CENTENNIAL | Jury questioning in the Aurora theater shooting trial continued Friday with five of 10 prospective jurors questioned being asked to return for group questioning, bringing the total to 42.
One prospective juror, a middle aged woman with dark hair, admitted that she had been part of the jury which convicted and sentenced Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, to death in 1997. McVeigh was tried in Colorado and put to death in June of 2001. Despite saying that it would be “unbelievably difficult” to go through a similar experience, the woman will be returning for group questioning. Her return was challenged by the defense, but on the grounds that she was a coworker with an individual on the witness list.
Among those released from duty, three were excused because of strong biases in favor of the death penalty for first degree murder charges. One woman admitted that her mind was made up on Holmes and wasn’t going to change. Another was released for undue hardship relating to financial purposes, and one claimed attention deficit problems. The four others set to return did so without challenge.
Jurors are being questioned on myriad topics including their ability to employ the death penalty, their ability to handle graphic content and more personal details regarding their individual lives.
Holmes is charged with the murder of 12 individuals and the attempted murder of 70 others inside a movie theater in Aurora on July 20, 2012. He wore a blue, button-down shirt Friday and appeared to have printed out a book to read.