It's been five years since Travis Alexander's death and the long saga toward justice is finally coming to an end. Jodi Arias was found guilty of first degree murder by an Arizona jury yesterday. Arias will find out what punishment lies ahead on Thursday when a jury will determine whether or not the death penalty will be used.

The case had captivated the nation as it told the tale of a young and attractive woman brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend. Arias and her attorneys claimed that she had acted in self defense but the sheer brutality of the crime raised serious doubts. Alexander had been shot in the face, stabbed close to thirty times and had his throat slit.

The jury had the opportunity to convict Arias of a lesser charge of second degree murder if they were unable to decide upon the first degree charges. This was not necessary as the jury turned in a guilty verdict which caused a crowd of thousands outside the courthouse to erupt with applause.

In an interview after the verdict with Arizona Fox affiliate KSAZ Arias expressed her desire to get the death penalty.

"The worst outcome for me would be natural life, I would much rather die sooner than later," Arias said. "I said years ago that I'd rather get death than life and that still is true today. I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I'd rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

After hearing her remarks the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department put Arias on suicide watch, according to Reuters.

During the sentencing trial the state will try to prove that there aggravating factors that merit use of capital punishment. Bill Montgomery, attorney for Maricopa County, said that the state plans to present evidence "to prove the murder was committed in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner."

The jury will ultimately decide Arias' fate on Thursday.