Colorado movie massacre gunman could face death penalty
Accused Aurora theater gunman James Holmes listens during his arraignment in Centennial, Colorado March 12, 2013. (R.J. Sangosti/Pool/Reuters)
Accused Aurora theater gunman James Holmes (L) listens to Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler (R) at his arraignment in Centennial, Colorado in a March 12, 2013 file photo. (R.J. Sangosti/Pool/Files/Reuters)
James Eagan Holmes in Aurora, Colorado, July 23, 2012. (RJ Sangosti/Pool/Reuters)
Accused Aurora theater gunman James Holmes (3rd from R) listens to Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler (R) at his arraignment in Centennial, Colorado in this March 12, 2013 file photo. On July 22, 2015, the jury which convicted Holmes on 165 counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and explosives charges begin the penalty phase of the trial. (R.J. Sangosti/Pool/Reuters)
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. Defense lawyers trying to save the life of Colorado movie rampage gunman Holmes have called witness after witness to take the stand just feet from where he sits, tethered to the floor, expressionless. To match Feature USA SHOOTING/DENVER CHILDHOOD (Andy Cross/Pool/Files/Reuters)
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — James Holmes, the gunman in the Colorado movie massacre, could face the death penalty after jurors found on Monday that aggravating factors in the case counted for more than mitigating ones such as mental illness.
After deliberating for less than half a day, the panel of nine women and three men said they had concluded unanimously that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating ones. If just one juror had found that they did not, the 27-year-old Holmes would have received a life sentence with no chance of parole.
