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Aurora Theater Shooter Offers To Plead Guilty To Avoid Death Penalty

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Mononoke

Banned
I still don't understand why Holmes told the police about his apartment being rigged. Why would he even bother? If his sole intent was to wreak havoc, that would have been an insane attack.
 

TxdoHawk

Member
Has Holmes revealed his motive?

Not directly, no. Court documents and bits and pieces paint a very vague picture. I'm going to post some links and then some quotes.

http://www.9news.com/rss/article/296300/42/Hints-of-motive-detailed-in-new-Holmes-docs
http://www.businessinsider.com/james-holmes-possible-motive-2012-8

In a document filed in August that was also released Friday, prosecutors say Holmes told a classmate in March that he wanted to kill people and that "he would do so when his life was over."

...Holmes was banned from CU's campus after making threats, his key card granting him access to the medical campus was deactivated, and he failed an important exam in his PhD neuroscience program, prompting university officials to suggest Holmes choose a new career.

In documents filed in August, prosecutors also say "...that after he was denied access to the CU-Denver Anschutz campus [HOLMES] began a detailed and complex plan to obtain firearms, ammunition and a tear-gas grenade, body armor, a gas-mask, and ballistic helmet, which were used in the commission of the murders and the attempted murders."

So basically, the gist of what we have is that:
- Holmes was already fairly mentally disturbed even before his luck ran out at his university.
- He had thoughts in his head about murdering people.
- After essentially failing out of his career path, he decided it was time to put these thoughts into action.

What are the odds of him being set free in 40-50 years from now?
0%. The best possible outcome he can possibly hope for at this point is life in a mental ward instead of a prison.

I still don't understand why Holmes told the police about his apartment being rigged. Why would he even bother? If his sole intent was to wreak havoc, that would have been an insane attack.
This man does not strike me as mentally stable by any stretch of the imagination. He obviously knew what he was doing at the time of the shooting, but we also know these thoughts were in his head for some time before he acted on them. Because he didn't act on these thoughts very quickly, I can only assume he had an internal struggle over them, and very well may have continued to do so afterward.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
I am one of the most vocal anti-death penalty posters on this board, but man...if there ever was an exception...no possibility of mistaken guilt, going to drain on taxes for the rest of his life...I dunno man

EDIT: Just read the rest of the thread. I'm very conflicted on this one
 

Log4Girlz

Member
I am one of the most vocal anti-death penalty posters on this board, but man...if there ever was an exception...no possibility of mistaken guilt, going to drain on taxes for the rest of his life...I dunno man

Death Penalty is worth it bro. It should be reserved for like "NO WAY THIS DUDE ISN'T GUILTY WE HAVE HIM ON FUCKING CAMERA AND 50 WITNESSES" type cases though.
 

DR2K

Banned
This is an easy death penalty for the prosecution, there's no need for compromise of any kind.
 

Switch Back 9

a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
After reading that essay by the dude who spent 25 years in solitary, I'm of the opinion it is a far harsher punishment.
 

UrbanRats

Member
I agree. He should be kept in solitary confinement in a cell never to interact with another inmate for the rest of his natural life.

What i hate about "prison justice" (which also includes prison rape) is:

1) Some convicted piece of shit gets to act righteous without any merit; the fact that someone is willing to shiv or rape another person so easily, also means he/she probably isn't in for smoking pot, so again, someone in no position to take the higher ground.

2) We'd let these people apply an ulterior form of "judgment", without any real control over it.
--
Whatever other form of punishment fits a crime, has to be discussed by the people outside of prison, and applied equally.
 
Biology class, 2008/9 I believe, at UC Riverside. I'm pretty embarrassed I went there. The weird thing is that the dude seemed fairly normal outside of not talking to anyone and keeping to himself. One of my friends did a group project with him and had the same observations.

why are you embarrassed to be a highlander lol.
 

UrbanRats

Member
After reading that essay by the dude who spent 25 years in solitary, I'm of the opinion it is a far harsher punishment.

Well, correct me if i'm wrong, but people in the death row do not get executed the week after, usually it can take even 10 years, in which they're kept in a pretty isolated position (at least, this is how it was in Herzog's documentary).
Anyway, 25 years in a little empty room, has to be worse than dying and get it over with, not difficult to believe.
 

Ryaaan14

Banned
I can't comprehend a person NOT wanting the death penalty if you know what's ahead of you in prison. He wanted to be famous, and his corn hole is going to be exactly that.
 

Log4Girlz

Member
Well, correct me if i'm wrong, but people in the death row do not get executed the week after, usually it can take even 10 years, in which they're kept in a pretty isolated position (at least, this is how it was in Herzog's documentary).
Anyway, 25 years in a little empty room, has to be worse than dying and get it over with, not difficult to believe.

Killing them is more humane in the American system. Its not like we provide furnished apartments for inmates of any class.
 

