Lawyer: Suspect family's hearts go out to victims
BY P. SOLOMON BANDA & NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
7/24/12 at 6:16 AM
Related Story: Colorado shooting suspect used Internet to buy bullets, gear
Original Print Headline: Suspect is eerily silent in hearing
CENTENNIAL, Colo. - His hair dyed a shocking shade of orange-red, the former doctoral student accused of killing moviegoers at a showing of the new Batman movie appeared in court for the first time on Monday.
But he didn't seem to be there at all.
James Holmes shuffled into court in a maroon jailhouse jumpsuit with his hands cuffed - the world's first look at the 24-year-old since the Friday shooting that left 12 people dead and 58 others injured at a packed midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."
Unshaven and appearing dazed, Holmes sat virtually motionless during the hearing, his eyes drooping as the judge advised him of the severity of the case. At one point, Holmes simply closed his eyes. Prosecutors said they didn't know if he was being medicated.
Throughout the hearing, he never said a word. His attorneys did all the talking when the judge asked him if he understood his rights.
His demeanor, however, angered the relatives of some of the victims of the shooting. Some stared at him the entire hearing, including Tom Teves, whose son, Alex, was killed in the attack. Teves watched Holmes intently, sizing him up.
"I saw the coward in court today and Alex could have wiped the floor with him without breaking a sweat," said Teves, whose son, a physical therapist, dove to protect his girlfriend.
The hearing was the first confirmation that Holmes' hair was colored. On Friday, there were reports of his hair being red and that he told arresting officers that he was "The Joker." Batman's nemesis in the fictional Gotham has brightly colored hair.
It could not immediately be confirmed if he told officers that he was Batman's enemy, however.
Investigators found a Batman mask inside his apartment after they finished clearing it of booby traps, a law enforcement official said.
Holmes, whom police say donned body armor and was armed with an assault rifle, a shotgun and handguns during the attack, was arrested shortly afterward. He is refusing to cooperate, authorities said. A motive has not been discovered.
Holmes, who is being held in isolation at the Arapahoe County jail, walked into the courtroom with attorneys and others. He sat down in a jury box, next to one of his attorneys.
Relatives of shooting victims leaned forward in their seats to catch their first glimpse of him. Two women held hands tightly, one shook her head. One woman's eyes welled up with tears.
After the hearing, prosecutor Carol Chambers said that "at this point, everyone is interested in a fair trial with a just outcome for everybody involved."
Chambers said earlier her office is considering pursuing the death penalty against Holmes.
Chambers said a decision will be made in consultation with the victims' families.
David Sanchez, who waited outside the courthouse during Holmes' hearing, said his pregnant daughter escaped uninjured but her husband was shot in the head and was in critical condition. His daughter was scheduled to deliver her baby on Monday.
"When it's your own daughter and she escaped death by mere seconds, I want to say it makes you angry," Sanchez said. He said his daughter, 21-year-old Katie Medley, and her husband, Caleb, 23, had been waiting for a year to watch the movie.
Asked what punishment Holmes should get if he is convicted, Sanchez said, "I think death."
At a news conference in San Diego, where Holmes' family lives, lawyer Lisa Damiani refused to answer questions about him and his relationship to the family. She said later: "Everyone's concerned" about the possibility of the death penalty.
When asked if they stood by Holmes, Damiani said, "Yes they do. He's their son."
Holmes is expected to be formally charged next Monday. Holmes is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder, and he could also face additional counts of aggravated assault and weapons violations.
Associated Images:
This photo combination shows facial expressions of James E. Holmes during his court appearance on Monday in Centennial, Colo. Holmes is accused of killing 12 and wounding 58 in a shooting rampage in a movie theater on Friday in Aurora, Colo. RJ SANGOSTI / Associated Press
David Sanchez, whose son-in-law was critically wounded, speaks outside the Arapahoe County Courthouse on Monday. Sanchez's pregnant daughter escaped uninjured. ALEX BRANDON / Associated Press
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