Holmes' Parents Supported In Court By Outspoken Opponent Of Death Penalty
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - When the Aurora theater shooting trial reconvened on Monday jurors got an extensive look inside James Holmes' apartment, and a man in the courtroom came to support Holmes' parents.
Bob Autobee came in support of Holmes' parents and is the father of a murder victim himself, although from a different case in Colorado. He and others got a close-up photo tour of an apartment wired to explode.
What investigators found in Holmes' apartment were more than just explosives in a booby trap meant for police. The purpose of the testimony of FBI agent Christopher Rigopoulos appeared to be an attempt by prosecutors to show the extensive amount of planning by the defendant.
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Holmes looked at the screen as items from his bedroom were displayed. Among them was a calendar with the date July 20, 2012 marked -- the day of the attack.
"On the 20th it's circled with the number '1' inside of it, and then there's an infinity symbol that goes laterally within the circle," Rigopoulos testified.
There was evidence of weapons purchases, instruction booklets on how to use them, and ammunition for them.
The preparation for the attack was emphasized by prosecutors by showing the jurors targets that were purchased by the defendant and a card from a shooting range. In the living room of the apartment was an elaborate booby trap Rigopoulos said was meant to do extensive damage.
Watching it all silently from inside the courtroom have been Holmes' parents. On Monday they had lunch with Autobee, an outspoken opponent of the death penalty.
"They are very lonely, being in a different city and state, and they don't have a lot of people they can count on," Autobee said.
He says like the victims, the parents of the defendant are suffering as well.
Autobee's son was a prison guard who was murdered by an inmate. The father then helped spare the killer's life who faced the death penalty.
