Jodi Arias On Suicide Watch After Saying She Hopes For Death Penalty

After Jodi Arias expressed her desire for the death penalty in a Fox interview that followed her conviction of first degree murder, the 32-year-old was placed on “suicide protocol” in an Arizona jail. A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Arias, who was found guilty of the 2008 murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander, is currently prohibited from giving any more interviews.

"Until she is released from suicide protocol by Sheriff's officials, no further media interviews of inmate Arias will be permitted," a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.

Arias, 32, spoke to Fox 10 News in Phoenix just 20 minutes after the jury delivered their guilty verdict. Calling the verdict “overwhelming,” Arias said she plans to “take it a day at a time.” She said she hopes the verdict will bring peace to Alexander’s family.

“I hope now that a verdict has been rendered they are able to find peace… some sense of peace. I don’t think they will ever find the peace that they would like,” she said. “But maybe they will be able to find great peace now, or some semblance of it and move on with their lives and remember their brother the way they want to.”

As for her future, Arias says she prefers death over spending the rest of her life in prison. “The worst outcome for me would be natural life, I would rather die sooner rather than later,” she said. “Longevity runs in my family and I don’t want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place.”

“I said years ago I’d rather get death than life and that still is true today,” added Arias. “I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I’d rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it.”

The sentencing phase of Arias’ trial begins Thursday afternoon. The jury will now decide if she receives the death penalty.

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