Death penalty remains option in Holmes case

It took less than three hours of deliberations for them to reach their decision, capping the second phase of his sentencing trial.

Holmes’s hands were in the pockets of his khaki trousers, just as they had been when Samour announced that the jury found him guilty of 24 counts of murder and 140 counts of attempted murder – two counts for each victim.

Brady told the jurors the mental illness was only made worse by medication. That phase ended Monday with the jury deciding the death penalty would be considered for punishment.

The jury decided that evidence about Holmes’s delusions and severe mental illness, as well as emotional testimony from his parents, did not outweigh the horror and suffering he unleashed inside Theater 9 in Aurora, Colo., where he killed 12 people and wounded 70 others.

The mother of Jessica Ghawi (GOW’-ee), an aspiring sports broadcaster killed by Holmes, said she was feeling a little overwhelmed about taking the stand. But Sandy Phillips said it’s her job to share her daughter’s story and vowed to do the best she could. He could not be allowed to use his mental illness as a “shield”, the district attorney said.

Following final arguments, the jury will render a decision on Holmes’ fate, which includes life in prison or death by lethal injection. After that first phase of the trial, 11 News talked to a local lawyer to get some insight on what could happen if Holmes is sentenced to death.

Three other convicted killers are now awaiting executions in Colorado, but they were all sentenced between 5 and 20 years ago. During the next phase of the trial, prosecutors have said they expect to call 15 victims to testify over two or three days.

The verdict will be read Monday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Prosecutors said none of that outweighs the heinous nature of Holmes’ planned and calculated shooting during a crowded midnight showing of a Batman movie in suburban Denver.

Holmes had been in the neuroscience Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado. But Robert Holmes acknowledged that they rarely communicated in the months before the theater attack. He broke up with his girlfriend and dropped out of school, abandoning his longtime goal of becoming a scientist.

He saw a campus psychiatrist, but hid the depth of his turmoil from everyone, describing it instead in a secret journal where he methodically laid out his plans to kill.