CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- Just days after he allegedly opened fire on a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58, James E. Holmes was set to make his first appearance in court on Monday morning to face murder charges.
Mr. Holmes, 24, who has not been speaking to authorities since his arrest and is being held in solitary confinement on suspicion of first-degree murder at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, has been appointed a lawyer in the case, James O’Connor, the region’s chief public defender.
Monday’s advisement hearing before Judge William Blair Sylvester is unlikely to last more than a few minutes. District Attorney Carol Chambers, who has a reputation in Colorado for seeking the death penalty in capital cases, is expected to file formal charges within 72 hours against Mr. Holmes.
Outside the courthouse, just south of Denver, a growing throng of news media members and curious onlookersgathered hoping for a glimpse of Mr. Holmes, whose motives have been cloaked in mystery. The courtroom itself was packed and an overflow room was fashioned to accommodate reporters from all over the world who have been covering the case.
Just days after the horrific shooting unfolded miles away, details were still unfolding about Mr. Holmes, a budding scientist who was doing graduate work at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus before dropping out this year, and who once won a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Friends and those who knew Mr. Holmes, who hailed from Southern California, have described him as quiet and strange, although talented.
Chief Dan Oates of the Aurora police has said that authorities were making progress in the case, but cautioned that the investigation would take time.
The police have said they believe that Mr. Holmes began planning his rampage months ago, when he began acquiring the guns and ammunition he used for the shooting and also to rig his apartment with explosives. Mr. Holmes was able to purchase thousands of rounds for his weapons over the Internet.
Jack Healy, John Eligon and Serge Kovaleski contributed reporting from Aurora, Colo.
Mr. Holmes, 24, who has not been speaking to authorities since his arrest and is being held in solitary confinement on suspicion of first-degree murder at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, has been appointed a lawyer in the case, James O’Connor, the region’s chief public defender.
Monday’s advisement hearing before Judge William Blair Sylvester is unlikely to last more than a few minutes. District Attorney Carol Chambers, who has a reputation in Colorado for seeking the death penalty in capital cases, is expected to file formal charges within 72 hours against Mr. Holmes.
Outside the courthouse, just south of Denver, a growing throng of news media members and curious onlookersgathered hoping for a glimpse of Mr. Holmes, whose motives have been cloaked in mystery. The courtroom itself was packed and an overflow room was fashioned to accommodate reporters from all over the world who have been covering the case.
Just days after the horrific shooting unfolded miles away, details were still unfolding about Mr. Holmes, a budding scientist who was doing graduate work at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus before dropping out this year, and who once won a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Friends and those who knew Mr. Holmes, who hailed from Southern California, have described him as quiet and strange, although talented.
Chief Dan Oates of the Aurora police has said that authorities were making progress in the case, but cautioned that the investigation would take time.
The police have said they believe that Mr. Holmes began planning his rampage months ago, when he began acquiring the guns and ammunition he used for the shooting and also to rig his apartment with explosives. Mr. Holmes was able to purchase thousands of rounds for his weapons over the Internet.
Jack Healy, John Eligon and Serge Kovaleski contributed reporting from Aurora, Colo.