Three years after Colorado witnessed the bloody movie theater shooting that left 12 dead and 70 wounded, the man responsible is now facing an impending sentencing as the jury started deliberating the case early Wednesday.
James Holmes, who is now known as the "Batman Shooter" for gunning down the crowded Aurora theater on July 20, 2012 during an exhibition of "The Dark Knight Rises," is on trial for 24 counts of murder, attempted murder charges and possession of incendiary devices, totaling 165 charges. The jury will determine whether he is guilty for the bloodshed and what penalty will be handed out, according to CNN. Holmes has pleaded not guilty, arguing that he was insane when the crime was committed.
Both the prosecution and the defense have offered their closing arguments on Tuesday, as previously reported by HNGN.
The defense has maintained that Homes is psychotic and, therefore, is unable to comprehend his actions. Several witnesses were called to testify, including experts who confirmed a long standing mental illness that supposedly prevented the defendant from controlling his murderous thoughts, perceptions and actions. Holmes parents have previously written an open letter supporting this fact, saying, "He is not a monster. He is a human being gripped by a severe mental illness," according to The Christian Science Monitor.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, argue that Holmes was lucid when he began the shooting rampage, pointing to the evidence that showed he acted deliberately to deliver pain. A psychological exam conducted during Holmes' incarceration also revealed that he was sane, which could undermine the defendant's claim that he cannot distinguish between right from wrong.
The jury, which adjourned Wednesday afternoon without reaching a verdict, has to evaluate the arguments presented. The panel deliberated for seven hours and reportedly asked the judge three questions and requested a whiteboard and an index to the mounds of evidences presented, according to the Associated Press. If the insanity plea is upheld, Holmes faces life in prison instead of the death penalty.
