Victims’ relatives say they are disappointed that US cinema gunman James Holmes has been spared the death penalty. The 27-year-old killed 12 people
Victims’ relatives say they are disappointed that US cinema gunman James Holmes has been spared the death penalty.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The 27-year-old killed 12 people at a midnight screening of a Batman film in Colorado in 2012.
Victims' families express anger after Colorado mass murderer escapes death penalty http://t.co/eFCWBbegjb pic.twitter.com/BAB8AjaoxW
— The Independent (@Independent) 8 Août 2015
Holmes will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole.
But for some, that is not enough.
Sandy Phillips, whose daughter was shot by Holmes, shook her head, dropped it into her hands. http://t.co/Rj56SHublk #theatershooting
— CPR News (@NewsCPR) 8 Août 2015
“Our lives are forever altered and the thought that this monster gets to have visitation with his parents and gets to receive mail and pictures of his very strange girlfriends is very hard to accept.” said Sandy Phillips, whose 24-year-old daughter Jessica Ghawi was one of those killed.
Dave Hoover, the uncle of 18-year-old victim A.J. Boik added:“Our loved ones are gone, we will never get to hug them again. I will never get to say, ‘I love you, AJ’ and have him hug me again. I miss that, that is the last moment I had with him.”
Armed with an array of weapons, Holmes went into a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in July 2012.
He threw smoke canisters before shooting cinema-goers as they tried to escape.
While agreeing that Holmes was mentally ill, the jury could not reach unanimity on the death penalty.
A life sentence with no parole was automatically imposed.