Holmes charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder

2012-07-31 23

James Holmes, the former graduate student accused of opening fire on moviegoers in a Denver-area screening of the latest "Batman" movies is formally charged Monday with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.

The charges were formally presented as the twenty-four year old Holmes, made his second court appearance.

Maryellen Hansen's niece Ashley Moser was shot in the attack and later faced a miscarriage.

She offers her view of seeing Holmes.

SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MARYELLEN HANSEN, WHOSE NIECE ASHLEY MOSER WAS SHOT IN THE ATTACK AND LATER FACED A MISCARRIAGE, SAYING:

"He has an expression and kind of a person of evilness to him. But he looked very sane to me, he really did."

She does not want him to face the death penalty.

SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MARYELLEN HANSEN, WHOSE NIECE ASHLEY MOSER WAS SHOT IN THE ATTACK AND LATER FACED A MISCARRIAGE, SAYING:

"I am a Christian I do believe that he should probably be just locked away, and live with what he did every day of his life."

The rampage left 12 dead and 58 injured, several critically.

Prosecutors essentially charged Holmes with two murder counts for each victim - one standard first-degree murder charge plus one count of murder with extreme indifference.

Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.

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