James Holmes & His Father Exchange Smiles During Testimony
CENTENNAIL, Colo. (CBS4) - "Not a violent person" until the attack on the Aurora theater -- that's how James Holmes' father described his son as he finished his testimony Wednesday morning.
The testimony came as the defense is close to finishing its arguments to spare Holmes' life.
During the trial there has been very little interaction between James Holmes and his parents. But on Wednesday during Robert Holmes' testimony there was an exception. While on the witness stand Robert Holmes smiled at his son in the defendant's seat and James Holmes smiled back.
It was the months leading up to the theater shooting that the prosecution zeroed in on, asking Robert Holmes about emails he received from his son.
"In that same email on June 11 he also tells you he would like to avoid moving back in with you and your wife except as a last resort to homelessness," District Attorney George Brauchler said.
"Yes," Robert Homes replied.
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It was during that time that James Holmes was building an arsenal in his apartment to carry out what was termed his "mission" to kill.
"Throughout all of those emails you never had an inkling of the arsenal your son was amassing in his apartment in Aurora?" Brauchler asked.
"No, he didn't tell us anything about what he was thinking of doing," Robert Holmes replied.
He testified he and his wife were called in the middle of the night with news of the theater shooting. Robert Holmes testified he told an FBI agent at the airport he thought his son had been happy. The defense took issue
"Was it just hours earlier you heard that your son was accused of a mass shooting?" a defense attorney asked.
"That's true," Robert Holmes said.
"What sort of frame of mind were you in when you got to the airport?" she asked.
"It was kind of turmoil," he said.
Robert Holmes has painted a picture of a typical American family suddenly thrust into turmoil as a result of mental illness.
"Did he have any history at all of reacting violently if something didn't go his way?" she asked.
"No, he was not a violent person," Robert Holmes said.
Now his son stands convicted of murdering 12, injuring 70 and faces the possibility of being put to death.
