Preparation for the Aurora theater shooting murder trial has been intense for the past two weeks as attorneys on both sides began weeks of motions hearings that will decide what evidence jurors will be able to hear.
The Denver Post reports that in the case — from photos found on Holmes’ iPhone to explosives seized in his apartment to statements he made to police after his arrest.
Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other offenses from the July 20, 2012 massacre. His lawyers have built their case on challenging the admissibility of key evidence. If convicted, Holmes could face life in prison.
The actual trial won’t take place until next year, and Judge Carlos Samour said that prospective jurors can expect to set aside up to eight months for the case. Six thousand jury summonses will be sent out if the trial moves forward.
Here are some of the more disturbing pieces of evidence that have come to light so far during the hearings.
Right after the shooting, he was at turns nonchalant and smug
Officers testified that they found Holmes and by his car right after the shooting. When about possible accomplices, Holmes offered no reply, only a “self-satisfying, offensive smirk,” Denver Post reporter John Ingold.
Police nearly destroyed the building Holmes’ apartment was in because the traps were so complex
Lt. Thomas Wilkes, the incident commander at Holmes’ apartment, “said the explosives found there were difficult to defuse, and officials seriously considered letting the whole building burn down,” . They ended up asking Holmes for details. ”We knew that building would go. The idea was ‘Can we defend the other buildings?’” Wilkes told the court Thursday. Holmes to lure neighbors into setting off the devices, thus diverting police away from the theater.
He kept guns, a doorstop and metal spikes in his car, but no bombs
After his arrest, Holmes confessed to housing explosives in his apartment, which led bomb squad members to immediately search his car as well, though they had no warrant. Later, when a warrant was obtained, “investigators found black gloves, a ski mask, the butt plate for a firearm magazine, some metal spikes and a doorstop,” . Additional searches of the vehicle turned up “other items, like duffel bags, rifle cases and a handgun.”
He behaved strangely after being captured, but also seemed aware of his situation
Holmes exhibited erratic behavior after his arrest, reportedly making puppets out of evidence bags placed on his hands and claiming to be the Joker. However, he was coherent enough to issue a during police questioning and even prior to the shooting: “Will you visit me in prison?” While Holmes’s attorney plan to pursue an insanity defense, than two percent of mass killers have successfully pled insanity, spanning decades of cases.
