CENTENNIAL, Colo. 鈥� A mother, a father and a daughter share a laugh Monday as they speak to each other in hushed whispers. A father shares his orange Tic Tacs and the rest of his bag of candy. It鈥檚 a picture of a happy family鈥攐r what could have been鈥攈ad they not been sitting two rows behind a man on trial for his life. A man they called son, brother.
Chris Holmes, defendant James Holmes鈥� younger sister, joined her parents for the first time at the Arapahoe County Courthouse since the Aurora theater shooting trial began on April 27. She wore black skinny jeans, a light grey-brown shirt and a vest. Years before the shooting, Chris Holmes wrote a song titled 鈥淲alking Down Death Row.鈥� Her lyrics included: 鈥淚鈥檓 praying to God, 鈥楶lease save my soul.'鈥�
During the 22 hours of psychiatric video shown last week, Dr. William Reid mentioned Chris Holmes had not written her brother and only visited once.
Her brother killed 12 people and injured 70 on July 20, 2012 when he opened fire at the midnight premiere of 鈥淭he Dark Knight Rises.鈥�
Monday marked the trial鈥檚 27th day, and it featured testimony from聽forensic psychiatrist Jeffery Metzner. In a dramatic close before the lunch break, he declared the Aurora theater shooter was legally sane the night he opened fire.
鈥淗aving homicidal thinking doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 tell the difference between right and wrong,鈥� Metzner said.
Reid had come to the same conclusion and stated that last week in court.
In 2013, the court found Metzner鈥檚 assessment incomplete, despite his 35 years in the field. The court assigned another psychiatrist, Reid, to the case.
On Monday, Metzner pointed to the defendant鈥檚 journal as well as Gmail chats and text messages to demonstrate an understanding on the defendant鈥檚 part of illegality and moral wrong doing.
In a Gmail chat sent on March 25, 2012, the shooter writes he was 鈥渢hinking about doing something evil.鈥�
The defendant reached his Rubicon when he called the mental health department of the University of Colorado and decided to hang up the phone.
It was a 鈥渓ast chance to turn back,鈥� the defendant said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. Doubts, I guess.鈥�
Metzner clarified the difference between having the capacity to know right from wrong and choosing to act despite that understanding.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 consider the morality but he had the capacity to,鈥� Metzner said.
Daniel King, one of the lead defense attorneys, cross-examined Metzner. He probed for a deeper explanation of psychosis, which established that Metzner did believe the defendant was psychotic the night of the shooting.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt Holmes was genetically loaded for schizoaffective disorder,鈥� King said.
Metzner agreed, citing a family history saturated with serious mental illness.
One jury member got sick during the testimony, so Judge Carlos Samour Jr. allowed for an additional 20-minute break.
Here is Chris Holmes鈥� song 鈥淲alking Down Death Row鈥�: