[138] Members of the Denver Broncos also called or visited individuals at the hospitals. Triple-homicide suspect accused of killing mother, siblings. [48] On July 23, police finished collecting evidence from the apartment. Alex Ewing, 61 . Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families. Furthermore, the loving grandmother had been sexually assaulted. 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders - ColdCaseWriter.com He told them Marisol had a shot, didnt like it and went upstairs. [93] On June 8, a second psychiatrist, Jeffrey Metzner, testified that Holmes was mentally ill but legally sane during the shooting, and suffers from schizoaffective disorder. Dan Oates, Aurora's interim police chief, said three men and one woman were killed in the attack just after 2 a.m. Sunday. Colorado Theater Shooting Fast Facts | CNN Thirteen of the birds, with translucent wings, are on a center column and represent the twelve dead and the unborn child. [151], Soon after the shooting, police departments and cinemas across the United States and around the world increased security for fear of copycat incidents. A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter . Denver's independent source of [179][180], The Century 16 theater where the shooting occurred was rebranded as the Century Aurora theater by its parent company Cinemark Theatres. Aurora mother pays for son's cellphone bill more than a year after his death . [181] Theater room nine, where the actual shooting occurred, was combined with an adjoining room into a new XD theater room. Bennett family murders: Prosecution rests case in hammer murders 1993 Aurora, Colorado shooting Location 12293 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora, Colorado, US Date December 14, 1993 10:00 p.m. (MST) Attack type Mass shooting, armed robbery Weapon.25-caliber semi-automatic pistol Deaths 4 Injured 1 Perpetrator Nathan Dunlap Motive Revenge for being fired from Chuck E. Cheese's On December 14, 1993, four employees were shot and killed and a fifth employee was . Thirty-seven-and-a-half years ago, Connie, now 87, said Wednesday. Statistic Count Raw Aurora / 100k People Colorado / 100k People National / 100k People; Total Crimes Per 100K: 16,552: Violent Crime: 3,473: 900.4: 423.1: 387.8: Murder He stayed until 9:50 then hid in a bathroom until after closing, emerging around 10:05. Connie raised Vanessa after the killings, and for years feared the killer would come back. Aurora's highly critical review did not . [71], On November 16, 2012, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund announced that each family of the dead would receive $220,000. Families in Aurora double murder speak out as search for killer [37], Following his arrest, Holmes was initially jailed at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, under suicide watch. For Connie, who expects to testify about discovering her sons body, the trial offers a chance to find some peace after a lifetime of struggling with the fallout from the killings. On October 30, 2012, the court hearing the criminal case against Holmes denied a motion by some of the survivors that would have let them access sealed evidence for review in their civil action against the theater chain. [155][156] AMC Theatres announced it would "not allow any guests into our theatres in costumes that make other guests feel uncomfortable and we will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings". [154], The National Association of Theatre Owners distributed checklists from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to its members and said in a July 21 statement that members were "working closely with local law enforcement agencies and reviewing security procedures". [73][74][75], On July 30, Colorado prosecutors filed formal charges against Holmes, including 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal possession of explosives. (STORY: BREAKING: 2/2 Alex Christopher Ewing faces multiple charges in the January 1984 murders of Patricia Louise Smith in Lakewood and Bruce, Debra and Melissa Bennett in Aurora. Martinez allegedly told the detectives that he and Kaden started drinking and smoking marijuana. Join the Westword community and help support By the time the Bennetts were killed days later, authorities believed one attacker was responsible for the spree, and they went to great lengths to secure evidence in the killings. Rare sighting of the aurora lights up Kenilworth Castle The 10-part series, whose first three episodes debut today, brings to life Taylor Jenkins Reid's best-selling 2019 novel about an imaginary rock band from the '70s who release their magnum opus, Aurora, before they breakup, riven by the complicated, tortured relationship between singer/songwriter Jones (Riley Keough) and band co-founder Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin). The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. However, the jurors decided that Holmes did not intend to kill children when he opened fire. Your chance of being a victim of murder in Aurora may be as high as 1 in 33,918 in the north neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 45,558 in the . Jury finds man guilty in 'hammer killer' murders of Aurora - KMGH Around 1 p.m. on 6/14/2010, almost one mile east of Third Bridge, two men were