Jodi Arias is serving a natural life sentence for the 2008 first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens imposed the Jodi Arias sentence on April 13, 2015, after two separate juries deadlocked on whether to send her to death row. Under Arizona law, “natural life” means she is permanently ineligible for parole, work release, commutation, or release on any other basis.
How the Judge Ended Up Deciding
A Maricopa County jury convicted Arias of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013, and found that the killing was committed in an especially cruel manner, which made her eligible for the death penalty. The same jury then moved to the penalty phase and could not reach a unanimous decision. Judge Stephens declared a mistrial in that phase on May 23, 2013.
Arizona law requires a new jury to be seated when a penalty-phase jury deadlocks. That second jury does not revisit guilt or the aggravating factors already found; it decides punishment only. Jury selection for the second penalty phase began in September 2014, and opening statements followed in October. That jury also failed to agree on death.
Under the same statute, when a second jury deadlocks the judge takes over sentencing and must choose between two options: life with the possibility of release after 25 calendar years, or natural life with no possibility of release.1Arizona Legislature. SB 1352 – Section 13-752, Arizona Revised Statutes Because Alexander was over 15 at the time of his death, the release-eligible option was on the table.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 13-751 – Sentence of Death or Life Imprisonment; Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances; Definition
Why the Judge Chose Natural Life
Judge Stephens picked the harsher of the two options. In explaining the natural life sentence, she cited several aggravating factors: the especially cruel nature of the killing, the use of both a knife and a gun, the extensive planning involved, Arias’s failure to help Alexander as he was dying, and her destruction of evidence at the scene. Weighed against the mitigation the defense presented, the judge found the aggravating circumstances substantially outweighed them.
The practical effect is absolute. Arias has no release date, no parole eligibility, and no path to early discharge built into her sentence.
Restitution to the Alexander Family
In June 2015, Judge Stephens also ordered Arias to pay approximately $30,000 in restitution to Travis Alexander’s family to cover trial-related expenses such as travel and lodging during the years-long proceedings. The family had originally requested around $100,000; the amount was reduced because not all required documentation was submitted.
Appeals and What Is Left
Arias challenged her conviction on direct appeal, arguing that extensive media coverage and prosecutorial misconduct deprived her of a fair trial. On March 24, 2020, the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected both arguments and affirmed the conviction and sentence.3Arizona Judicial Branch. State v. Arias, No. 1 CA-CR 15-0302 She asked the Arizona Supreme Court to take up the case, and the state’s highest court declined without explanation in November 2020.
With her direct appeals exhausted, Arias has said she intends to pursue post-conviction relief, a separate Arizona process available after standard appeals run out. It can be used to raise claims based on new evidence or constitutional violations not addressed at trial or on direct appeal. As of early 2026, she has not filed a formal petition, though she has publicly stated she is setting aside proceeds from artwork sales to fund future legal filings. Barring a successful post-conviction challenge, the natural life sentence stands.
Where Arias Is Now
Arias is incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Perryville, in Goodyear, Arizona. She is classified at a medium-low security level and has held various work assignments during her incarceration, including serving as a library aide.4Arizona Department of Corrections. Inmate 281129 – Print Inmate