Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing 12 people and injuring 70 others inside an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater three years ago after the jury of nine women and three men could not reach the unanimous decision needed for the death penalty.

A woman who would only identify herself as Juror 17 told reporters outside the courthouse Friday that life in prison became the default sentence when one juror said they were firmly against the death penalty for Holmes. A couple of jurors were on the fence, she added, but were otherwise leaning toward a death sentence.
“We all felt mental illness was there, but probably disagreed on the impact of it,” Juror 17 said.