driving past the intersection of County Road 50 and 53 (Kiowa-Bennett Road). One recent report noted that "the gun murder rate in the U.S. is almost 20 times higher than the next 22 richest This past summer a young man named James Holmes bought four guns at local shops and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the Internet in the two months prior to opening up inside a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. [16] A bullet passed through the wall and hit three people in adjacent theater 8, which was screening the same film. When he got there an hour later, he told them had obtained a concealed carry permit and showed them a black handgun. Holmes chose not to testify. DNA evidence ties Ewing to the crime. [39] Speaking on behalf of himself and FBI agent James Yacone, who was in charge of the investigation, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said he was confident that the shooter acted alone. Both parents were bludgeoned with a hammer, and the attacker also used a knife. On August 7, the jury deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty. [132] Some television advertisements for the film were also canceled. [165], Judge R. Brooke Jackson stated that for theaters today, "One might reasonably believe that a mass shooting incident in a theater was likely enough (that is, not just a possibility) to be a foreseeable next step in the history of such acts by deranged individuals". [26], When apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices. [87], On May 7, an FBI agent displayed pieces of evidence at the trial, including Holmes' body armor, an arsenal of weapons, unfired ammunition, and a helmet with strands of his dyed orange hair. Looked sideways at people in the grocery store. From 84, all those years, it was very difficult not knowing who it was, she said. [86], The trial started on April 27, 2015. , Utah governor says he plans to sign abortion clinic, Students weigh in on school resource officer debate, Suncor to restart plants, expects late March reopening, Assault weapons ban introduced in Colorado, Advocates, community urge lawmakers to act on guns, Twins walking in all 50 states for foster kids, 100s march to Capitol, demand tougher gun laws, Denver weather: Pleasant weekend before snow, cold, Bruce Springsteen surprises shop owner before concert, Man faces charges after LoDo fight victim dies, Ramsey house in Boulder on market for $7 million, Person of interest identified in Boulder shooting, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [106] The appeal for clemency was rejected on August 3 under the basis that mitigating factors such as mental illness did not outweigh aggravating factors such as the number of casualties in the massacre. [169], On January 14, 2013, Chantel Blunk, estranged wife and widow of victim Jonathan Blunk, filed a lawsuit against the University of Colorado in federal court. Then, just as the community was reeling from this attack, 50-year-old Patricia Smith became a murder victim at her Lakewood, Colorado, home on January 10, 1984. When Ewing was pinpointed as the perpetrator of the Bennett family and Smith attacks, he was already serving a 110-year sentence for the attempted murder of a Henderson-based couple. Ewing didn't speak during his sentencing hearing. His DNA almost immediately matched with the evidence in the Colorado killings. September 29, 2021 Director Christopher Nolan's reaction to the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Bennett Family. January 16, 1984: Bennett family is attacked in their Aurora, Colorado home with 3 out of the 4 family members murdered by an intruder wielding a hammer. Triple murder in Aurora: Suspect accused of killing mom and siblings [98], By July 10, the prosecution and the defense rested their cases. "[84], Jury selection started on January 20, 2015. AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) A 21-year-old suspect is accused of killing his mother and siblings after they were found dead in their Aurora home Saturday night, according to an affidavit FOX31 received. It's still unclear if the Aurora Police Department and Arapahoe County District Attorney are going to charge or just name a inmate serving an 8 to 40 year prison sentence as the prime suspect in a brutal quadruple homicides known as the Colorado Hammer Murders. Although Alex Ewing was not initially considered a suspect in the case, a DNA test in July 2018 connected him to semen discovered at the murder site. Animation reportedly edited the Cartoon Network series Beware the Batman to make the firearms look less realistic. Alex Christopher Ewing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know AURORA | Police are trying to determine what led to an apparent murder-suicide shooting in the driveway of a south Aurora home Friday afternoon. Arapahoe County prosecutors said that Holmes was sane during the shooting and intended to kill all 400 people in the theater, while Holmes' lawyers said he had a psychotic episode during the attack. Most egregious was the 2019 police murder of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, a black man who died after . Ewing, who fought extradition to Colorado, has pleaded not guilty and is represented by public defenders; their office did not return a request for comment Thursday. [99], On July 16, after jury deliberations, Holmes was found guilty of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of possessing illegal explosives, and a sentence enhancement of a crime of violence. Officers were called to a home on the 3500 block of South Pitkin Circle at about 3 p.m. after reports of domestic violence and a shooting there. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He remembers the dishes and the clatter they made when he dropped them to the floor after being shot in the face. [19][20][21] Finally, he fired a .40-caliber Glock 22 Gen4 handgun. James Holmes, one of the Colorado Serial Killers. In May 2016, after years of legal debate, a jury took three hours to deliver a unanimous verdict that the theater chain was not liable to any degree for the tragedy that transpired. How does this keep happening here? Colorado residents ask themselves [146], Hans Zimmer, who composed the soundtrack for The Dark Knight Rises, recorded a choral song entitled "Aurora" in honor of the victims. local news and culture, Michael Roberts James Holmes was another of the Colorado serial killers. Fortunately, they survived the attack. [157] Security Director News raised the possibility in a July 23 article that "the massacre could be a Virginia Tech for movie theaters, causing security to become a bigger part of the conversation and more stringent security procedures to be adopted at theaters across the country. [150] As of 2020, Cinemark Theatres has not released any photographs or video evidence. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Colorado hammer killer, aka Alex Ewing, was found guilty in the Bennetts' and Patricia Smith's murder cases in 2021 and 2022, respectively. [16], Holmes reportedly threw one canister towards the left[17] side of the theatre, emitting a gas or smoke, that partially obscured the audience members' vision, made their throats and skin itch, and caused eye irritation. Authorities are searching for a suspect in an overnight shooting that left four people dead at a home in Aurora. Dressed in tactical clothing, 24-year-old James Holmes set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms. By Logan Smith. Joseph Castorena, a 21-year-old man who police . The disclosure was made at a court hearing in Centennial, Colorado, where news media organizations asked a judge to unseal court documents in the case. The grizzly site was at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. Alonzo Powell, age 41, was found dead in the room according to the April 30, 2000, Metro Digest section of the Denver Post. Twelve people were killed and 70 injured. [49] Two days later, residents were allowed to return to the four surrounding buildings, and six days later, residents were allowed to move back into the formerly booby-trapped building. The familys youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa Bennett, was brutally attacked but survived. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Police said that Holmes bought a ticket, entered the theater, and sat in the front row. Two years ago, a company brought in by Aurora PD used DNA to create a composite of what the Bennett family killer might look like today. [170] This type of lawsuit had been anticipated in an August 2012 article co-authored by bioethicist Arthur Caplan which discussed the applicability of the landmark California Supreme Court decision in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976) to the facts of the Aurora shooting. APD informed the family of its findings. 57-yr old. At Least 180 Colorado Shootings in 2022 So Far Including the Latest Homicide. According to press reports, he seemed dazed and largely unaware of his surroundings. The studio canceled the film's gala premieres in France, Mexico, and Japan,[128][129] scaled down its marketing campaign in Finland,[130][131] and decided not to report box office figures for the movie until July 23. Two Aurora, Colorado police officers charged after brutally beating 29-year-old Kyle Vinson. But after Connie left that night, someone armed with a hammer entered the familys Aurora home and killed Melissa, her mother Debra Bennett, 26, and her father Bruce Bennett, 27. They cut out a section of concrete floor to preserve a shoeprint. [102][103] On July 23, the jury ruled that Holmes acted in a cruel manner, was lying in wait, and ambushed his victims during the shooting, which constitute as aggravating factors. COLORADO SPRINGS He remembers the hum of the vacuum cleaner, the sound of closing time at the Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant where he worked in 1993.. Because theyre gone. As it turns out, Ewing was imprisoned just months after the killings, after he beat a couple nearly to death with an ax handle in Nevada in August 1984 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for attempted murder. Murders and Violent Crimes in Aurora Explode 2021 Update - Westword [35] The officers found several firearms in the theater and inside the shooter's car, including another Glock 22 handgun. Updated: 1:48 PM MST March 1, 2023. The life sentences will be served consecutively. Melissa Bennett seemed to enjoy the instrument, and when Connie headed home around 9 p.m. that night, she thought shed visit again and give more lessons if Melissa stayed interested. Uncovered: Unsolved Colorado Murders The jury consisted of 19 women and five men, two of whom had connections to the Columbine High School massacre. James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. [148], Cinemark agreed to pay any funeral expenses incurred by the deceased victims' families not covered by the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund. Please see update. He said he had a fight with his mom over his room being dirty but told them it was small and was not a big deal.. