Then the judge read each sentence of life, noting that jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the counts against Holmes.
A formal sentencing hearing will be held on August 24-26, at which point in time initial decisions about where Holmes will serve his sentence will be discussed. He was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder, two counts for each of the 70 people he injured that night. According to NBC, apparently one juror wouldn’t cede in her opposition to death sentence. Seventy people were also wounded in the attack.
“We the jury do not have a unanimous final sentencing verdict”, Samour Jr read as shock swept the audience of victims and their family members.
Twice previously in the 15-week trial, jurors had rejected the mental illness defence.
But his parents have been in Colorado since his trial began, anxiously awaiting the outcome and vying for the jury to decide against the death penalty.
James Holmes was arrested outside the Century 16 Aurora Theater on July 20, 2012, after he opened fire during the premiere of Dark Knight Rises. “And we the jury understand that as a result the court imposes a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole”.
Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler had reportedly told the jury during the trial’s penalty phase that Holmes deserved to die. However, Tom Teves, whose son 24-year-old Alex was killed, said about half of the dead victims’ relatives, including him and his wife Caren, opposed the decision to execute the 27-year old gunman.
The man who committed one of the worst mass murders in Colorado history will not suffer the state’s strictest punishment because of persuasive efforts his attorneys began before a jury was even picked, legal experts said Saturday. As two members of Holmes’ court-appointed defense team walked past, Phillips said: “I wonder how it feels to save the life of a mass murderer?”
Juror 17 said the issue of mental illness appeared to be the reason the juror refused to vote to sentence Holmes to death.
He said he has apologised to the victims’ families for failing to win a death sentence and added that he does not regret not accepting a plea deal earlier with strings attached for Holmes.
The verdict brought to an end a trial that at times threatened to overwhelm jurors and observers with the competing conclusions of multiple psychiatrists, detailed testimony from crime scene technicians, and heart-rending tales from survivors. She had asked jurors whether they were ready to sign the death warrant of a mentally ill person and said they would have to live with the decision for the rest of their lives.
Holmes flunked out of his prestigious doctoral program at the University of Colorado and broke up with a fellow graduate student, the only girlfriend he’d ever had. The protection argued psychological sickness was a key think about Holmes’ actions and requested the jury to spare his life. At least one juror agreed – the jury’s verdict did not detail the split over Holmes’ fate.
Holmes bought a ticket for the screening before slipping out to his vehicle behind the building and changing into what prosecutors called a “kill suit” of ballistic helmet, gas mask, and head-to-toe body armour.
Brauchler invoked kindergartner Veronica in his closing argument, saying a life sentence would fit into the shooter’s plan for survival, along with his body armor, booby-trapped apartment and 700 rounds of ammunition.
