Ewings trial in the Bennett killings will begin Friday in Douglas County with jury selection; opening statements are expected Tuesday. But I think there has to be some kind of justice. 11. 1993 Chuck E Cheese murders - Horror History .net Kaden does not live at that residence and it was his first time at the location, the affidavit said. [13] He was listening to techno music through a set of headphones so that he could not hear anything from people in the theater. [35] The officers found several firearms in the theater and inside the shooter's car, including another Glock 22 handgun. 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. Martinez allegedly told the detectives that he and Kaden started drinking and smoking marijuana. And you cant bring them back.. [27] Some people reported the shooting via Twitter or text messaging rather than calling the police; officers were already at the theater by the time that the tweets were sent. [28], At about 12:45a.m., police officer Jason Oviatt apprehended Holmes[11][29] behind the cinema, next to his car, without resistance. [13] Police evacuated five buildings surrounding his Aurora residence, which was about 5mi (8km) north of the cinema. CNN . Twelve people were killed and 70 others were injured, 58 of them from gunfire. They were living in Aurora and planned to make a life together there. His DNA almost immediately matched with the evidence in the Colorado killings. 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. He had violently attacked, raped and killed Patricia Smith in Lakewood a few days before the Aurora attacks. [3] The massacre was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Reports state that according to the 1984 sentencing law, although Alex Ewing was serving up to 40 years in prison after his initial arrest in Nevada that year, he could have been eligible for parole after 20 years. AURORA, Colo. ( KDVR) A 21-year-old suspect is accused of killing his mother and siblings after they were found dead in their . [136] Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the film series, privately visited victims on July 24. [78] Prosecutors alleged on August 24, 2012, that Holmes told a classmate he wanted to kill people four months before the shooting. These were defused by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad a day after the shooting. 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. [85] It ended on April 15, 2015. Detectives then asked Martinez about what his grandmother told them that he admitted to killing Estancia, Marisol and Kaden. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. 1 weather alerts 1 closings . The mandatory minimum sentence to serve is 20 years. On March 3, 1967, Charles Brett Lange was found legally insane & sent to the Colorado State Hospital instead of prison. [37], Following his arrest, Holmes was initially jailed at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, under suicide watch. iwondergallery on Instagram: I never did trust that smile, it sucks She declined to talk to TV news reporters or put Vanessas picture on the news. Alex Ewing, 61 . [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. Colorado hammer killer, aka Alex Ewing, was found guilty in the Bennetts' and Patricia Smith's murder cases in 2021 and 2022, respectively. [43] The apartment held more than 30 homemade grenades, wired to a control box in the kitchen and filled with at least 30USgal (110L) of gasoline. He also fired a Smith & Wesson M&P15[19] semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, which eventually malfunctioned. Prosecutors dropped their request for access to the notebook on September 20, 2012. [175] The shooting reignited the political debate on gun control, with one issue being the "easy access" Holmes had to semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, which were banned federally from 1994 to 2004. Both parents were bludgeoned with a hammer, and the attacker also used a knife. The Aurora Hammer Slayer SOLVED! - The Theorem Factory 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. [29] Two federal officials said that Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself "The Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. [98], By July 10, the prosecution and the defense rested their cases. 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.. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. [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. Colorado manhunt underway for suspect accused in quadruple murder About 20 minutes into the film, he left theater 9 through an emergency exit door beside the movie screen, with direct . 21-year-old Christopher Martinez arrested following triple homicide in At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th . 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. Regardless, it's another victory in what has been a historic year for law enforcement closing decades old notorious cold cases. Alonzo Powell, age 41, was found dead in the room according to the April 30, 2000, Metro Digest section of the Denver Post. . Then, just as the community was reeling from this attack, 50-year-old Patricia Smith became a murder victim at her Lakewood, Colorado, home on January 10, 1984. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. People who live in Aurora generally consider the southeast part of the city to be the safest for this type of crime. 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 . Please logout and login again. A blood trail led from the hallway outside the bedroom to the downstairs living room, where Bruces body was found. At least well know who it was, and it will be over, she said. 57-yr old. OJ Simpson / The Glove Didn't Fit Chapter 17: 14 . He could have been eligible for parole this year, if DNA had not connected him to the Colorado killings. [135], Christopher Nolan, the film's director, spoke on behalf of his cast and crew and called the event "savage" and "devastating". [7] Police said that Holmes bought a ticket, entered the theater, and sat in the front row. [145] Warner Bros. The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. AURORA | Police are trying to determine what led to an apparent murder-suicide shooting in the driveway of a south Aurora home Friday afternoon. Though it was difficult to see the kaleidoscopic colours with the naked eye due to light pollution . Arapahoe County prosecutors sought the death penalty. To me, it just means that there is a God.. 