Jodi Arias Trial Update & Glasses 2014: Convicted Killer Donates $980 to Charity From Eyeglasses Auction
Convicted boyfriend killer Jodi Arias made an almost $1000 donation to an Arizona charity after auctioning off the eyeglasses she wore during her first trial in 2013.
On Sept. 14, the 34-year-old former waitress put her glasses up for sale on JodiArias.com for a starting bid of $500. Interested bidders were also required to pay a $250 deposit fee in order to participate in the auction for the "one-of-a-kind piece of history," which ended on Sept. 24, according to the website.
The infamous killer then donated $980 raised from the auction to the St. Mary's Food Bank of Phoenix.
In response, the non-profit organization issued a statement, saying: "St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is appreciative of the community support we receive that allows us to serve our mission of feeding the 1 in 5 Arizonans that struggle with hunger every day," reports the Daily Mail.
According to one appraiser, such items can earn thousands of dollars.
"There's a whole subculture out there that buys this type of stuff, and they've come up with a name for it, murderabilia," said Erik Hoyer, owner of EJ's Auction and Consignment, reports KPHO. "As for me, it's not something I'd be interested in buying or representing, for my company to represent. It's not something we would want to do."
Meanwhile, jury selection in Arias' penalty phase retrial resumed on Wednesday.
Although Arias was convicted of the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in May 2013, the jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on her sentencing. As a result, she began a retrial on Monday to determine whether she should be sentenced to death, life in prison or life with a chance of release after serving 25 years.
Her legal reps started the jury selection process by serving 300 potential jurors with a questionnaire about their beliefs and availability. However, about one third of the prospective jurors were dismissed after admitting that they watched media coverage during her first trial, and therefore, they could not be impartial in deciding her sentence, according to the Arizona Republic.
By Oct. 20, 12 jurors and four or six alternates will have been selected.
The jury selection is expected to take about three weeks, while the actual trial may last from six to eight weeks, reports USA Today.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!