Victims & Timeline James Haubenschild: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Kimberly Haubenschild: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Donna Dixon (nee Holm), 28: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Patricia Louise Smith, 50: [151], Soon after the shooting, police departments and cinemas across the United States and around the world increased security for fear of copycat incidents. Arapahoe County prosecutors said that Holmes was sane during the shooting and intended to kill all 400 people in the theater, while Holmes' lawyers said he had a psychotic episode during the attack. The mandatory minimum sentence to serve is 20 years. [86], The trial started on April 27, 2015. Jurors were prohibited from learning about Ewing's conviction for the Bennett family trial in Arapahoe County when a discussion attempted to draw parallels between the two murder cases. When he got there an hour later, he told them had obtained a concealed carry permit and showed them a black handgun. [10][11] About 30 minutes into the movie, police say, around 12:30a.m.,[12] he reentered the theater through the exit door. recess on the first day of his Aurora Hammer Murder trial July 27 at the Arapahoe County Courthouse . The affidavit said he told investigators he believed everyone was going to bed, grabbed some clothes and left to do laundry at their previous residence in Colorado Springs around 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Martinez told investigators he did call his grandmother but only spoke to her about the fight he had with his mother. [44], Neighbors reported loud music from the apartment around midnight on the night of the massacre, and one went to his door to tell him she was calling the police; she said the door seemed to be unlocked, but she chose not to open it. [71], On November 16, 2012, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund announced that each family of the dead would receive $220,000. history. The memorial, titled "Ascentiate," was designed by artist Douwe Blumberg. Aurora mother pays for son's cellphone bill more than a year after his death . Now that the victims have received their fair share of justice, ID's People Magazine Investigates plans to retrace the steps back to 1984, when the Hammer Killer went on a 12-day-long murder spree. In an interview on CNN, Teves' parents said they and the relatives of other victims believe the mass media coverage of Holmes' name and photo may inspire others to commit mass shootings for notoriety. [65], Ashley Moser, Veronica Moser-Sullivan's mother, suffered critical injuries after being shot in the chest. He is accused of opening fire in a movie theater July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 70. [96][97], On July 9, Judge Carlos Samour asked Holmes if he would testify in court, and advised him of his rights to do so. Colorado Sun staff & wire report 8:31 PM MDT on Oct 30, 2022. Earlier this year, he was found guilty of first-degree murder of Patricia. As these murders occurred in 1986, Ewing is sentenced under those laws. Ewings trial in the Bennett killings will begin Friday in Douglas County with jury selection; opening statements are expected Tuesday. Updated: 1:48 PM MST March 1, 2023. Statistic Count Raw Aurora / 100k People Colorado / 100k People National / 100k People; Total Crimes Per 100K: 16,552: Violent Crime: 3,473: 900.4: 423.1: 387.8: Murder After a search warrant was approved by a court judge, APD Major Crimes Homicide Unit detectives found Kaden with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds. [95] In the following week, two additional jurors were dismissed; the first due to emotional problems following the shooting of a family member, the second for recognizing a survivor who was wounded in the massacre. Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney John Kellner declined to comment on the upcoming trial. About 20 minutes into the film, he left theater 9 through an emergency exit door beside the movie screen, with direct . Two years ago, a company brought in by Aurora PD used DNA to create a composite of what the Bennett family killer might look like today. [9], Holmes went to his car (which he had parked near the exit door), changed into protective clothing, and retrieved his guns. [166] Attorney Christina Habas, who represents several theater victims, has said: "We essentially don't have a single photograph, a single piece of evidence that we can show to a jury". Join the Westword community and help support The investigation began at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday, when the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at a residence of 502 Carnahan Street in Marquette. 