Conviction is the definitive account of the case that shocked America
Juan Martinez began working for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office in 1988. In his twenty-seven-year career with the office, he has spent nineteen years prosecuting homicide cases. Some of his most noteworthy cases include Arizona v. Wendi Andriano, who was convicted of first-degree murder and was the first woman sentenced to death by a jury in Arizona; Arizona v. Scott Falater, which was noted for the use of sleepwalking as a defense to the murder of his wife; Arizona v. Loren Wade, in which an Arizona State University football player was convicted of the shooting murder of an ex-ASU football player; and Arizona v. Rick Wayne Valentini, which resulted in a conviction for murder even though the victim’s body was never found.