Summary: The parents of Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes have written a letter that asks the court to spare his life.
The parents of James Holmes have written a letter that pleads for their son’s life, according to The Denver Post.
Holmes killed 12 people in a movie theater in Aurora two years ago. In the letter, Robert and Arlene Holmes wrote that their son is “a human being gripped by a severe mental illness.”
“We have read postings on the Internet that have likened him to a monster. He is not a monster.”
This is the first time that Holmes’ parents have spoken publicly about what their son did as well as the grief they have suffered.
To read more about James Holmes, click here.
They claim to have “spent every moment for more than two years thinking about those who were injured and the families and friends of the deceased.”
“We are always praying for everyone in Aurora. We wish that July 20, 2012, never happened.”
Jury selection for Holmes’ trial will begin on January 20 and 9,000 summonses are being delivered right now. Opening statements likely will not begin until May or June.
Holmes has been charged with murdering 12 people and attempted murder of 70 other people in the Century Aurora 16 theater.
The victims of the attack were Jonathan Blunk, A.J. Boik, Jesse Childress, Gordon Cowden, Jessica Ghawi, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Micayla Medek, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, Alex Sullivan, Alex Teves and Rebecca Wingo.
The prosecution has asked for the death penalty.
Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said, “In this case, for James Eagan Holmes, justice is death,” back in April of 2013.
Holmes has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
To read more about the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting, click here.
In the letter from his parents, Robert and Arlene wrote that before the attack, their son “never harmed anyone and he had no criminal history.”
“We love our son, we have always loved him and we do not want him to be executed,” they wrote.
His parents also ask attorneys in the case to negotiate a potential plea deal that would sentence Holmes to life in prison without parole. This would mean he could skip a long trial.
The letter was obtained by the Denver Post from the attorney for Holmes’ parents, Lisa Damiani.
“We mourn the deaths and the serious injuries and emotional trauma of the others who were in the theater,” they wrote. “The focus should be on the injured and their healing.”
Will Holmes be sentenced to death? Take part in our poll below.
[poll id=”336″]
No. If black people and Hispanics are punished harshly and not soared he shouldn’t be either.
I don’t understand the relevancy of your comment. Are you saying that you’re a racist?
He should get the same punishment as everyone else who committs henious crimes. Statistics show minority men overwhelmingly get the death penalty. So no I want him to get what everyone else gets. This whole white males with mental illness defense is getting old. #nomercy #nosympathy
Let’s see… he drove past a couple of theaters to go to one that specifically banned guns, parked near the exit for that particular screen, left through the exit, propping the door open to retrieve his guns, then shot up the theater. Sounds pretty planned and not the actions of a person who, by reasons of insanity, doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong.
I don’t agree with the death penalty, but this seems like a pretty clear cut case for it. If his parent didn’t want him put to death by the state, they should have raised him better.
Guns aren’t allowed in any Colorado theaters.
How’d that work out?
I totally agree.
Really!? Spare his Life, after all the Innocent Lives HE TOOK, in the ‘Blink of an Eye’…………………… I don’t think so. May the Punishment fit the Crime. I’m tired of
the Abuse and Mental Illness Excuses. Justice for all the Victims!
In the letter from his parents, Robert and Arlene wrote that before the attack, their son “never harmed anyone and he had no criminal history.”
Yet he drew a picture of a stick-person shooting other stick-people and gave it to his psychiatrist
”Question;
How is it possible for an AR-15 bullet/bullets(shot from theater #9)
able to penetrate, pass thru and exit(striking patrons in theater #8
Mckayla Hicks in the jaw) the common dense sound-proof wall
separating Cinema 16 Theater #9 and Theater#8? The AR-15 utilizes an
.223 CALIBER bullet. Movie theater viewing venues are scientifically
designed and require an 65db stc class sound wall separating viewing
studios. This separation wall can-not be penetrated because it
requires dense mass usually 12″ concrete block with all block
cells filled with sand. The AR-15 .223 bullet is too light a caliber.
Why is it James Holmes Attorneys have not introduced the above
mentioned scientific fact into Mr .Holmes defense ?
Fact…Cinema 16 theater #8 witnesses
state hearing loud gunshots in Theater #8 that were louder than the
gunfire emanating from the Batman Movie.
Prosecution theorizes the loud
gunshots were coming from Theater#9 and alleges Mr. Holmes is the
shooter.
Fact…The common wall separating
Theater#9 from Theater#8 is a sound-proof wall. Sound waves from
gunshots if heard at all by the Witnesses in Theater#8 would be
muffled not louder than gunfire sounds from the Batman Movie. The
loud gunshots heard by the Theater#8 Witnesses had to have come from
within the confines of Theater#8.
Fact…Cinema16 Multiplex Theater is
DHX certified; this DHX sound certification requires the Multiplex
Theater to have dense sound walls separating Viewing Studios.
Prosecution presents no Facts only
theory. Conclusion… Mr. Holmes did not shoot any patrons viewing
the Batman Movie in Theater#8.
The attacks on Theater#9 and
Theater#8 were separate, isolated, concurrent, and coordinated.
One or more Shooters in
Theater#9…One or more Shooters Theater#8