At James Holmes’ apartment: More investigation, no public answers

AURORA, Colo. -- Members of the defense team of Aurora shooting suspect James E. Holmes gained access to his apartment Wednesday, as other residents of his building waited to return.

Daniel King, one of Holmes’ public defenders, entered the three-story brick building Wednesday afternoon with two other women to take notes and photographs. They emerged about 45 minutes later to examine the outside of the building -- the lawn and parking lot cordoned off by yellow crime scene tape and guarded by Aurora police.

Broken glass and blinds still littered the ground below Holmes’ third-floor apartment. The windows themselves gaped open, the glass shattered by police efforts to assess and disable the booby traps that had been assembled inside the apartment.

Residents of that building and five others nearby were evacuated after police discovered the booby traps in the wake of Friday’s Colorado shooting massacre. Twelve people were killed in the rampage; 58 were hurt. Residents of the surrounding buildings have since been allowed to return.

King declined to describe what he saw inside, whether he had spoken with Holmes or even to comment about Holmes’ upcoming court appearance Monday.

Similarly, police investigators who returned to the apartment later in the day also declined to comment about why they were there.

Aurora Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson said residents of Holmes’ apartment building could be allowed back into their homes soon, but she wouldn’t give a specific time frame.

“We’re in the process of finishing things up out there,” Carlson said. “It’s got to be deemed safe for the residents to return.”

Police at the building refused to comment about when that might occur.

The Century 16 theater where the shooting occurred also remained closed Wednesday. Carlson said it wouldn’t be “released” for a few more days.

“They’re doing crime-scene reconstruction and that in itself is a daunting task,” she said. “We’re not going to press ourselves for time because we want to do it right.”

She said police are not being allowed to do interviews with reporters because of a court gag order about the case.

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