Reiko

Banned
I can't comprehend a person NOT wanting the death penalty if you know what's ahead of you in prison. He wanted to be famous, and his corn hole is going to be exactly that.

Kinda hard to feel compassion for an asshole, pardon the pun.

This is the same dude that was covered head to toe to prevent anyone from having an advantage while he killed and hurt multiple people.
 

Triple U

Banned
Well, correct me if i'm wrong, but people in the death row do not get executed the week after, usually it can take even 10 years, in which they're kept in a pretty isolated position (at least, this is how it was in Herzog's documentary).
Anyway, 25 years in a little empty room, has to be worse than dying and get it over with, not difficult to believe.

Uh not really. He obviously has some value associated with his life. I say inject him and get it over with.
 

Ryaaan14

Banned
Kinda hard to feel compassion for an asshole, pardon the pun.

This is the same dude that was covered head to toe to prevent anyone from having an advantage while he killed and hurt multiple people.
There wasn't an ounce of compassion in my post. I'm simply saying I can't wrap my head around why he doesn't want death over life sentences in prison given his reputation.
 

Reiko

Banned
There wasn't an ounce of compassion in my post. I'm simply saying I can't wrap my head around why he doesn't want death over life sentences in prison given his reputation.

I know. Just adding to your post.

People don't want him to get "prison life" but it's a highly expected outcome.
 

UrbanRats

Member
Uh not really. He obviously has some value associated with his life. I say inject him and get it over with.
Well to each is own, if they asked me if i wanted to do 25 years in a little room or get an injection right away, i feel like i'd choose the second option.
Even because once you're out, what the hell do you do? Can you imagine getting in jail at say 24 in 1988, and coming out at 49 today, having spent all that time in a 2 by 3 meters room? I don't know, the whole prison system is a weird thing.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
Biology class, 2008/9 I believe, at UC Riverside. I'm pretty embarrassed I went there. The weird thing is that the dude seemed fairly normal outside of not talking to anyone and keeping to himself. One of my friends did a group project with him and had the same observations.

I think most spree killers are fairly normal. Hell many serial killers probably look and act fairly normal. I dont think its weird.
 
Should have accepted the deal. Save the taxpayers money, he's never getting out, let him live out his days behind bars.
 

legacyzero

Banned
Lock him in a room with Bale.

tdkr-tragedy-christidxitt.jpeg
Fucking winner first post.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
I am one of the most vocal anti-death penalty posters on this board, but man...if there ever was an exception...no possibility of mistaken guilt, going to drain on taxes for the rest of his life...I dunno man

EDIT: Just read the rest of the thread. I'm very conflicted on this one

I'm actually kind of proud of Colroado in how the Death Penalty is used so rarely here, and there is zero doubt of the guilt of the people on death row.
 
If he didn't blow his brains out then and there, all signs point to him being a cowardly prick.

Not that I disagree, but isn't this what everyone says about the mass murderers who did off themselves before manning up to face the consequences of their crimes and a future of daily prison beatings and rapes?
 

Reiko

Banned
Not that I disagree, but isn't this what everyone says about the mass murderers who did off themselves before manning up to face the consequences of their crimes and a future of daily prison beatings and rapes?

Most mass murderers go in with the intention to kill themselves because realistically there is no going back.

Maybe he got cold feet.

Maybe he figured he would be locked up in isolation.
 
Most mass murderers go in with the intention to kill themselves because realistically there is no going back.

Maybe he got cold feet.

Maybe he figured he would be locked up in isolation.

Perhaps so. Either way I can't help but be a bit pleased that he punked out in that regard. This is the first mass murderer in a while who we're able to study. Not sure if we'll ever glean anything of value from him but with mass murders becoming more prevelant and 'why' being the #1 question on people's mind it couldn't hurt.
 

Kevtones

Member
I am conflicted.

I have this feeling like this guy is trying to spare his own life, and that makes me angry because he showed no such mercy to his victims.

I'm actually for the death penalty in some cases but I feel like the solitary madness he'll experience is the closest thing to equity here.

Not condoning Hammurabi-level tactics, but I feel like it would be the lowest form of mercy and the best form of justice.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
Considering how many spree killers end up dead I'd favor keeping him alive to see what insights can be gained into mass murderer psychology.
 

Konka

Banned
I thought prison was about rehabilitation not punishment. He should be held till he is ready to be introduced back into society.
 

Dereck

Member
I read the entire first post and I don't understand court speak, can someone sum it up in normal terms for me? Please?
 

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
I thought prison was about rehabilitation not punishment. He should be held till he is ready to be introduced back into society.
There's what you're told and what is truth. Prison, in America, is punishment. Most people who are released continue to commit crimes. Many are not ready for life outside prison after being so used to prison life. Much of the things that go in prisons only make the convicts worse.

I understand it is different in certain parts of Europe. For instance, I heard Germany actually does try and rehabilitate convicts and prepare them for life outside prison. Dunno if that's true but it's definitely not true in States.
 
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