Defense, DA argue reasons to spare Colorado gunman's life

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- Defense attorneys for James Holmes made one more appeal for mercy Thursday for the Colorado movie theater shooter, urging jurors to consider his mental illness in his sentencing even though they rejected his claim of insanity when they found him guilty of murdering 12 people and trying to kill 70 others.

"Nothing we do here in this case is going to turn back the hands of time. And nothing we do will bring back those who died or heal the wounds of those who were injured," said his lawyer, Tamara Brady.

"It was not about notoriety, it was not about hatred. It was about the delusion," she said.

"The stressors triggered his psychosis, the psychosis caused him to be delusional, and come up with this plan to shoot people in this theater," she said. "No one has said that Mr. Holmes is malingering or faking or exaggerating psychiatric symptoms. He is indisputably mentally ill."

Brady acknowledged that prosecutors have tried to explain the "random and senseless crime" by describing a theory that Holmes methodically pursued a mission to kill.

"But the mere senselessness of it shows that it was psychotic. There was no political statement or religious statement or statement of any kind about what happened in that theater," she said. "He didn't send anything to the New York Times or The Denver Post. He sent his notebook to his psychiatrist. It had nothing to do with notoriety."

District Attorney George Brauchler countered that Holmes wanted to increase his value by killing others, and it was because of that belief that he qualifies as schizophrenic.

"Is mental illness going to be a shield here to protect someone who had the capacity to make decisions?" the prosecutor asked. "Nobody in their right mind could plan the massacre of a theater full of human beings. We should take comfort in that. But not having the right mind does not protect you from the ramifications of your decisions."

A woman interrupted the prosecutor, screaming, "He's wrong!" and "Don't kill him!" as she was pulled from the courtroom.

Brauchler returned to his argument once the courtroom door closed, and the judge told jurors to disregard the outburst. After the jury left to deliberate, the judge described her as a homeless woman who had behaved herself until then.