Jodi Arias Trial Live Stream: Death Penalty On Table, Rules Jury; Sentencing Begins

Jodi Arias asked to be executed after she was convicted of first-degree murder, and 12 jurors might just grant her wish Thursday as the murder trial moves into its sentencing phase following the jury's ruling that she is eligible for the death penalty.

A 32-year-old waitress and aspiring photographer from California, Arias was found guilty last week in the grisly first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in June 2008. Arias admitted to killing her former lover, so her guilt wasn't up for debate - but her intent was. Arias' defense revolved around on the beliefs that she could not premeditate murder, or fully comprehend or take responsibility for her actions because Alexander abused her so intensely that it fractured her psyche, and Arias was forced to kill Alexander in self-defense because she feared for her life due to his alleged habitual physical and emotional abuse.

The same 12 jurors that convicted Arias determined she was eligible for the death penalty during the "aggravation phase" in court Wednesday. Arizona is one of a few states where jurors are first tasked with judging whether someone is eligible for the death penalty. After just three hours of deliberation, the jury decided Arias killed Alexander in a "cruel, heinous, or depraved" manner that would warrant the death penalty. Arizona law defines "cruel manner" as when a victim suffers physical and/or mental pain.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez focussed much of the day delivering emotional appeals for jurors to recognize the "interminable cruelty" present in Alexander's death, explaining his wounds in graphic detail, emphasizing the pain he must have felt through every moment of his last 106 seconds alive.

"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," prosecutor Martinez told the courtroom. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain ... She made sure she killed him by stabbing him over and over and over again ... He Suffered enough pain for two life times."

Medical examiners found that Arias stabbed Alexander 27 times, primarily in the back, as well as the torso and the heart, slit Alexander's throat from ear to ear with so much force it almost decapitated him, shot him in the face, and dragged his bloodied corpse to the shower where she left him crumpled over - all in under two minutes.

As Martinez took the jury through Alexander's death step-by-step, insisting Arias understood the pain she was inflicting with every blow, she nearly lost control, frequently burying her face in her hands, crying quietly.

"Any reasonable person would know if you stick a knife in someone's chest it's going to hurt," said Martinez. "She knew every step of the way."

To further illustrate the extent of Alexander's agony for the jury, Martinez asked the courtroom to observe about two minutes of silence to understand just how long the victim was forced to endure pain. "Let's just sit here for two minutes," Martinez requested.

As no one said a word in court, Arias once again noticeably teared up. Then, Martinez said: "Does that seem like a short period of time? No."

Arias' lawyers struck back feebly following Martinez's arguments. Faced with proving there was no cruel intent behind Alexander's death, the best the defense team could muster was that perhaps he had not died an "especially cruel" death. Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi tried to convince the jury that Alexander would not have felt intense pain because of a surge of adrenaline running through his body.

"Is it beyond this normal cruelty that is inherent in first-degree murder?" asked Nurmi. "This aggravating factor was indeed not proven."

As jurors move on to the sentencing phase of the trial Thursday, the jury will now determine Arias' fate against other possible mitigating circumstances, like Arias' accusations of physical and mental abuse, and the defense's claims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and acute memory loss.

During the penalty phase, the defense and the prosecution will once again make opening and closing arguments, and also have the opportunity to present more evidence. Arias will also be allowed to make a statement prior to jurors voting in sentencing, and her family will also likely speak to the court to appeal to jurors for leniency and call for them to give her life in prison.

The prosecution is also expected to call the lead detective in the case to the stand in order to show the jury the ghastly extent of the crime scene and explain how the massive amount of blood spilled around the room was indicative of a struggle to fight off an attacker.

Alexander's family members are also expected to testify about the victim to show the effect he had on their lives and to show what his loss has meant to them. Both the prosecution and defense will prohibited of asking Alexander's family questions.

If jurors determine that Arias deserves the death penalty, she will become the fourth woman on Arizona's death row, and the first to be executed in the state since a woman was hanged in 1930. A unanimous vote is required to reach the death penalty. Were the jury to deadlock or rule in favor of a life sentence, Judge Stephens could take over in imposing a sentence, and would then have two options. Either sentence Arias to life in prison with no possibility of parole, or sentence her to life in prison with parole possible after at least 25 years behind bars.

Court resumes with the penalty phase Thursday at 1:30 p.m. EST.