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Police: Holmes Had Drawing Of Game About Killer

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — A drawing of a game involving a serial killer and a maze was found in the apartment of Colorado theater shooting defendant James Holmes, a police detective testified Wednesday.

The drawing also involved an address in downtown Denver, Aurora police detective Thomas Wilson said. It was found on a page in a spiral notebook inside Holmes' backpack.

Wilson did not elaborate, and neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys questioned him further about it.

It was the first public mention of the drawing in the 15 months since the July 2012 attack at an Aurora movie theater where 12 people were killed and 70 others were wounded. Holmes also sent a notebook that contained violent drawings to a psychiatrist before the shootings, Fox News has reported.

Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple charges of murder and attempted murder.

Wilson disclosed the notebook during a pretrial hearing at which defense attorneys are asking the judge to throw out evidence seized from the apartment because the search began before police had a warrant.

Prosecutors say explosives found there were so dangerous that police didn't have time to wait.

The hearing is the latest in a round of sessions this month over evidence that could be used to strengthen or weaken Holmes' insanity claim.

Even if some evidence is barred, prosecutors still have a strong case, legal experts say. The defense has acknowledged Holmes was the shooter but say he was in the midst of a psychotic episode.

However, without the evidence, prosecutors could have a harder job convincing jurors that Holmes was sane, which they must do in order to obtain the death penalty.

By DAN ELLIOTT, Associated Press

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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