‘The Dark Knight Rises’ theater shooter sentenced to life in prison

Some of the survivors and victims’ family members accepted the jury’s decision.

The short statement was issued by family attorney Lisa J. Damiani.

Many people were shocked by Holmes’ sentence, including the families of the victims. The jury decided in the trial’s second phase not to eliminate the death penalty as a potential punishment, leaving them to decide between either the death penalty or life in prison in the trial’s final stage.

The July 2012 shooting killed 12 people and injured 70 others. “He has a serious mental illness”, she told the court. “I am deeply, deeply sorry – that isn’t even the word”.

Less than three hours after Samour granted their request, jurors announced a verdict had been reached. “So in my opinion, yeah the death penalty is warranted then”.

Attorneys for Holmes objected, saying the video was too graphic.

A juror has told how only one fellow panel member steadfastly refused to deliver a death penalty on Colorado cinema killer James Holmes despite pressure from others on the jury.

“Does he deserve a life sentence for that?”

“The death of a seriously mentally ill man is not justice no matter how tragic the case is”, she said.

Brauchler recited the names and ages of the 12 people killed by Holmes and said they were at the heart of the case. But the victims and the public might not have ever learned in detail what was behind the shootings had the plea deal been accepted.

Officials said the jurors wouldn’t speak to the media on Friday. Since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, only one inmate has been executed there. She says she supports the death penalty but knows firsthand how painful the process can be.

Dave Hoover, the uncle of 18-year-old victim A.J. Boik added:”Our loved ones are gone, we will never get to hug them again”.

“She felt that life [in prison] was appropriate and she would not be swayed”.

James Holmes sits in court for an advisement hearing at the Arapahoe County Justice Center in Centennial, Colorado in this June 4, 2013 file photo.

Holmes will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole. And so began proceedings which featured 306 witnesses over 60 days, and almost 2,700 pieces of evidence.

Defense lawyers in the theater shooting case began employing the method as soon as they could talk to jurors.

The jurors returned the sentence Friday.

Holmes’ mother wept quietly when the decision was read out. His mental illness didn’t prevent him from acting “rationally” elsewhere in his life, and the defendant must be held accountable for the mass murder, prosecutors said.

Jurors would have to unanimously agree for Holmes to be sentenced to death. They claim the gruesome images taken immediately after the massacre would be prejudicial.

The judge, however, ruled the jurors could view it, but only once.

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 armor.

Holmes was not immediately remanded to prison.

Holmes opened fire on audience watching the Batman film The Dark Night Rises, killing 12 people and wounding 70.

Defense attorneys argued Holmes’ schizophrenia led to a psychotic break, and powerful delusions drove him to carry out one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings.

In Colorado, the demise penalty might be accepted exclusively by a unanimous vote. According to juror 17, nine of the jurors were strongly in favor of sentencing Holmes to death.