Shooter’s dad ‘He was always a really excellent kid’
On Tuesday afternoon, day 58 of the Aurora theater shooting trial, Robert Holmes took the witness stand to testify about his son. He spoke about James Holmes’ life, from their family beginning on Prairie Dog Street to the first night they found out about the shooting.
“Our first thought was that Jimmy had been shot,” said Holmes. Then they found out. Shortly thereafter the media arrived in front of their home.
On July 16, James Holmes was found guilty of all 165 charges against him regarding the July 20, 2012 shooting in Aurora where he killed 12 and injured an additional 70 people. Now the jurors are hearing from his family and friends before they decide whether the defendant should be sentenced to death or life in prison.
“He was always a really excellent kid,” Holmes said. He did not know that his son was mentally ill before the shooting, and had assumed he might be depressed after he broke up with his girlfriend and dropped out of graduate school.
Defense Attorney Tamara Brady asked Holmes if he still loves his son. He said he does. “He’s my son, and we always got along really well,” he said. The testimony was interspersed with childhood pictures and stories of the defendant’s family and childhood.
Holmes testified for three and a half hours today and will return to the stand tomorrow for the completion of his cross-examination. Arlene Holmes, the defendant’s mother, is also expected to take the stand tomorrow, wrapping up the defense’s case.
Tuesday morning, the court heard from more family and friends, watching some pre-recorded testimonies from people who couldn’t be in court due to “scheduling conflicts,” Judge Carlos Samour told the jury.
The testimonies this morning included neighbors and church friends of the defendant and his family. Harry Soren Carr, a friend of the defendant who took a trip with him to volunteer at an orphanage in Mexico, finished his testimony this morning, followed by John Gonglach, an investigator, discussing bank records regarding the same trip.
Lois Elaine Spann, Lori Bidwell and husband Mark Bidwell also testified this morning about the early years of the defendant’s life. The Bidwells knew the Holmes family for 20 years in their Oak Hills neighborhood, and the kids all cried when the defendant’s family moved away.
“He was a very normal child,” said Mr. Bidwell. They had known the defendant as “Jimmy.”
Two of Holmes’ elementary school teachers, Ann Hestand and Paul Karrer, testified Tuesday as well. Hestand recalled his “wonderful smile,” and Karrer said he was a “neat kid,” always smiling.
Thursday morning both sides will have 40 minutes for closing arguments, and then the jury will decide whether the mitigating factors – evidence to suggest leniency in sentencing – outweigh the aggravating factors.
If they do, the case is over; the defendant would be sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole. If the jury does not find that the mitigating factors outweigh the aggravating factors, they will hear victim impact statements and have the chance to decide on the death penalty.
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