26. Suspect Charges: Murder, Attempted Murder", "Colorado movie massacre suspect to be formally charged", "Lawyers: Colo. Police said that Holmes bought a ticket, entered the theater, and sat in the front row. [148], Cinemark agreed to pay any funeral expenses incurred by the deceased victims' families not covered by the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund. [18] He fired a 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, first at the ceiling and then at the audience. level of violent crime this year in Denver, officer-involved shootings map created by Denver7, "One Person Killed After Drive-by Shooting in Hoffman Heights", "Shots Fired During Barricaded Armed Party Call", "Man Kills Woman in Early Morning Attack", "Suspicious Death Investigation on East Colfax and North Emporia Street", "Man Fatally Shot at Bristol Point Shopping Center", "Man Surrenders to Aurora Police After Murdering Woman", "Shooting in Side Creek Neighborhood Leaves Woman Critical and Man Dead", "Two Arrested After Shooting Man in Laredo Highline Neighborhood", "Officer-Involved Shooting on South Xanadu Way", "Officer-Involved Shooting With Hoax Bomb in Summer Valley Neighborhood", "Officer-Involved Shooting at East Hampden Avenue and South Chambers Road", "Officer-Involved Shooting at Wolf's Motor Inn", "Critical Incident Investigation After Man Injured", "Juneteenth Celebration in Parking Lot Leaves One Dead, Four Injured", "Double Shooting/Homicide in the Meadow Hills Neighborhood", "Man Killed in Shooting on Chambers Road", "Homicide Investigation Regarding Welfare Check Call", "Man Shot and Killed in Condo Parking Lot", "Suspicious Death Now Homicide on East Walsh Way", "One Man Dead in Del Mar Parkway Neighborhood Shooting". After a 11-day hiatus, he attacked Roy Williams at his home in Kingman, Arizona, using a rock. There they find Randall Wilson lying on his back with his hands bound behind him. Face of the man accused of 1984 Hammer Attack Triple Murder in Aurora & Lakewood Murder. [98], By July 10, the prosecution and the defense rested their cases. The Police Department in Aurora, Colo., engaged in a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force, according to an investigation that began after the 2019 death of . [45][46][47], A police official said a Batman mask was found in the apartment. Police are searching for a suspect accused of shooting and killing four adults in the early hours of Sunday morning at a home in Aurora, Colorado . The grizzly site was at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. [83] On April 1, the prosecution announced it had declined the offer. [135], Christopher Nolan, the film's director, spoke on behalf of his cast and crew and called the event "savage" and "devastating". This made it inadmissible as evidence unless Holmes' mental health became an issue in the case. [13] Police evacuated five buildings surrounding his Aurora residence, which was about 5mi (8km) north of the cinema. AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) Update 7:16 p.m. Police said 39-year-old Nicholas Walker, who was wanted on attempted second-degree murder, was arrested without incident. [79], A judge ruled on August 30 that a notebook written by Holmes, in which he allegedly described a violent attack, was covered by physicianpatient privilege because it was addressed to his psychiatrist. COLORADO SPRINGS He remembers the hum of the vacuum cleaner, the sound of closing time at the Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant where he worked in 1993.. Violent crimes in Aurora, including homicides, non-fatal shootings, aggravated assault, sex assaults and robberies, increased by nearly 16 percent from 2021, based on police data. Booking photos for (from left) Master Martin, Jesus Mendoz-Prudente and Jerome Johnson. The assault occurred in Henderson, Nevada, after which Alex Ewing was arrested and remained incarcerated at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City, Nevada. 57-yr old. On Jan. 28, reports were made of gunshots outside Dick's Sporting Goods. [105] On July 30, Holmes' lawyers made a final appeal to the jurors, urging them to consider mental illness in his sentencing despite their rejection of the insanity defense used in the trial. Booking photos for (from left) Emily Strunk, Dontavious Hetzel and Kevin Wertin. [67][68][69], The Community First Foundation collected more than $5 million for a fund for victims and their families. She declined to talk to TV news reporters or put Vanessas picture on the news. Vanessa was found in bed, clinging to life beside a blood-soaked teddy bear. [87], On May 7, an FBI agent displayed pieces of evidence at the trial, including Holmes' body armor, an arsenal of weapons, unfired ammunition, and a helmet with strands of his dyed orange hair. [citation needed], On January 2, 2013, prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case returned to court in advance of the preliminary hearing, the public's first officially sanctioned look at the evidence, due to the gag order. James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. Link Copied! Joseph Castorena, a 21-year-old man who police . Closing statements were made on July 14, with formal deliberations beginning the following morning. i wonder on Instagram: "I never did trust that smile, it sucks. These were defused by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad a day after the shooting. "[160], In response, Cinemark's representation filed a motion to dismiss on September 27, 2012, on the grounds that there was no liability under Colorado law for failure to prevent an unforeseeable criminal act. Ewing's violent spree continued 11 days later in Arizona when he attacked Roy Williams with a rock as he lay sleeping in his Kingman home. [161] Cinemark's motion quoted extensively from the landmark California appellate opinion[162] that held McDonald's had no duty of care to prevent the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre. CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge sentenced Alex Ewing to three life sentences on Tuesday after he was found guilty in the 1984 murders of three people in Aurora. The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. He said he had a fight with his mom over his room being dirty but told them it was small and was not a big deal.. [29] Two federal officials said that Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself "The Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. OJ Simpson / The Glove Didn't Fit Chapter 17: 14 . September 29, 2021 Gun sales increased in Colorado, and political debates were generated about gun control in the United States. They concluded there was nothing suspicious and did not attempt to contact anyone in the home. [132] Some television advertisements for the film were also canceled. For Connie, who expects to testify about discovering her sons body, the trial offers a chance to find some peace after a lifetime of struggling with the fallout from the killings. Psychokillers / Gacy, Dahmer. James Holmes, one of the Colorado Serial Killers. On August 26, Holmes was given 12 life sentences, one for every person he killed; he also received 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded and for rigging his apartment with explosives. [169], On January 14, 2013, Chantel Blunk, estranged wife and widow of victim Jonathan Blunk, filed a lawsuit against the University of Colorado in federal court. A 21-year-old man with connections to his alleged victims was arrested and jailed on murder charges following the discovery of three . Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. According to press reports, he seemed dazed and largely unaware of his surroundings. 11. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver Nearly three years later, Holmes was found guilty of all the 165 counts brought against him, and he was sentenced . Martinez allegedly told the detectives that he and Kaden started drinking and smoking marijuana. The trial began on April 27, 2015. He said he told her that he had a bad dream about his family but that she told him it was only a dream and not to worry about it. ChristopherMartinez, the suspect,is Estancias son andthe other two victims are his siblings, the affidavit said. Media organizations challenged the sealing of the court file. In June 2016, a federal judge dismissed the last claims in the lawsuit. Alex Ewing, 61 . [100] The two murder convictions for each death were first-degree murder or attempted murder after deliberation, and first-degree murder or attempted murder with extreme indifference. Triple-homicide suspect accused of killing mother, siblings. Animation reportedly edited the Cartoon Network series Beware the Batman to make the firearms look less realistic. [55] Four people's eyes were irritated by the tear gas grenades, while eight others sustained non-gunshot injuries while fleeing the theater. Jump to Chapter Chapter 1: Aberrations Chapter 2: Synopsis Chapter 3: About The Author Chapter 4: 1. . At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th . Dunlap had recently been fired from Chuck E Cheese. DENVER - An Arapahoe County jury on Friday found 60-year-old Alex Ewing guilty of killing three members of an Aurora family with a hammer in January 1984 in a case that went cold until DNA evidence linked him to the murders in 2018. He murdered 12 people and injured 70 others. In 2001, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was able to establish a DNA profile from semen collected from the carpet and comforter in the Bennett sisters bedroom. Dressed in tactical clothing, 24-year-old James Holmes set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms. In 1993, a 19-year-old gunman shot and killed three teenagers and their manager at a . Martinezs grandmother then told detectives about the conversation she had with him at 1:30 a.m. On the call, he allegedly said he went to the Aurora house and was doing shots of tequila with Estancia, Marisol and Kaden. All I want in my older years is some peace and quiet and some tranquility of some kind.. He then dragged Marisol into the bedroom with Estancia and shot them. Investigators allege Ewing entered the home, perhaps through an open garage door, and killed Bruce, who he encountered just outside the master bedroom, perhaps because Bruce had gotten up to investigate a noise, or to chase Ewing out of the bedroom. AURORA, Neb. [48] On July 23, police finished collecting evidence from the apartment. Unfortunately, yes. Face of the man accused of 1984 Hammer Attack Triple Murder in Aurora & Lakewood Murder. She was more outgoing than her husband, Bruce, a Navy veteran who was quieter and easygoing. The Bennetts were dressed for bed when they were attacked. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families. The familys youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa Bennett, was brutally attacked but survived. Two "very young" children and a woman who . [51][52] Seventy were hit by bullets, and were reported by mainstream news as the most victims of any mass shooting in United States history. [141][142] The film's release date was rescheduled to January 2013, and the theater scene was replaced by a new sequence in a different setting. Published 3:23 PM EDT, Sun October 30, 2022. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. THOSE with their eyes to the skies on Sunday night (February 26) may have caught a very rare sighting of the northern lights. They cut out a section of concrete floor to preserve a shoeprint. In Aurora, Colorado, Paula Sue Steinbach disappeared from her neighborhood around 8:00 p.m. on . They called the Aurora Police Department around 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 and requested a welfare check after they had not heard from their other daughter and granddaughter all day, the document said. [136] Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the film series, privately visited victims on July 24. He said they picked up some tequila and went back to the homehe, his mother and his sister had just moved to in Aurora. At the time, the event had the largest number of victims (82) in one shooting in modern U.S. Because of his tactical clothing, Holmes was at first mistaken for another police officer. [3][6] Witnesses said the multiplex's fire alarm system began sounding soon after the attack began, and staff told people in Theater 8 to evacuate. [90], On May 26, details of Holmes' notebook, reportedly found in a university mail room addressed to his psychiatrist Lynne Fenton, were entered into evidence at the trial for the first time. On July 16, 2015, James Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against . Colorado, a state where open carry is legal, has suffered through some of the most deadly mass shootings in American history, including the 1999 Columbine shooting and the Aurora theater attack in . Both parents were bludgeoned with a hammer, and the attacker also used a knife. Sept. 15, 2021. The jury consisted of 19 women and five men, two of whom had connections to the Columbine High School massacre. The discovery was made once Nevada prison authorities began collecting convicts' DNA (Ewing was already incarcerated at the time) and uploading it to the CODIS national database of the FBI. [104], On July 27, Holmes' sister stated in her testimony that her brother became withdrawn from the family after they moved from Salinas to San Diego during his early teenage years. AURORA, Colo. ( KDVR) A 21-year-old suspect is accused of killing his mother and siblings after they were found dead in their . He told her he got blackout drunk and stabbed Kaden because he was talking too much, the affidavit said. Melissa Bennett seemed to enjoy the instrument, and when Connie headed home around 9 p.m. that night, she thought shed visit again and give more lessons if Melissa stayed interested. Ewing didn't speak during his sentencing hearing. On October 30, 2012, the court hearing the criminal case against Holmes denied a motion by some of the survivors that would have let them access sealed evidence for review in their civil action against the theater chain. [152][153] In New York City, police officers were deployed to theaters screening the new film. The day before Melissas birthday. Shes been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice. She was hospitalized in a coma with serious facial injuries that left her paralyzed on her left side, Connie said. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. [82], On March 27, Holmes' lawyers offered a guilty plea in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty. The violence against cops in this country shows no signs of slowing down. Prosecutors offered their case as to why the trial should proceed, and defense lawyers argued that it should not. The life sentences will be served consecutively. [117][118][119][120][121] Many world leaders sent their condolences, including Queen Elizabeth II,[122] French President Franois Hollande,[123] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,[124] Russian President Vladimir Putin,[125] and Pope Benedict XVI.[126]. Bundy, Williams Chapter 16: 13. ", "Aurora heroes: Three who gave their lives", "Colorado shooting survivor tells how Crystal Lake boyfriend John Larimer shielded her before he died", "A look at the Lives of Colorado shooting victims", "People of the State of Colorado v. James Eagan Holmes", "Why Jessica Ghawi Wrote Under The Name Redfield: Moving Stories From The Shooting Victim's Colleagues", "Remembering aspiring sports journalist a year after Aurora shooting", "Jessica Ghawi: Victim of Colorado theatre shooting was also at Eaton Centre shooting", "Theater Shooting Victims Are 4 Months Old To Adults", "Hospital bills forgiven for Colorado shooting victims", "Woman who lost everything caps prosecution in Holmes trial", "Comedy helps pull Caleb Medley through tragedy of Aurora shootings", "Caleb Medley Recovery: Last Aurora Shooting Victim Leaves Colo. Hospital", "James Holmes guilty of murder in Colorado theater massacre; jury to weigh death