It’s a tragedy. It’s a devastating result no matter what. “I am deeply, deeply sorry – that isn’t even the word”.
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The jury of nine women and three men could not reach a unanimous verdict on each murder count. That automatically eliminates the death penalty for the failed neuroscientist, who blamed his calculated murders of 12 people on mental illness. “I think primarily it was the mental illness”, Juror 17 told reporters, referring to the reasoning given by the hold-out.
Another suggested that the jury had been “infiltrated” by a death penalty opponent.
Numerous victims hugged her, and the father of one of those killed by Holmes told her that he was comforted there would not be prolonged appeals of a death sentence. “It was very emotionally hard”, she said.
“There will never be closure for these families, for these victims”, he said.
The jury at the murder trial for James Holmes have ruled out the death penalty. That trial played out over the course of three months. More people were sentenced to death in 30 other states and by the federal government over the same period.
He says the attack was the type of crime that called out for the community, through the jury system, to be involved in the sentence. Police officers and victims cried and shook their heads in disbelief.
“Because of that decision”, Brauchler said, “the community now knows everything about this case”.
In May 2013, Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper said it was unlikely he would ever allow the execution of one of those, convicted killer Nathan Dunlap. This decision made by the jury ultimately displays the fallibility of our government’s institutions. “It’s not justice. Our loved ones are still gone”.
Jordan Ghawi, whose sister Jessica was killed, took to Twitter to express his disappointment.
But finally they were unable to agree a sentence.
That lack of agreement meant the jury accepted he would receive an automatic life sentence without parole.
Samour thanked jurors for their service during the trial which lasted over three months.
Defense lawyers in the theater shooting case began employing the method as soon as they could talk to jurors. 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.
The jurors returned the sentence Friday.
Holmes showed little emotion, standing before the judge with his hands in his pockets even as his mother collapsed into her husband.
Families and friends of the victims sobbed in dismay, as the jury surprised the experts by giving the former Ph.D. neuroscience graduate student life in prison instead of death penalty as many predicted. Jurors reached that decision yesterday. The sentence will be announced at 7 p.m. The same jurors had rejected Holmes’ insanity defense, and had left the death penalty on the table during every phase of the sentencing process. One of the jurors requested another viewing of a piece of evidence, a gory 45-minute crime scene video, possibly in an attempt to sway the dissenter.
The judge, however, ruled the jurors could view it, but only once. Defense attorneys had argued that Holmes was mentally ill.
James Holmes was considered a quiet young man before the attack.
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.
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In Colorado, the demise penalty might be accepted exclusively by a unanimous vote. The deaths can not be answered by another death, and Holmes would be punished for the remainder of his days under a life sentence, she said.
