In the trial of James Holmes, prosecutors spent the first month re-creating the night of the shooting. But this isn't a question of whether Holmes killed 12 people at the midnight premiere of the latest Batman movie in Aurora, Colo. The question has always been: Was he insane at the time?
For prosecutors, detailing that night is critical in exploring Holmes' mindset. During the process, jurors watched a lengthy, videotaped psychiatric examination. It was ordered by the court after Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
The question of Holmes' sanity has consumed Judge Carlos Samour's court in recent days. He hired Dr. William Reid for a psychiatric evaluation. District Attorney George Brauchler called Reid to testify and didn't waste much time getting to the point.
"Is it your opinion that on the period of time applicable to these proceedings that the defendant James Eagan Holmes met the definition of legal sanity?" he asked.
Reid's response? A simple yes.
Of course, Holmes' legal team has its own experts who will eventually testify that he was insane at the time of the shooting. The jury will hear from them later this summer. But for now, Reid is the prosecution's star witness. He testified that Holmes clearly suffered from some mental illness, but not enough to prevent him from knowing right from wrong.
"Whatever he suffered from, it did not prevent him from forming the intent and knowing what he was doing and the consequences of what he was doing," he told the courtroom.
Reid testified that before he interviewed Holmes, he received a copy of the case file. He also talked to Holmes' parents and interviewed other psychiatrists who treated him.
Eventually he sat down with Holmes for a one-on-one, videotaped evaluation that lasted more than 20 hours. All of it was shown to the jury.
Early on, Holmes' responses are odd and absurd. He even explains why killing others increased his own self-worth.
"Just that anything that they would have done, or like pursued, gets canceled out and given to me," he says in the video.
Holmes assigned one point for each person. So by killing 12 people he added 12 points to his self-worth. The injured don't count. And he said he regrets that people were wounded. In the video, Reid asks Holmes to explain the logic behind that belief.
"It's not based on logic; it just is the way it is," he replies.
But, in what may be damning evidence, Holmes eventually admits on tape he knew what he was doing was legally wrong, that he withheld the plan of the attack from others because he didn't want to be stopped. He also believed that the FBI was surveying him. The court's psychiatrist, William Reid, explained to the jury why, in his medical opinion, that proves sanity.
"It suggests that he knew that he was doing something wrong or planning something wrong," he says.
In fact, Reid says Holmes picked a midnight movie premiere to maximize casualties, but also because there would be fewer children in the theater so late.
"He says he didn't want to kill children, and says he was sorry that a child was killed when he discovered that one was."
That victim was 6-year-old Veronica Moser.
Holmes' defense team has largely avoided cross-examining witnesses, especially victims from the theater. But Craig Silverman, a former deputy district attorney who's following the case, says they must attack Reid's credibility.
"They have to do a good job because Dr. Reid is a powerful witness for the prosecution," he says. "And if they leave him still standing when he leaves, it could be over for their client."
Because if the jury rejects that Holmes was insane at the time of the attack, he could be sentenced to death.
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Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Jurors in a Colorado courtroom are trying to determine the mindset of a gunman. It's a critical phase in the trial of James Holmes. He pled not guilty by reason of insanity in the killing of 12 people at the midnight premiere of a Batman movie in Aurora, Colo. Jurors are hearing his story in his own words as they watch a videotaped psychiatric examination ordered by the court. Ben Markus from Colorado Public Radio has more.
BEN MARKUS, BYLINE: Prosecutors spent the first month of the trial re-creating the night of the shooting in all its gut-wrenching and gory details. But this isn't a whodunit. The question has always been was the gunman insane at the time.
(SOUNDBITE OF COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS)
CARLOS SAMOUR: Please be seated.
MARKUS: That's the question that has consumed Judge Carlos Samour's court in recent days.
SAMOUR: This is the case of the people of the state of Colorado vs. James Eagan Holmes.
MARKUS: Samour hired Dr. William Reid to evaluate Holmes. District Attorney George Brauchler called Reid to testify and didn't waste much time getting to the point.
(SOUNDBITE OF COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS)
GEORGE BRAUCHLER: Is it your opinion that on the period of time that is applicable to these proceedings, that the defendant, James Eagan Holmes met the definition of legal sanity?
WILLIAM REID: Yes.
MARKUS: Of course, Holmes's legal team has its own experts who will eventually testify that he was insane. The jury will hear from them later this summer. But for now, Reid is the prosecution's star witness. And he testified that Holmes clearly suffered from some mental illness. But...
(SOUNDBITE OF COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS)
REID: Whatever he suffered from, it did not prevent him from forming the intent and knowing what he was doing and the consequences of what he was doing.
MARKUS: Reid testified that before he interviewed Holmes, he received a copy of the case file. He talked to his parents, interviewed other psychiatrists who treated him. Eventually, he would sit down with Holmes for a one-on-one, videotaped evaluation that lasted more than 20 hours, all of it shown to the jury. Early on, Holmes's responses are odd and absurd. Here, he explains why killing others increased his self-worth.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JAMES HOLMES: Just that anything they would have done or, like, pursued, gets canceled out and given to me.
MARKUS: Holmes assigned one point for each person. So by killing 12, he added 12 points to his self-worth. The injured don't count, and he said he regretted that people were wounded. In the video, Reid asks Holmes to explain the logic behind that belief.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HOLMES: It's not based on logic. It just is the way it is.
MARKUS: But in what may be damning evidence, Holmes eventually admits on tape that he knew what he was doing was legally wrong, that he withheld the plan of attack from others because he didn't want to be stopped, and he believed the FBI was surveilling him. The court's psychiatrist, William Reid, explained to the jury why in his medical opinion that proves sanity.
(SOUNDBITE OF COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS)
REID: It suggests that he knew that he was doing something wrong or planning something wrong.
MARKUS: In fact, Reid said Holmes picked a midnight movie premiere to maximize casualties but also because there would be fewer children in the theater so late.
REID: He says he didn't want to kill children and says that he was sorry that a child was killed when he discovered that one was.
MARKUS: That victim was 6-year-old Veronica Moser. Holmes's defense team has largely avoided cross-examining witnesses, especially victims from the theater. But Craig Silverman, a former deputy district attorney who's following the case, says they must attack Reid's credibility.
CRAIG SILVERMAN: And they have to do a good job because Dr. Reid's a powerful witness for the prosecution. And if they leave him still standing when he leaves, it could be over for their client.
MARKUS: Because if the jury rejects that Holmes was insane at the time of the attack, he could be sentenced to death. For NPR News, I'm Ben Markus in Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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