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Other famous mass murders in Colorado include the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre and the 2012 Aurora, Colorado . Gun sales increased in Colorado, and political debates were generated about gun control in the United States. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at right, survived. independent local journalism in Denver. [29] Two federal officials said that Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself "The Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. After a search warrant was approved by a court judge, APD Major Crimes Homicide Unit detectives found Kaden with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds. The jury found Ewing guilty on . Ewing carried out four violent attacks in Denver over the course of a 12-day period in January 1984, three of which occurred in Aurora - assaults on survivors Donna Holm, Jim and Kim Haubenschild, and the Bennetts. People Magazine Investigates' upcoming episode will air on ID at 9.00 pm ET this Monday and will also be available to stream on Discovery+. She declined to talk to TV news reporters or put Vanessas picture on the news. Susan Sarkauskas. 1 weather alerts 1 closings . [72], Holmes' booking photo was released and he first appeared in court on July 23, 2012. In the first 38 days of 2023, we've seen 46 officers shot (+109% from 2020 YTD). [175] The shooting reignited the political debate on gun control, with one issue being the "easy access" Holmes had to semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, which were banned federally from 1994 to 2004. He was ultimately detained for attacking Nancy and Chris Barry in Henderson on August 9 of the same year in Nevada using an ax handle. The Aurora Hammer Slayer SOLVED! - The Theorem Factory Vanessa was found in bed, clinging to life beside a blood-soaked teddy bear. Now that the victims have received their fair share of justice, ID's People Magazine Investigates plans to retrace the steps back to 1984, when the Hammer Killer went on a 12-day-long murder spree. [51][52] Seventy were hit by bullets, and were reported by mainstream news as the most victims of any mass shooting in United States history. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Two "very young" children and a woman who . -- Authorities with the federal prison system revealed overnight that convicted mass murderer James Holmes, serving multiple life sentences for a 2012 massacre at an Aurora, Colorado movie . Aurora, CO - HomeSnacks Please logout and login again. Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old . It consists of a park-like dell with 83 abstract birds, one for each victim. Shooting Suspect is Mentally ill", "Prosecutors: Colo. suspect James Holmes made threat in March", "Aurora prosecutors drop fight for James Holmes' notebook", "Colorado Theater Shooting Lawyers Head Back to Court", "Aurora theater shooting: Cops took pill bottles from Holmes' apartment", "Aurora cinema massacre suspect James Holmes offers to plead guilty", "James Holmes prosecutors seek death penalty against Aurora suspect", "Judge considering another James Holmes trial delay", "Details emerge about jury picked for Colorado theater shooting trial", Colorado movie gunman not faking psychosis, defense witness says, "Facts, emotions take turn at Colorado theater shooting trial", "Aurora theater trial jurors see James Holmes' evidence", "Aurora movie theater shooting: Attorneys who'll be trying to prove James Holmes' guilt or innocence", "Aurora theater shooting notebook details aired for first time", "James Holmes' notebook read to jury in Colorado movie massacre trial", "Psychiatrist: Colorado shooter knew what he was doing", "Second psychiatrist concludes Colorado cinema gunman was sane", "Judge in Colorado theater shooting trial dismisses 3rd juror", "Theater shooter's ex asked him to see therapist", "Judge dismisses fifth juror in Colorado movie theater shooting trial", "Movie theater gunman says he will not testify", "Defense in Colorado theater shooting trial rests its case", "James Holmes Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Colorado Theater Mass Shooting, Shows No Reaction", "James Holmes guilty of murder in Aurora theater shooting", "Colorado death penalty in focus as massacre trial enters new phase", "James Holmes jury find aggravating factors exist, moves on to second phase", "Father of Colorado movie gunman pleads with jury for his life", "James Holmes Defense Make Final Appeal For Mercy", "James Holmes moves closer to death penalty verdict", "Why James Holmes Is a Step Closer to Facing the Death Penalty", "Theater shooting verdict: James Holmes sentenced to life in prison", "James Holmes sentenced to life in prison in the Aurora theater shooting", "Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes to be sentenced to life in prison", "WATCH LIVE: Day 2 in the sentencing of Aurora theater shooting gunman", "Tearful Vigils Remember Victims of Aurora Massacre", "Obama Colorado Shooting Proclamation: Flags To Be Flown at Half Staff for Victims", "Obama, Romney pull Colorado ads off air in wake of Aurora shooting", "Obama, Romney express condolences for Colorado shooting victims", "Aurora shooting: Obama says all US stands with victim", "Obama Consoles Aurora as City Begins Healing", "After Aurora shootings, Obama Again Takes on Role as Healer in Chief in Colorado", "President Barack Obama Visits Aurora Victims' Families and Survivors", "Message of condolence following recent tragic events in the USA, 20 July 2012", "Communiqu Fusillade dans un cinma amricain", "PM Netanyahu Sends Condolence Letter to US President Barack Obama Following the Massacre in Aurora, Colorado", "Condolences to US President Barack Obama", "Pope Promises Prayers for Denver Victims", "Dark Knight Rises Director Christopher Nolan Breaks Silence on 'Unbearably Savage' Colorado Shooting", "Warner Bros. Cancels 'Dark Knight Rises' Premieres in Mexico and Japan", "Batman film Marketing Campaign Scaled Down in Finland", "Batman-elokuvan nettikampanja keskeytettiin Suomessa", "In Wake of Shooting, 'The Dark Knight Rises' Won't Report Early Box Office Figures", "Warner Bros. Said to Pull Some TV Ads for 'Dark Knight', "Box office Update: Studios Not Releasing Numbers Today", "Warner Bros. To Make 'Substantial' Donation to Colorado Shooting Victims", "Christopher Nolan on Theater Shooting: 'I Would Like to Express Our Profound Sorrow', "Dark Knight Rises Shooting: Christian Bale Visits Victims in Hospital", "Colorado Rockies pay visit to Aurora shooting survivors and hospital staff", "Gangster Squad Trailer Yanked from Internet, Dark Knight Rises Following Colorado Shooting", "Warner Bros Pulls Trailer of Gangster Shooting Up Movie Theater", "Out of respect for grieving families, "Gangster Squad" scene refilmed after Aurora theater shootings", "BATMAN INC No. Aurora Police detectives say they were both murdered in Hutt's apartment on Christmas Eve on Boston Street and 16th Avenue. According to Teves' father, the campaign's incentive is to encourage media outlets to limit the usage of the suspect's name and photos when reporting about the Aurora shooting, as well as other mass shootings that receive national media coverage. Debra was attacked in bed. The Police Department in Aurora, Colo., engaged in a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force, according to an investigation that began after the 2019 death of . On Monday, a gunman killed 10 people at a Boulder grocery . [44], Neighbors reported loud music from the apartment around midnight on the night of the massacre, and one went to his door to tell him she was calling the police; she said the door seemed to be unlocked, but she chose not to open it. [86][88] Jurors examined the evidence for thirty minutes. [53][54] This figure would not be surpassed until the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, which killed 49 people and injured 58 others for a combined total of 107 casualties. Five men Jonathan Blunk, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Jesse Childress, and Alexander C. Teves died protecting their girlfriends or friends. Here is a look at the July 20, 2012, movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Alex Ewing, 60, was charged with first-degree murder in the Bennett family killing in 2018, after his DNA was matched to genetic material collected from the crime scenes at the Bennetts home. [113] President Barack Obama ordered flags at government buildings flown at half-staff, in tribute to the victims, until July 25. Police are searching for a suspect accused of shooting and killing four adults in the early hours of Sunday morning at a home in Aurora, Colorado . Around 7 p.m., Martinez went to the home in Aurora with his grandfather, his uncle and a family friend. "[160], In response, Cinemark's representation filed a motion to dismiss on September 27, 2012, on the grounds that there was no liability under Colorado law for failure to prevent an unforeseeable criminal act. The victim, identified as Helene Michelle Brooks, 57, died as a result of blunt force injuries and her cause of death is also considered a homicide, according to the coroner's office. In September 2016, Cinemark dropped all claims for reimbursement of legal fees. Twelve people were killed and 70 others were injured, 58 of them from gunfire. The notebook elaborated on Holmes' obsession to kill since ten years prior to the shooting, his dissatisfaction with life and finding work, as well as health issues. [38] The police interviewed more than 200 witnesses of the shooting. Constance Bennett, the mother of murder victim Bruce Bennett, is questioned defense attorney Katherine Powers Spengler during Alex Ewing's murder trial, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in an Arapahoe County Court in Centennial, Colo. Ewing is accused of killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora in January 1984. His DNA also was found in the Lakewood home of Patricia Smith, 50, who was killed six days earlier. "Hammer Killer" suspect stands trial 37 years after slaying of Colorado