Jodi Arias Breaks Down When Ghastly Photo Of Alleged Murder Victim Causes Chaos In Court

A ghastly photograph of her alleged victim's butchered throat caused murder defendant Jodi Arias to break down into floods of tears Wednesday as the Maricopa County Court fell into chaos.

The shocking image, showing Travis Alexander's bloody face, with his eyes open, lips shrunken back and a gaping wound across his throat, caused onlookers to gasp in horror and his family to rush out of the courtroom in disgust, when it was held up by prosecuting attorney Juan Martinez.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Jodi, now 32, is accused of murder after shooting the 30-year-old motivational speaker in the face, stabbing him 27 times and slitting his throat from ear to ear in his Mesa, Arizona home in June 2008. However, her defense team maintain she acted in self-defense.

Martinez put the gruesome photo on display during cross-examination of defense witness, Lisa Daidone, who had dated Alexander in 2007 shortly after he broke up with Arias, but then dumped him after discovering he was still sleeping with his ex.

"Do you think that even with everything they claimed he put you through, do you think it is appropriate to take a knife and slash somebody's throat? Is this what a normal relationship looks like to you?" the prosecutor shouted as he held the photo up amid an outburst of "objections" from the defense's table.

Judge Sherry Stephens called for a recess and upon their return she demanded that the audience keep their reactions silent in the future.

Daidone previously testified that she had learned of Travis' deception when his roommates told her he was seeing Jodi behind her back, but after a few weeks of estrangement he managed to talk his way back into her life, and on one uncomfortable occasion Jodi turned up at his house while they were both there.

The devout Mormon, who met Travis in a singles church group, also testified that she felt kissing didn't do anything for Travis, and told Arias' attorney Jennifer Willmott that making out with him made her feel "used and dirty."

Having believed that he was saving himself for marriage, Lisa said she was devastated after discovering he had been having a steamy, sexual relationship with Jodi.

“After Travis’ death were you shocked to learn that he was not a virgin?” Wilmott prodded. “Yes,” Daidone replied softly.

Arias was described earlier in the trial as Alexander's "dirty little secret" that he tried to keep from his deeply religious family.

Keep checking back with RadarOnline.com for updates and daily live-streaming of the Jodi Arias trial as it continues.