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Theater shooting victims' families want answers

Posted at 10:54 PM, May 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-19 00:54:27-04

Family members of the Aurora theater shooting victims are demanding answers after they weren’t notified about where the mass murderer was moved.

James Holmes was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing 12 people and wounding 70 others in the movie theater in Aurora on July 20, 2012.

“We have a case that’s the largest mass violence tragedy in Colorado’s history, and they’re very concerned for their safety to this day. We have a man who admitted he would kill again if he had the opportunity,” said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Teesch-Maguire.

Teesch-Maguire is an advocate for those victims' families and says it’s very important for them to know where he is being held.

They want to know where he’s being housed, his interaction with other inmates, what his visitation rights are, and if he’s able to work to come up with the restitution money he was ordered to pay them.

“For these victims, they would like to know they are safe and secure in whatever state they’re in. And we have a victim population that’s practically in every state in the country,” said Teesch-Maguire.

In January, victims got a vague letter informing them he had been moved after that move took place.

That’s not in line with victims’ rights laws.

“They have right to be treated with fairness dignity and respect. I frankly don’t think they’ve been treated with fairness dignity and respect,” said Teesch-Maguire.

After filing several complaints the victims' families will now meet with a victim’s rights committee Friday.

This is the first step to find out where he is.

If the Department of Corrections did break the rules, the issue goes to the governor and then he forwards it to the attorney general.

At that point it lands in a court’s hands, where it could rule to reveal where the murderer is.

Or the Department of Corrections, which sets its own rules, can forgo all those steps.

“The Department of Corrections could decide at that time that they’re just going to tell the victims the information,” explained Teesch-Maguire.

The families were assured he would not be sent to California, where his family is, since they can no longer see their own family members.

Teesche-Maguire says the DOC may not be inclined to say where he’s in custody because of prison guard and inmate security. 

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