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. In May 2016, after years of legal debate, a jury took three hours to deliver a unanimous verdict that the theater chain was not liable to any degree for the tragedy that transpired. Ewing carried out four violent attacks in Denver over the course of a 12-day period in January 1984, three of which occurred in Aurora - assaults on survivors Donna Holm, Jim and Kim Haubenschild, and the Bennetts. [176][177] The results of a survey released on July 30, 2012, by the Pew Research Center suggested the incident did not change Americans' views on the issue. [30] He was described as being calm and "disconnected" during his arrest. December 11, 2022 / 9:35 AM / CBS Colorado. Booking photos for (from left) Emily Strunk, Dontavious Hetzel and Kevin Wertin. At Least 180 Colorado Shootings in 2022 So Far Including the Latest Homicide. Asked one of her surviving sons to move in with her. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at right, survived. [138] Members of the Denver Broncos also called or visited individuals at the hospitals. Five men Jonathan Blunk, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Jesse Childress, and Alexander C. Teves died protecting their girlfriends or friends. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Families in Aurora double murder speak out as search for killer The victim's ranged in age from 20 to 65 and Mayor Sam . 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. The jury found Ewing guilty on . [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. [14] Initially, few in the audience considered Holmes to be a threat. Triple-homicide suspect accused of killing mother, siblings. Bloody bootprints were found throughout the house. That separate case is set for trial in October. Animation reportedly edited the Cartoon Network series Beware the Batman to make the firearms look less realistic. [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. Female Domestic Violence Killings In Colorado 1996-2000 [91][92] On May 27, Dr. William Reid, a court-appointed psychiatrist, testified that Holmes was mentally ill but legally sane. 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. [157] Security Director News raised the possibility in a July 23 article that "the massacre could be a Virginia Tech for movie theaters, causing security to become a bigger part of the conversation and more stringent security procedures to be adopted at theaters across the country. Melissa was killed and sexually assaulted in the bedroom she shared with her sister. 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. [146], Hans Zimmer, who composed the soundtrack for The Dark Knight Rises, recorded a choral song entitled "Aurora" in honor of the victims. On July 16, 2015, James Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against . 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. People Magazine Investigates' upcoming episode will air on ID at 9.00 pm ET this Monday and will also be available to stream on Discovery+. [19][20][21] Finally, he fired a .40-caliber Glock 22 Gen4 handgun. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [67][68][69], The Community First Foundation collected more than $5 million for a fund for victims and their families. They entered the home to find Kaden Casteneda, 18, Marisol Espindola, 18, and Estancia Martinez, 41, stabbed and shot to death. James Holmes, convicted on 24 counts of murder for shooting 12 people dead at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, was considered a quiet young man before the attack. He . Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Reid and another doctor evaluated Holmes in December 2013 and determined that he understood what he was doing. In September 2016, Cinemark dropped all claims for reimbursement of legal fees. [4] This number was later surpassed by the 107 victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and eventually the 927 victims of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. Aurora, CO Murder Rates and Murder Maps | CrimeGrade.org Connie discovered her sons body the next morning, on Jan. 16, 1984. January 16, 1984: Bennett family is attacked in their Aurora, Colorado home with 3 out of the 4 family members murdered by an intruder wielding a hammer. [152][153] In New York City, police officers were deployed to theaters screening the new film. The Lakewood Police Department believe there are two groups involved. She told him it was just a dream and to go back to bed, the affidavit said. Aurora Crime and Safety | NewsBreak Aurora, CO The jury consisted of 19 women and five men, two of whom had connections to the Columbine High School massacre. Shelly Bradbury is the courts reporter at the Denver Post. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver On July 16 of that year, Holmes was convicted of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives. Those pieces of evidence would turn out to hold the key to an arrest but not until years later, when DNA technology improved. [134] Warner Bros. reportedly made a "substantial" donation to Colorado's Community First Foundation to benefit victims. Aurora man convicted of murdering man he thought was member of rival gang She was more outgoing than her husband, Bruce, a Navy veteran who was quieter and easygoing. local news and culture, Michael Roberts AURORA, Neb. She miscarried a week after the attack. [89] Holmes was represented by the Colorado State Public Defender. Join the Westword community and help support This post examines a series of unsolved attacks and murders that occurred in January, 1984 in the Lakewood suburb of Denver, Colorado. She was hospitalized in a coma with serious facial injuries that left her paralyzed on her left side, Connie said. [73][74][75], On July 30, Colorado prosecutors filed formal charges against Holmes, including 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal possession of explosives. [64][failed verification] On July 25, three of the five hospitals treating victims announced they would limit medical bills or forgive them entirely. [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. Aurora, CO - HomeSnacks On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurs at a movie theater in Aurora, a Denver suburb, killing 12 peoplethe youngest a 6-year-old girland injuring at least 70 others. Murder-suicide in upscale home. The murders took place after two people covered from head to toe . He was then linked to the Bennett killings and later to Smith's murder. On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, United States, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. Two charges were filed for each victim to expand the opportunities for prosecutors to obtain convictions. Nearly three years later, Holmes was found guilty of all the 165 counts brought against him, and he was sentenced . She installed an alarm system. Officers were called to a home on the 3500 block of South Pitkin Circle at about 3 p.m. after reports of domestic violence and a shooting there. Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney John Kellner declined to comment on the upcoming trial. The aurora was caught on camera by photographer Nigel Wilkins, spectacularly lighting up the sky above Kenilworth Castle. Denver's independent source of Attempted murder suspect arrested after Aurora barricade