James Holmes' parents: Theater gunman mentally ill, shouldn't be executed

Colorado movie theater gunman James Holmes is “not a monster” and should be spared a death sentence, his parents plead in their first public comments since one of the worst mass shootings in American history.

Robert and Arlene Holmes’ two-page letter to the Denver Post editorial section was delivered by Lisa Damiani, one of the gunman’s court-appointed attorneys. The newspaper published the entire letter on Friday.

The parents are breaking their silence as 9,000 summonses are being mailed to prospective jurors. Jury selection is scheduled for January with a trial to begin in late spring or early summer.

Holmes, who turned 27 in jail last week, is charged with murdering a dozen people and attempting to murder 70 others inside an Aurora movie theater in July 2012. The former medical student is accused of stockpiling weapons and meticulously planning his rampage for months. Prosecutors — who are seeking the death penalty — say Holmes also wanted to kill police by leaving his Denver apartment booby trapped with explosives.

Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and has undergone two court-ordered sanity exams, which have not been made public.

“We believe that the death penalty is morally wrong, especially when the condemned is mentally ill,” his parents write in the letter. “He is a human being gripped by severe mental illness. We realize treatment in an institution would be best for our son. We love our son, we have always loved him, and we do not want him to be executed.”

Holmes is “absolutely not” insane, says Marcus Weaver, who was shot in the theater.

“James Holmes has been forgiven by me personally, but he will still have to answer to the people of Colorado,” Weaver told Yahoo News on Friday. “He is fit to stand trial.”

Holmes’ parents, who live near San Diego and have attended many of their son’s pretrial hearings, argue that there is no need for a trial, which a judge has agreed to be broadcast on television.

“A lengthy trial requires everyone to relive those horrible moments in time, causing additional trauma,” they wrote.

Weaver, who still requires surgeries on his wounded right shoulder, said the way to avoid a trial is for their son to plead guilty and accept his punishment.

“Consequences for actions,” Weaver told Yahoo News. “In this case it is crystal clear who did it. It was calculated. Vengeance is the Lord’s, and we will just have to ride this out on the national stage.”

The Holmeses said their son should be sentenced to life without parole and that the attention that would have gone into a trial should be dedicated to victim recovery.

“Our family has not given interviews to the media because we do not want coverage of ourselves,” the couple wrote. “We mourn the deaths and the serious injuries and emotional trauma of the others who were in the theater. The focus should be on the injured and their healing.”

Rebecca Wingo, one of Weaver’s best friends, was killed in the attack.

“For them to be talking about life is a slap in the face,” Weaver said. “This is the third Christmas that many of us will go through without a family member or friend.”

Jason Sickles is a reporter for Yahoo. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles).