Our Friend Travis: The Travis Alexander Story

by Chris Hughes

Travis Victor Alexander was a good looking, charismatic, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He was in the prime of his life enjoying good health, financial success, world travel and a bustling social life. But, things weren't always so good for him. His life began in dismal circumstances, and tragically, it ended worse than it began. He was born to drug addicted parents and suffered many of the worst privations of life. His family was poor and his parents were neglectful and abusive. He was teased and bullied as a small child and had few, if any, friends.    After running away at the age of ten and going to live with his Grandmother, he became active in his church. Travis began to thrive in this environment. He had found a place where he was accepted. He had a support group, many friends and a purpose. Travis did not let his dark childhood stop him from accomplishing great things in his life. He used his negative experiences to propel him into a life of abundance and success by becoming better every day. Like many single, thirty-year-old men, he was dating in hopes of finding Mrs. Right, so he could get married, start a family and live the good life. Unfortunately, Jodi Arias, one of the women Travis was dating, was a psychopath. When Travis was dating her, they were living in different states. Soon after he broke things off, she moved within a mile of his house in Mesa, Arizona! She stalked him, hacked his email and social media accounts, and made his life unlivable. Her manipulation, lies, conniving, need for control and invasive behaviors were too much for Travis and he finally convinced her to move back to Yreka, California in April of 2008. On May 26, 2008 Travis finally saw Jodi for the evil monster she is. Via text, chat and email, they got into a huge fight. In June 2008, she set off on a 1,027 mile road trip to Mesa, Arizona to murder Travis. With Travis’ blood still under her fingernails, she headed to Utah to hook-up with a new love interest. Travis was found with twenty-nine stab wounds, shot in the face, and with his throat slit from ear to ear. After a heart-wrenching, five-year delay, the case finally went to trial, and became one of the highest profile murder trials in recent history. On May 8, 2013, his killer was convicted of first-degree, pre-meditated murder. During the grueling, ten month trial, which was in large part a circus act of character assassination, lies and fiction, Travis’s life was purposefully distorted and despicably misrepresented. This book was written to share with the world who Travis Victor Alexander was, the reality of what he endured, and the positive impact he continues to have on the world. Our Friend Travis is a book about the real Travis; his life, his light, his triumphs, his mistakes, his death, his murderer’s trial and his legacy. Chris and Sky Hughes are able to offer an insight that few, if any, have into Travis’s life and the evil that ended it. The world deserves to know the real Travis, and they hope you will get to know him through this book. They hope that his loving demeanor, zest for life, passion for service and ability to make people realize their divine potential jumps off the pages and into your heart. NOTE ABOUT REVIEWS OF THIS This book includes information about the Jodi Arias murder trial, which was one of the highest profile murder trials in recent history. As a result of the media attention this case garnered, millions around the world have come to know Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias, the woman who viciously murdered him. Though the public came out overwhelmingly in support of Travis Alexander, his friends and family, there is a very small, but vocal group, who, for whatever reason, are supportive of a convicted murderer. Some of her supporters have promised to give this book negative reviews before it has been released. It is expected they will come out in mass to do so. Please consider this when reading the reviews of this book.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2015

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-intentioned, but horribly written.

[Mindy Deeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay... being a bit of a “crime head” (following notorious crimes/criminals and doing extensive research, as a bit of a hobby) I was surprised to finally see a book written that offered more detailed information that I wasn’t aware of. I tend to find that books written after a trial of this magnitude, offer little to no NEW info that we all didn’t already know through the course of court proceedings and media coverage but I was pleasantly surprised that this book offered information and details that I wasn’t already aware of. It did kind of become flat towards the end and I felt a bit like the Mormon religion was being jammed down my throat but I overlooked it. Yes, there were some grammatical errors but the author does point out that she left all texts and emails “As is” with grammatical errors and all, for which I’m glad, as it held together the authenticity. Overall, I read through this fast and couldn’t really put it down.

[Bailey Dowd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow read. It really felt like a very long memorial Facebook post but it did give a great insight into who Travis was and the impact he had on the people who knew him.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Chris and Sky

For writing a book that really let us know what kind of man Travis Alexander was. Not the abusive, disgusting man that Jodi tried to portray during the trials, but a caring man who wasn't perfect but was human. Sharing your memories of Travis with the world was something we all appreciate. I hope he can now Rest In Peace.

[Heather Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE

Everyone who watched this trial should read this book! Finally, Travis receives justice with the truth finally being told! Heartwarming

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 4 stars because it was very informational, if not a little difficult to read. I cut Chris and Sky a lot of slack because they are not professional writers, and the writing issues were fairly minor. Overuse of exclamation points, a lot of poor grammar, and a little redundancy. If they had paid a college English major to proof read the book, I probably would have given it 5 stars.

Anyone reading this book is undoubtedly familiar with the case and trial, so the book doesn’t really cover these things. I appreciated this lack of rehashing because I find it incredibly dull having watched the trial and read both Juan Martinez and Shanna Hogan’s books (which are both excellent, if not essential reads). This book gave so much insight into Travis’s state of mind and why the relationship between him and Jodi went on for as long as it did, and was as intense as it was. There are so many personal anecdotes that I wish could have been presented at trial. Reading this book was like sitting down with Chris and Sky over coffee and discussing it, which I loved. It was such a personal tale which is so touching and lovely to read. I learned a lot about the case, Travis, the relationship, and how Travis’s friends have coped with all they’ve been through.

If nothing else, this book allows Travis’s side of the story to be told. Sky said it best when she wrote that Travis was not the abuser, he tried so hard to get away and be a good person. He wanted to get right with himself and with God. It was Jodi who constantly reeled him back in, something many people can relate with. I absolutely recommend anyone interested in the relationship that caused this entire debacle read this book.

[Trish Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this fascinating and heartwarming book in one day! After following the Travis Alexander case over two trials, I felt drawn to his family and friends. I could feel their love for Travis and the grief that all who knew him personally endured after his brutal murder. If one wants to know more about what a great guy Travis is in life and the afterlife, Chris and Sky Hughes do not disappoint. If Travis' siblings ever write a book, I would definitely read it. I am grateful for the inside perspective of his life, his acts of charity, and his views on our potential. I recommend this book to those seeking to know the truth behind the lies!

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole book to the end but certainly enough to get the picture of the man. I have been following the case and didnt want the last words in my head to be spoken by his killer. What she said at the sentencing hearing was appalling. I cannot find adequate words to describe the extent of the disgust and horror this terrible excuse of a human evokes in me. I wanted her to be sentenced to death but perhaps a life sentence will give her plenty of time to feel as hopeless as her victim must have felt in those last terrible moments, and that's better.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changed my opinion a lot about Travis-in a good way. Sky helped put into perspective just how hard he tried to be good and just how manipulative Jodi could be. Sky also did a great job showing how our (I am an active member of the LDS church) faith believes and what that entails so that non -members could understand how that applied to this case. What good friends the Hughes are to write this book! I wish all could read this book so they could see the real Travis and for that matter-the real Jodi.

[Lori Hter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would gave given 5 stars IF...

...the website http://ourfriendtravis.com worked at all! It's constantly refernced and used throughout the book but it's a sham!! Makes me extremely angry!! Why doesn't the website work?? Why haven't "they" addressed this? It made me so mad i can't properly rate or comment on anything else!! If you are going to constantly and consistently reference this website IT HAS TO WORK!!! FIX IT... OR REMOVE IT FROM THIS BOOK - PERIOD! What a ridiculous waste of time this was...

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tribute to a remarkable man

I’ve read a number of viewpoints on the Jodi Arias case, and it was refreshing to read this perspective from people who really knew Travis. It is sad (and difficult to understand) why much of what is written here was not allowed at trial, given that the defense did everything they could to slander Travis. There is simply no evidence that corroborates the notion that he was a violent man or a man given to anger or pedophilia. This book finishes the picture and ends with testimonials that are awe-inspiring and heart-warming.

[Amanda Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really put a new perspective on the victim and the case in general. I've only ever watched videos and seen the trial technically from the murderer's perspective, so I'm glad I read this from his dear friends.

[kaelan woellert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This was an awesome book. Some parts made me laugh out loud, and other parts made me cry. Definitely worth reading!

[ACE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the book was decent, gave some more insight and allowed me to understand and gain a bit of clarity. The problem is that the website referenced, multiple times throughout the book, didn’t work. I tried a few times thinking it was my internet, but it seems the website was completely removed. I have no idea why they did this, and why they didn’t ever rectify it by editing it out of the book. Likely would’ve been more trouble than it was worth, I assume. I only read through until the preachy, Mormon stuff at the end. I don’t need to know about the Mormon faith, and what their teachings are. I don’t care, I bought this book to learn more about Travis and his life. I didn’t buy it to learn about Mormonism, I own a Bible, I don’t need someone else preaching it to me. If I want to be preached to, I’ll go to church. I understand it was part of Travis’s life, his faith, but this wasn’t a book about that. Sneaky little way to try and shove it down people’s throats, but I just skipped all those pages. Obviously the Hughes’s aren’t writers, so there were some small grammatical issues. But nothing major, I still find those mistakes in books that were proofread and edited by professionals. So I won’t knock it for that!

[Rosemary Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to learn about the murder victim to find out why he not only stayed in this dumpster-fire relationship but why he encouraged it to continue. Unfortunately, not particularly insightful in that regard. His actions are inexplicable and basically the authors conclude that he was simply addicted to Arias. Come on - he was a 30-year old man, not some infatuated teenager. I kept thinking that if there is a silver-lining to be found in this entire sordid tale, it is the fact that none of his other girlfriends (whom he was cheating on with Arias) were physically harmed or killed by Arias. To think that he put those women in potential danger in satisfying his own "addiction" is a disturbing reality that is conveniently overlooked in this and other books about this murder. The book also requires editing -- here's an example of the type of sentence the reader must decipher: "Us, nor the women she spoke for, that I know felt the way she said we did". Huh??? Also, the chapters written by Chris read like a free promo of the legal service that he sells memberships for (as did Alexander).

[Khawla Ahmad · Rating 1 out of 5]

first of all I'll begin by saying No soul deserves what happened to this man, with that being said, he was no angel, he had his flaws, he used that monster and encouraged that relationship, he was a monster on his own, but did he have it coming? of course not.. she could have just left.. but life is a play and we all have a role in the way the ending plays out... may his soul rest in peace and in my opinion his family and loved ones are the real victims now, trying to reconcile everything in their minds .. may they find peace and solace

[Judya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was poorly written. Written by his friends - I did not feel they put enough feeling into the book. A tragic story.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senseless death. Made me choke up.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A True Friend

I found this book to be very revealing as to the true picture of Travis ,the friend,the resourceful business man, and someone I would have liked to have in my life. The first 90% of the book is written by Sky Hughes. She provides insight into Travis' personality and his relationship with not just Jodi but many people. The last part of the book was by Chris Hughes. He wrote more about self help ideas that he and Travis should as red. He also included some info about their spiritual life and the history of the Book of Mormon, and their church. I must say it was quite interesting.

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

The more I read, the more irritated I became, that I paid money for this. There are certain ideas and opinions that I would never, ever want to be seen as supporting in any way. Keep in mind, this is not a review of either Travis or Jodi, as I do not know either of them, this will be a review of a book, and what the authors have to say. This will be a lengthy review, to be completed later.

[Kari Beh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I left a review on Amazon

[Sharon Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not aw eel-written book but is excellent in its content, both about Travis as well as in its inspirations on life.