Theater shooting trial day 58: Arlene Holmes expected to testify

After the father of the convicted Aurora movie theater shooter concludes the testimony he began Tuesday, the gunman's mother is expected to be the next witness to take the stand.

3rd & 7 37yd

- Quote
“I felt guilty he wasn’t happier.”

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:10:34 PM
Arlene Holmes tears up as she talks about wanting to make her family happier

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:11:02 PM
Arlene Holmes says she had pets because it teaches responsibility and keeps kids calm

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:12:25 PM
Photo on the screen now is Wimby, a photo of their dog. She sent the photo to her son in jail

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:12:50 PM
- Quote
"He was actually a difficult dog because he had a lot of health problems"

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:13:02 PM
Other dog is Zupy, a canine companion but they kept him because he had bad hips

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:13:28 PM
"he was always good with animals" Arlene says about her son

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:13:54 PM
Now a photo of both dogs together

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:14:15 PM
Arlene Holmes said they had to put down one of the dogs. Explained to children the dog would die the next day, but didn't explain euthanasia

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:16:37 PM
- Quote
"is the culture of your family to talk much about emotion?"
"No ,we don't talk much in general. We're all introverted. Chris is the chattiest. But emotions, not very much. When we get together, we're more doing things. But to just sit and talk that probably isn't my family culture."

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:17:20 PM
Arlene Holmes agrees to describe family as "stoic"

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:17:33 PM
- Quote
"I was taguht to be stoic, don't complain, be greatful, help other people, don't be weak, be responsible, be strong"... and that was the same I handed down"

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:18:00 PM
Arlene Holmes says they didn't know or understand about Aunt Betty's mental illness (Her husband's sister)

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:18:50 PM
- Quote
At one point I asked... I knew she was very anxious and that tempered her from working and I asked Bob's mom point blank what is wrong with her because if something happens to you I need to help look after her and bob's mom said I don't know, but she knew.

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:19:25 PM
Arlene Holmes says her family had a similar culture, focused on "You're here on this earth to help weaker people so be strong"

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:20:01 PM
@JW- totally agree with you,right on!!

by sydney 7/29/2015 8:20:12 PM
Folks suffering from mental illness don't have that self-awareness, with the exception of a personality disorder (borderline, narcissistic, etc.). Really?

by Clancy 7/29/2015 8:20:13 PM
kids resent being forced into doing things to indulge parents needs

by mandi 7/29/2015 8:20:14 PM
Look..he had pets he loved and didn't kill!

by Anita Bowen 7/29/2015 8:20:15 PM
@okx...Colorado law says otherwise. If you take issue with that, go to the capital. This isn't the venue for fighting the DP.

by Marsha Laurienti 7/29/2015 8:20:20 PM
Leave the mother alone. Nasty, filthy, cruel and crude comments that are ignorant and unnecessary. You are already going for a kill of her son---not enough for some of you.

by okx 7/29/2015 8:20:31 PM
Omg, "don't execute my son because we were nice to take in shelter dogs"

by Sophiamtn@gmail.com 7/29/2015 8:20:32 PM
some of mother's statements seem like she is jealous of her daughter

by mandi 7/29/2015 8:20:50 PM
Just got back from shopping so sorry if this was covered but why is the podium Higgs using facing the jury instead of witness stand.

by Suzanne 7/29/2015 8:20:50 PM
Ok, Judge Samour is taking a break, jury exiting the room

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:20:59 PM
20 minute recess

by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:21:26 PM
@Mark- totally agree. DT strategy trying to pull it out through end of day. Now her "self guilt"-descriptions really feel like she's pulling for jury sympathy...I'm no longer feeling sympathy. She feels manipulative, contrived...or at the least, well rehearsed & coached.

by BluesB 7/29/2015 8:30:35 PM
I'm back to looking at the strategy. I thought PT did an excellent job in first phase. I was not impressed by DT witnesses in this phase UNTIL AH. Then, I was relating to her as a parent- I am quickly getting over it. Again, more is not more, it is less.

by Mr. D. 7/29/2015 8:30:37 PM
What the heck does his dogs dying have to do with him committing a mass murder? This defense has gotten way off the rails, none of this is mitigating factors to the crime.

by Mrs. Arnaz 7/29/2015 8:30:40 PM
Don't complain, ever?

by Danielle 7/29/2015 8:30:41 PM
Thank God. A break from all the stupid, ridiculous questions by the DT

by sydney 7/29/2015 8:30:42 PM
doing the relatives again?! how not cumulative?

by mandi 7/29/2015 8:30:43 PM
So many here are so harsh. Can you not put yourselves in her shoes? She didn't do it. She is testifying because the lawyers asked her to. She is doing the only thing she can for her son at this point. I'm sure she'd give anything for this not to have happened. She is not up there to say she is sadder than his victims' mother's. it's not a contest. There is enough hurt to go around.

by ms 7/29/2015 8:30:46 PM
Suzanne- because Higgs is doing a better job testifying to the jury than the witness!

by Sophiamtn@gmail.com 7/29/2015 8:30:50 PM
I completely agree with you Marsha!!

by mrs tatum 7/29/2015 8:30:50 PM
It is great that Arlene is giving her life over to learning and educating regarding mental illness. It would make sense for family, friends, and survivors to do the same. This with supporting gun control laws will help them heal. Killing JH will simply prolong will prolong their raw pain, which I know is deep. It happened, you can't change it. do something good when the time is right.

by okx 7/29/2015 8:31:00 PM
@okx it's heartbreaking in itself the lvl of ugliness in here.

by Me 7/29/2015 8:31:09 PM
@Phil what a job you're doing today--like juggling chainsaws!

by Clancy 7/29/2015 8:31:11 PM
Agree that attacking the parent's is unnecessary- they seem to have been good parents and if the situation was different and the interview was following some heroic event everyone would be applauding them for their caring parenting. Nothing she has said suggests any significant warning sign. And remember that everything we have heard about all his early symptoms come from doctors who interviewed JH after the fact and from what he, truthfully or otherwise, told them. Could he have tailored his history to fit his story? I think this must be considered a possibility.

by MW 7/29/2015 8:31:17 PM
@me agree

by Danielle 7/29/2015 8:32:05 PM
by Phil Tenser 7/29/2015 8:32:42 PM
@Phil...comment about crawling to CO if she had known about homicidal thinking.

by trl2 7/29/2015 8:33:42 PM
The quote about JH's silence.

by Clancy 7/29/2015 8:33:43 PM
@phil that the family didn't discuss emotions and everyone was told not to complain is very concerning to me.

by Danielle 7/29/2015 8:33:57 PM
Nothing about this testimony has been memorable except its irrelevance to the pending outcome.

by Mark 7/29/2015 8:38:35 PM