Part one is the testimony of Dr. Fenton. You will hear highlights of her testimony, as she answers questions about her treatment sessions with Holmes and the mental status exams she administered. Dr. Fenton’s observations and experiences reveal that Holmes possessed the psyche of a person fraught with psychotic thoughts, delusions, and anxiety. Dr. Fenton states, among other things, that she believed he was “shifting insidiously into a schizophrenic state.” She also expresses concern that “he could perhaps hurt others.”
But despite all these warnings, Dr. Fenton prescribes him an antidepressant (Zoloft), which appears to make him manic (increasing his energy) so he feels as if he’s in “hyperspeed.” Add to this the fact that he fantasizes about killing everyone–and that the Zoloft made him “lose the fear”– and you get a barrage of red flags and warnings that somehow went unheeded.
This is the untold story; the story of systemic problems in treating, managing, and sentencing those with mental illness. The story of pharmaceutical drugs that can have serious, life-threatening risks. The story of unscrupulous prosecutors who exploit these horrific shootings for political gain, conveniently seeking the death penalty in the aftermath. They deliberately ignore the bigger picture–namely, the systemic shortcomings that allow these tragedies to occur.
This is the untold story of James Holmes: a prisoner of the mind.
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