CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) – It didn’t take jurors long to swiftly convict James Holmes of murder last month for his assault on a Colorado movie theater. Then they spent less than three hours deliberating before finding that his mental illness did not outweigh the heinousness of his crimes.
But when it came time to decide whether to sentence him to death on Friday, at least one juror balked.
As a result, James Holmes will be sentenced to life in prison for the 2012 attack that killed 12 and injured 70 during the midnight screening of a Batman movie. Nine jurors wanted to execute Holmes, but one was steadfastly opposed and two others wavering, a juror told reporters after the verdict was announced.
“Mental illness played into the decision more than anything else,” said the woman, who would not give her name. “All the jurors feel so much empathy for the victims. It’s a tragedy.”
The verdict shocked the courtroom. Holmes’ mother, Arlene, who had begged jurors to spare his life, leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder and began sobbing. In the back, Aurora police officers who responded to the bloody scene of Holmes’ attacks began crying.