AURORA | After a week spent on a recorded interview of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, defense lawyers got their first chance to cross-examine psychiatrist Dr. William Reid on Thursday afternoon in Arapahoe County District Court.
Public defender Dan King focused on Reid’s diagnosis of Holmes and it was flawed after Reid testified earlier in the day that Holmes was not schizophrenic at the time of shooting — a diagnosis other doctors have reached — but showed symptoms of developing schizophrenia.
“My diagnosis would have to do with, very likely, (a) pre-version of that — whether you call it schizotypal personality or pre-schizophrenia,” Reid said.
Reid admitted that his diagnosis did not have the benefit of an interview of Holmes prior to the shooting when Holmes said he was not taking his medication. Reid interviewed Holmes in July 2014, two years after the shooting when Holmes was taking medication.
King also questioned Reid about how accurate human memory can be. Dr. Reid said lots of things can affect memory, and false memories can sometimes become real memories under certain circumstances.
“When someone is hypnotized, you can easily and accidentally insert a memory of something that is a true memory but not accurate with regard to the past,” Reid said. He said just as someone can be hypnotized into having a memory that is not accurate, they can also create what feel like real memories through wishing “really hard” that something is true.
“Over time, it becomes part of your memory,” Reid said.
Reid did say that Holmes did seem prone to delusional thinking.
“I believe at various times he has had them, and probably has some chronic delusions as well,” he said.
The smaller delusions, Reid said, are when Holmes believed a few months before the shooting that his therapist had hidden a weapon in a box in case he attacked her. A more serious delusion, Reid said, was Holmes’ belief that by killing people he gains some of their value.
Reid said Holmes’ mental illness was serious but that violence is uncommon among people with similar mental health troubles.
“Murder and serious crime, violence, is quite uncommon,” he said.
Reid said he believed Holmes was insane in part because Holmes’ planning was elaborate, and because he was careful to hide his plans. And, he said, Holmes’ thinking was coherent enough to choose a place where he could kill many people before being caught.
“He carefully chose a method of killing that he reasonably believed would result in maximum death with minimum chance of him being caught,” he said.
Holmes is accused of killing 12 people and wounding 70 others in the July 20, 2012, Aurora Century 16 theater shooting. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case.