Theater Gunman's Sister: 'I Didn't Know About Mental Illness'
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4)- The younger sister of the Aurora theater gunman took the witness stand on Monday and talked about their childhood, which she described as pretty much idyllic.
When Chris Holmes was asked if she ever thought her brother, James Holmes, was mentally ill while they were growing up, she replied, "No, but I didn't know about mental illness."
Chris cried during most of her testimony and told the jury that she loves him, despite his actions on July 20, 2012 which took the lives of 12 people and left 70 others injured.
When asked if she was shocked after hearing about the attack in the Aurora movie theater, Chris responded, "Yes" and that it was out of character for him.
She later described a visit to him in jail where she said his eyes were "almost bulging out of his head in a way."
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She said she has desperately held onto a photo of him and her together, "I took it because I wasn't sure if the FBI was going to take everything from my house, so I wanted it."
Chris also described a normal childhood in California, packed with vacations, but said her brother had a hard time finding friends and adjusting when the family moved to San Diego.
The jury is considering whether James should serve life in prison without parole or be executed for the movie theater attack. He was convicted earlier this month and the jury decided he was eligible for the death penalty.
