✅James Holmes Psychiatric Evaluation 8-27-2014

Описание: Dr. William H. Reid, a forensic psychiatrist appointed by the court, interviewed James Holmes on July 30, 2014, as part of a multi-day evaluation (July 30 to August 1, 2014) at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo. These sessions totaled 22–24 hours of videotaped interviews to assess Holmes' sanity at the time of the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, where he killed 12 people and injured 70 others. Reid diagnosed Holmes with severe, chronic schizophrenia marked by delusions—most notably the belief that killing others would increase his “human capital” value—and auditory hallucinations. Despite this profound mental illness, Reid concluded that Holmes was legally sane under Colorado law. Holmes demonstrated clear cognitive awareness that murder was wrong (evidenced by his notebook entry: “Killing = wrong, but necessary”) and took deliberate steps to avoid detection, such as booby-trapping his apartment and using tactical gear. His six-month planning process—purchasing weapons, scouting the theater, and timing the attack for maximum casualties—further proved he could form intent. Reid emphasized that while Holmes’ delusions motivated the crime, they did not eliminate his capacity to distinguish right from wrong or understand consequences. Holmes described the act in detached, logical terms, showing no remorse but full recall of his actions. The jury accepted Reid’s analysis in 2015, rejecting the insanity defense and convicting Holmes on all counts. In Reid’s view, Holmes was “a mentally ill man who committed a rational, goal-directed crime.”