Jury selection began Tuesday in the Jodi Arias sentencing retrial to decide whether she faces life in prison or death for killing former boyfriend Travis Alexander. The retrial is expected to last three to six weeks.

Arias, 34, was found guilty of the 30-year-old Alexander's grisly murder during a highly publicized trial last year. Now, her legal team is at a Phoenix courtroom trying to convince a new jury to spare her life.

Like Us on Facebook

The retrial of Arias' penalty phase was needed due to a deadlocked jury. The original jury convicted Arias of stabbing Alexander 29 times and shooting him in the face in 2008. His neck was completely slit.

However, the jury voted eight to four in favor of the death penalty, according to sources familiar with deliberations. A death penalty vote must be unanimous for the sentence to stick. Similarly, a 12-0 vote is needed by the new jury for Arias to be ordered put to death by lethal injection. One dissenting vote and Arias avoids death.

Should the new jury not vote for death, Arias will be subject to life in prison, either without the possibility of parole or with the possibility of release after 25 years.

The first trial was televised live. Judge Sherry Stephens who presides over the re-trial just as she did the first trial, ruled proceedings could be shot by TV cameras, but the video couldn't air until after a verdict. She made her ruling in response to arguments from the defense team that live TV would keep potential witnesses from coming forward.

Arias' guilt already has been established, so the new panel of 12 jurors and eight alternates will hear evidence from the prosecution pertaining to the death sentence. The defense will go over her background and interactions with Alexander to try to avoid lethal injection.

Last year's trial was a media event with national broadcasting of the wide range of explosive testimony dealing with sex and murder. Arias spent nearly three weeks on the witness stand claiming she was in an abusive relationship and didn't remember killing Alexander.

TagsJodi Arias, Murder, trial, Travis Alexander, jury, Murder, retrial, legal