Jodi Arias has avoided the death penalty after a second jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision as to whether she should live or die.
Arias was convicted in May 2013 for the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. A judge will now decide whether she will get life in prison or the possibility of parole after 25 years.
The jury was 11-1 in favour of the death penalty, and described having "knots in their stomach," insomnia, and feeling devastated by not being able to reach a verdict, reports AZCentral. They said they were not angry with the holdout juror, however.
The jury, composed of eight women and four men, deliberated for about 26 hours over five days, according to AZCentral.
The family of the victim said that Arias, 34, will get her just punishment one day.
"The real justice will be in the afterlife when Jodi burns in hell," Alexander's sister, Tanisha Sorenson, told reporters.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery expressed a similar sentiment.
"Ultimate justice is not going to come on this Earth, but in the afterlife," he said. "What that may be for Jodi Arias is not my position to say."
Alexander's other siblings later released a statement on the disappointing decision.
"[The family is] saddened by the jury's inability to reach a decision on the death penalty," they said. "However, they understand the difficulty of the decision, and have nothing but respect for the jury's time."
Prosecutor Juan Martinez downplayed the emotional aspect of the trial, calling it "just a case."
"It's not what emotions are really associated with this (Arias) case," he said after the decision. "It's just a case. There was a verdict and that's all it is."
The sentencing for Arias will take place on April 13 at 8:30 a.m.
