As a result Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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Kathleen Pourciau, mother of Baton Rouge’s BonnieKate Pourciau Zoghbi, looked a Colorado judge in the eye Monday morning and asked, “How many people do you have to kill to get the death penalty?”
After her testimony, Judge Samour said the judicial system is not a popularity contest.
“Well, prison’s no picnic, and knowing he will understand some level of pain for the rest of his pathetic life will be enough”, Phillips said.
Samour said the jury was fair and impartial, and he tried his utmost to be the same.
She said life without her sibling was “not what it’s supposed to be”.
Afterward, she sat quietly and nodded but showed no other reaction as Samour defended the trial.
During his four-month trial, two court-appointed psychiatrists testified for the prosecution that while the defendant was severely mentally ill, he was sane when he plotted and carried out the massacre.
People who survived the shooting and loved ones of those who did not are expected to testify during the three days of the sentencing hearing.
The hearings won’t change the life sentence, but they give survivors a chance to share their stories.
The formal sentencing hearing will also decide Holmes’ punishment for all other charges related to the crime – including 140 counts of attempted murder.
“There’s no human language that can convey the pain I have witnessed seize a hold of my family”, said Kristian Cowden, whose father Gordon Cowden was the oldest of those killed.
Tom Teves, whose son Alex was killed, called Holmes a coward and “pure evil”.
Michael Dailey spoke of the psychological challenges that he and his colleagues faced in the aftermath of the shooting, mentioning that many responders have struggled with depression and nightmares since that night.
At least 100 victims and witnesses are expected to testify in the final phase.
He called Holmes a monster who should be banished from public sight and forgotten.
State corrections officials will determine where Holmes will be incarcerated after an evaluation that includes his mental health.
Beginning in April, jurors spent 15 weeks listening to proof within the case towards the previous neuroscience doctoral scholar whom prosecutors argued was upset about failures in his private and academic life.
“I hope that every day is painful for him”.
The California native could ultimately be sentenced to a maximum of 3,318 years in prison, in addition to the mandatory life sentences, prosecutors said.
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Information for this article was contributed by Dan Elliott of The Associated Press.
