In 2012, it was the news that shocked the world. A man stormed a US cinema and shot 12 people dead, leaving 58 injured.
Later called the ‘Batman’ killings, cinema goers were there to watch a midnight screening of the final installment in Christian Bale’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.
The shooter, 27-year-old James Holmes, went on trial for the massacre earlier this year. He was sentenced to life without parole. His notebook, which had previously been in possession of the psychiatrist treating Holmes, was admitted into evidence and released to the public.
The spiral notebook is more 30 pages of wild scribbling (scroll down to read in full) that provides insight into Holmes’ mindset during the weeks and months prior, with an ominous opening page query: ‘The Questions: What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of death?’
“Giving it the title ‘Of Life,’ Holmes describes his ‘broken mind’ and years long obsession to kill,” CBS reported.
“Some of his rantings include ‘all men are uncreated equal’ and ‘life’s fallback solutions to all problems – death’.”
He details different ways to kill in the journal, but rules each out for one reason or another. He says serial murder is “too personal, too much evidence, easily caught after few kills”.
The former doctoral student in neuroscience has plead not guilty by reason of insanity, but prosecutors argued the notebook shows the attack was carefully planned and Holmes was sane at the time of the shootings.
James Holme's 'Of Life'.
Top Comments
He's a bit try-hard with the face-pulling. Very unconvincing.