Arapahoe County District Judge William Blair Sylvester Rules James Holmes Should Face Trial for Killing 12 People Inside an Aurora Movie Theater

Personal Life

After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, William Blair Sylvester graduated from the University of Maryland in 1973. In 1976, he earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia. Before joining the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in 1991, Sylvester worked in a general private law practice. He used to lecture the Colorado District Attorney’s Council and was a regular trainer on the national level for the National College of District Attorney’s Council. Sylvester was appointed to the District Court on August 1, 2001. He is known for presiding over adoption and juvenile delinquency issues. Sylvester has served as the Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial District since October 2006.


Judge William Blair Sylvester Said James Holmes Should Face Trial

On Thursday, January 10, 2013, Arapahoe County District Judge William Blair Sylvester believes probable cause occurred when James Holmes decided to shoot people inside an Aurora movie theater. Holmes, a twenty five-year-old former doctoral student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Denver, killed twelve individuals and wounded fifty-eight people in what became one of the deadliest shootings in American history. According to an Associated Press article on CNN News, “Colorado shooting suspect should face trial, judge rules,” Judge Sylvester ruled that Holmes must be detained without bail until a hearing for an arraignment can be scheduled.

The AP article reports that Sylvester stated in his sixty-one-page ruling that the prosecution had proven probable cause in the one hundred and sixty-six counts filed against Holmes. The former doctoral student has been charged with first-degree murder. Holmes also faces weapons offenses and attempted murder for trying to slaughter individuals who wanted to see “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” on July 20, 2012.

The AP editorial on CNN News noted that Sylvester reached his decision after he listened to prosecutors reveal evidence against Holmes in a three-day hearing. Prosecutor Karen Pearson told Sylvester that Holmes “didn’t care who he killed.” The prosecutor continued to say that Holmes selected his location well since he intended to trap his victims.

According to the AP column on CNN News, Holmes’ defense attorneys were prepared to call witnesses and start a mental impairment defense on the behalf of their client. However, defense attorney Dan King changed his mind. He said, “We have had a change of position. This is neither the proper venue nor the time to put on a show or present some truncated defense.”

The AP article also covers what the victims’ relatives thought of the hearing. Tom Teves’ son, Alex, was one of the victims who was killed in the Aurora movie theater. Teves told reporters, “He’s not crazy one bit. He's very, very cold. He's very, very calculated.” Teves continued to tell reporters what he thought about Holmes. “He has a brain set that no one here can understand, and we want to call him crazy because we want to make that feel better in our society. But we have to accept the fact there is evil people in our society that enjoy killing any type of living thing. That doesn't make him crazy.”

The AP article on CNN News covered Jessica Watts’ opinion. Watts’ cousin, Jonathan Blunk, was killed in the massacre. She asserted, “It was complete planning. It was competency. It was everything on his part to make sure that this act was carried out from start to finish.”

Holmes’ Apartment Rigged With Explosives

The AP editorial described what was in Holmes’ apartment. Experts believe Holmes booby-trapped his apartment at least four days before the shooting occurred. FBI bomb technician Garrett Gumbinner testified that before Holmes left his apartment, he drenched his carpet with gas and oil. Gumbinner also pointed out that Holmes had a container of glycerin suspended over a cooking pan. A potassium mixture was connected to a trip wire that would set off the glycerin into the cooking pan. Gumbinner told the court that Holmes’ homemade explosive device could have ignited, causing other explosive materials in the apartment to explode.

Holmes Prepares for the Aurora Movie Theater Shooting

According to the AP editorial on CNN News, Holmes prepares for the shooting two months in advance. Steve Beggs, a supervisory agent of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified on Tuesday, January 9, 2013. He said Holmes was well prepared, arming himself with an AR-15 rifle, two Glock handguns, a shotgun, and over six thousand rounds of bullets. On May 10, 2012, Holmes also purchased two six-ounce tear gas through the internet. On May, 22, 2012, he bought one of his Glocks at a gun store.

How Holmes Got in the Aurora Movie Theater

The AP article reports that video from the Aurora movie theater captures Holmes entering the movie theater. The video then shows Holmes entering Theater No. 9. Holmes opened the theater’s back door, where his car was parked close to the entrance. The killer went to his vehicle and equipped himself with the weapons he purchased. He also wore body armor. Holmes re-entered the multiplex and tossed a gas container before he started shooting people. The incident lasted approximately eighteen minutes.

What Investigators Found Inside the Movie Theater

According to the AP column on CNN News, when the authorities showed up at the crime scene, they found seventy-six shells laying on the floor of the movie theatre. Law enforcement officers also found the gas container inside the movie theater. The first officer to encounter Holmes was Jason Oviatt. Officer Oviatt testified that Holmes stood near his car when he arrived at the theater. He described Holmes as relaxed. The perpetrator’s rifle was located on the ground next to the multiplex. Oviatt told the court, “He seemed very detached from it all.” Holmes did not resist officers when they place him under arrest.