Conviction: The Untold Story of Putting Jodi Arias Behind Bars - Hardcover

Prosecutor Juan Martinez takes you inside the case that captivated a nation

Over the course of five years, America watched as Arizona prosecutor Juan Martinez relentlessly battled to convict Jodi Arias for the vicious murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. The salacious case wrought with sex, manipulation, and deceit rocked the nation as the prosecution exposed shocking evidence of how Arias planned and executed the crime, building an irrefutable case that would result in a guilty verdict and a controversial life sentence.

Now, speaking openly for the first time, Martinez shares the inside story of his tireless work to put Jodi Ann Arias behind bars. Beginning in the hours immediately following the discovery of Travis’ body, Conviction examines every aspect of Martinez’ case, showing how over the course of five years his prosecution came together one piece at a time, and revealing how, almost from the very start, it seemed Arias believed she could get away with murder. 

Going inside the case files, Martinez chronicles the truth behind the multiple facades of Jodi Arias—a killer who played the victim with incredible skill, but was capable of unspeakable violence. Shedding light on the never-before-told story behind the most damning piece of evidence against Arias—the gas cans—Martinez recounts how he learned of their existence as well as the lengths he went to in order to ensure that they remained a secret from the public until precisely the right time.

Addressing his critics and supporters alike, Martinez also details his approach during the trial, describing how his much-criticized cross-examination of Arias was actually a highly deliberate and carefully crafted strategy designed to keep a deceitful woman from becoming too comfortable on the witness stand.

Complete with never-before-publicized evidence from the case and sixteen pages of photos, Conviction is the definitive account of the case that shocked America.

I couldn’t help but think Travis must have suffered greatly. I’d seen a lot of crime scenes since I’d joined the homicide unit, and this one spoke to an overkill. This murder seemed so methodical that I didn’t think it was a crime of passion. It seemed less angry and more purposeful. Only later would I find out just how goal-oriented the murderer had truly been; as it turned out, Travis had been killed three times over . . .

My eyes moved slowly around the bathroom one more time. I knew that it would be memorialized in photos and diagrams and that the whole room would be cataloged and measured. I would revisit this disturbing locale many times in the future through the photographs taken and the reports yet to be written, but I wanted to preserve as much as I could in my mind, so that wherever the investigation led I wouldn’t forget the bloody scene now in front of me.

—from Conviction