Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/556850
BRENNANLINSLEY—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Lonnie, second from right, and Sandy Phillips, right, whose daughter Jessica Ghawi was killed in the 2012Aurora movie theatre attack, hold each other as they listen to District Attorney George Brauchler, le , speak on Aug. 7in Centennial, Colo. BySadieGurman The Associated Press CENTENNIAL, COLO. A ju- ry's refusal to sentence Colorado theater shooter James Holmes to die for one of the worst massa- cres in U.S. history doesn't mean the public is growing wary of capital punishment because only single juror blocked his execution, the lead prosecutor said Friday. The lone holdout felt just as strongly that Holmes should get a life sentence as the11otherjurorsbelievedhe should die for the 2012 shoot- ing, District Attorney George Brauchler said, based on prosecution interviews with some of the panel. Twelve people were killed and 70 others injured in the attack. "They were surprised, shocked that this juror held this view, and this view, this adamantly," he told The Associated Press in an interview one week after the jurors said they could not reach a unani- mous verdict on each mur- der count. Their indeci- sion automatically elimi- nated the death penalty for Holmes, who blamed the at- tack on schizophrenia and psychotic delusions. He will instead be sentenced to life in prison without parole. The holdout hasn't come forward to speak with pros- ecutors, but other jurors have said testimony about Holmes' mental illness per- suaded her to show mercy. Death sentences in Col- orado must be unanimous, and jurors attorneys tell ju- rors that imposing death is their own personal, moral choice and to respect each other's decisions. The other jurors believed the holdout was strongly in favor of death until the end of their deliberations, when she revealed she was firmly in favor of a life sentence, Brauchler said. When it was clear she wouldn't budge, the jurors took a vote, and the hold- out told them that if mental illness hadn't been a part of Holmes' defense, she too would have favored a death sentence, Brauchler said. "It's disappointing and frustrating," he said. "But to extrapolate any more from that one juror's deci- sion to not impose death is misguided." The same jury swiftly re- jected Holmes' insanity de- fense, convicting him of 165 felony counts. And later, they swiftly agreed that his mental illness didn't out- weigh the heinousness of the attack, allowing the case to move closer to a death sentence. DA: Shooter's life sentence cam e do wn t o ju st 1 j ur or COLORADO High-gloss slick, color coffee-table magazine • Inserted in a full run of the The Daily News on Thursday, September 24 - est. 10.000+ readers! • 3,000 extra print copies printed for local distribution for a full year ... another 6-9,000 potential readers • Digital edition published on Tehama County's most visited local website for a full year, receiving 70,000+ unique Visitors monthly. • Daily News Facebook post boosted for thousands of additional impressions across the North State! Who will Tehama County consumers call When they need what you sell? You can OWN your business or professional category in this special promotional opportunity! YOUR business displayed in a full-page, full-color ad, directly opposite a feature instructing Tehama County consumers ... SAMPLE "HOW TO" FEATURE ONE ADVERTISER ON FACING PAGE! HOW TO CHOOSE ... YourGuidetoEverything) Only ONE business will be featured per category of business or service! We have ready-to-run features for over 200 kinds of businesses! Full Page Full Color ads: $ 795 Advertising Deadline: Tuesday, September 1 Reserve your business category today! Gayla Eckels: geckels@redbluffdailynews.com (530) 737-5044 Suzy Noble: snoble@redbluffdailynews.com (530) 737-5056 | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2015 4 B