penalty", "Shooting Victims Gain Veto Power in Donation Distribution", "Aurora movie theater shooting victims to respond to surveys", "Theater shooting: Payments from Aurora victim fund set, families of the dead get $220,000", James Holmes Mugshot: Aurora Shooting Suspect's Booking Picture Released" (PHOTO), Alex Brandon (AP), "Again appearing dazed in court, Holmes charged| Prosecutors and defense attorneys spar over whether a notebook that he reportedly sent to a psychiatrist is privileged information", "Colo. In 2021, Alex Ewing, aka the Hammer Killer, was found guilty of all charges involving the horrific 1984 killings of a couple from Aurora and their 7-year-old daughter. He also fired a Smith & Wesson M&P15[19] semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, which eventually malfunctioned. Gunman in 2021 Aurora hotel room shooting found guilty of first-degree murder. To me, it just means that there is a God.. But I think there has to be some kind of justice. Christopher Martinez is facing three counts of first-degree murder after he was arrested by Aurora police in the early morning hours of Dec. 11. Fortunately, they survived the attack. But it doesnt seem like that long ago, because its so vivid in my mind.. He displayed photos of camping trips and family vacations with Holmes to the jury. She alleged that a school psychiatrist could have prevented the slaughter by having Holmes detained after he admitted he "fantasized about killing a lot of people". In addition to the fatal attack on the Bennetts and Smith, a 28-year-old woman was bludgeoned nearly to death and sexually assaulted after she pulled into her Aurora garage on Jan. 9, 1984. AURORA, Colo. July 26, 2012 -- The movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., was not the city's first massacre. The Aurora Police Department . The affidavit said Martinezs grandmother told investigators when Martinez arrived, he said to her, I think I killed my mom and sister. [20] Ambulances were hindered by chaos and congestion in the parking lot, and they were unable to reach the back of the complex where police had pulled the injured out through the emergency exit doors of Theatre 9. Aurora's highly critical review did not . [36] Holmes was found carrying a first aid kit and spike strips, which he later admitted in an interview he had planned to use if police either shot at or chased him. Here is a look at the July 20, 2012, movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. They collected a piece of carpet from under Melissas body, and a comforter on the girls bed. [154], The National Association of Theatre Owners distributed checklists from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to its members and said in a July 21 statement that members were "working closely with local law enforcement agencies and reviewing security procedures". Henry from the My Corona series.". Kaden does not live at that residence and it was his first time at the location, the affidavit said. Officers responded just after 8 a.m . On March 22, an unknown gunman was seen on livestream rampaging through a grocery store with an AR-15-style rifle in Boulder, Colorado. He also said claims alleging violations of the Colorado Premises Liability Act could proceed. Martinezs grandmother said he called her around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 to tell her he had a bad dream that his mom and siblings were all dead. The disclosure was made at a court hearing in Centennial, Colorado, where news media organizations asked a judge to unseal court documents in the case. He was ultimately detained for attacking Nancy and Chris Barry in Henderson on August 9 of the same year in Nevada using an ax handle. The notebook elaborated on Holmes' obsession to kill since ten years prior to the shooting, his dissatisfaction with life and finding work, as well as health issues. Constance Bennett, the mother of murder victim Bruce Bennett, is questioned defense attorney Katherine Powers Spengler during Alex Ewing's murder trial, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in an Arapahoe County Court in Centennial, Colo. Ewing is accused of killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora in January 1984. [107][108], Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on August 7 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision over sentencing him to death. [134] Warner Bros. reportedly made a "substantial" donation to Colorado's Community First Foundation to benefit victims. About 20 minutes into the film, he left theater 9 through an emergency exit door beside the movie screen, with direct access to the lightly used parking area at the back of the complex, while propping the door slightly open with a plastic tablecloth holder. The aurora was caught on camera by photographer Nigel Wilkins, spectacularly lighting up the sky above Kenilworth Castle. [91][92] On May 27, Dr. William Reid, a court-appointed psychiatrist, testified that Holmes was mentally ill but legally sane. [53][54] This figure would not be surpassed until the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, which killed 49 people and injured 58 others for a combined total of 107 casualties.