On video, Colorado theater gunman says killings earned him ‘value units’

Associated Press

CENTENNIAL, Colo.

James Holmes believes he gained a specific amount of self-worth for each of the 12 people he killed in a Colorado movie theater, but he regrets that one of the victims was a child, according to a videotaped conversation between Holmes and a psychiatrist played in court Monday.

In a flat, emotionless voice, Holmes tells psychiatrist William Reid he collected one “value unit” for each person who died.

“I was worth 12 more people than I was before,” Holmes says.

Did the wounded count? Reid asks.

“I only count fatalities,” Holmes replies.

Holmes also tells the psychiatrist he tried to limit the number of children killed by carrying out the attack at a late showing of a PG-13 movie.

The exchange came during Reid’s court-ordered sanity evaluation of Holmes conducted last year. Prosecutors are showing jurors nearly all 22 hours of the interviews, which is expected to take until Wednesday or Thursday.

Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the July 20, 2012, rampage at a suburban Denver movie theater during a midnight premiere of a Batman film.