The Booby Trapped Apartment

[rollinginit]

Wonder....were the residents outside or inside?

Residents told how they heard a small explosion as a police robot entered the booby-trapped apartment.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...es-Holmes-24-booby-trapped.html#ixzz25PbhBrrq

University of Colorado pharmacy student Ben Lung, 27, who lives two floors down from the suspect, said he and other residents were evacuated around 2 a.m. by armed SWAT officers armed with rifles.


'I heard a loud crash. It sounded like an air conditioner falling to the ground. About 10 minutes later, I heard police knock on my door. Police were armed with assault rifles and they brought us outside the apartment building and started questioning us,' Lung said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...firefighters-prepare-enter.html#ixzz25Pcpy34X

 

[ladeda7777]

Puzzle me this.

-When arrested James Holmes was mute and from all accounts he has not talked to police.
-It has been reported that JH told police that his apt. was rigged with explosives.

Ok so if he expected to use the explosion as a diversion as some have speculated, why would he tell the police? If he meant to off the complaining neighbor why would he tell the police. Wouldnt he have believed that the explosives had already have been triggered? Is this all he told them? This just doesnt seem logical for a person bent on mass destruction to 'fess up to the explosives in his apt. Also, did he confess this because the police asked him? If so why would they ask this question other than "who are your accomplices, etc" Its almost 5 am and I have insomnia so my brain is working overtime. It just makes no sense especially when taken in light of the phone call to the hospital.

Really good questions.

I think the only reason we heard about the booby-trapped apartment is because there was a rush for LE to get to that scene to examine/dismantle/disarm what they found and prevent further injury. Was this on the audio from LE/Fire that night?

So why did he tell the police? I think this probably goes to his state of mind. I think he probably told police about the apartment for the same reason that he called University emergency line before he went in to the theater and the same reason, he told Fenton about his plan.
I had insomnia, best wishes with that, it is a terrible thing.

 

[HastingsChi]

The strange thing I found was the neighbor that lived next door to him did not hear any music at all.

When I first moved to Chicago I foolishly moved into a really nice but older garden apartments building. I'd never lived in an older building before and quickly learned that I couldn't hear anything from my neighbors on either side of my apartment but could hear everything from the unit above and below me; I hated it more than words can express. I share this because it could help explain why the next door neighbor heard nothing but the one who lived below him heard everything.

 

[rollinginit]

I've thought about this case way more than I probably should.:what:

I keep trying to figure out....if JH's has a mental issue, a real and true one, which one would he have that can still let his brain focus on wiring his apartment up for a long period of time? I really can't come up with a mental that can make somebody that focused and calm.

Seems like you would need a clear, focused mind to rig up what he had rigged up. First off, he had to research exactly what and how to do it. Then he had to order supplies. He didn't get all his supplies at once b/c LE said he had MANY deliveries over 4 mths. Then he had to wire and assemble all of it. AND he had to do that all very carefully to make sure he didn't hurt his own self during the process. Even if he didn't wire the main wire until the last moment....he still had to take care not to knock over all the chemicals he had.

 

[rollinginit]

When I first moved to Chicago I foolishly moved into a really nice but older garden apartments building. I'd never lived in an older building before and quickly learned that I couldn't hear anything from my neighbors on either side of my apartment but could hear everything from the unit above and below me; I hated it more than words can express. I share this because it could help explain why the next door neighbor heard nothing but the one who lived below him heard everything.

Yes, that makes sense. My hubby could sleep through anything. I am not so lucky.

 

[ciela]

I've thought about this case way more than I probably should.:what:

I keep trying to figure out....if JH's has a mental issue, a real and true one, which one would he have that can still let his brain focus on wiring his apartment up for a long period of time? I really can't come up with a mental that can make somebody that focused and calm.

Seems like you would need a clear, focused mind to rig up what he had rigged up. First off, he had to research exactly what and how to do it. Then he had to order supplies. He didn't get all his supplies at once b/c LE said he had MANY deliveries over 4 mths. Then he had to wire and assemble all of it. AND he had to do that all very carefully to make sure he didn't hurt his own self during the process. Even if he didn't wire the main wire until the last moment....he still had to take care not to knock over all the chemicals he had.

I read a biography of a woman who got through medical school and an internship with full blown schizophrenia. She was amazing. She was experiencing intense auditory and visual hallucination of helicopters, bombs etc. She had to really focus her mind on her studies and at times it was worse, other times nearly overwhelming. Later, she was cured by kidney dialysis, this was documented and was part of a major clinical trial. My point is that mental illness can be complicated, elusive and puzzling in the presentation of symptoms especially when there is an -organic- origin such as toxins, substances (abuse) or co-existing mental/physical diagnosis. An example of dual co-morbidity: schizophrenia with substance abuse (self-medicating). Just because someone has delusions and a major dx does not mean they are incapable of planning and executing a big event.

If interested: http://www.amazon.com/WELCOME-SILEN...ummary_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

[newsleuther]

I've thought about this case way more than I probably should.:what:

I keep trying to figure out....if JH's has a mental issue, a real and true one, which one would he have that can still let his brain focus on wiring his apartment up for a long period of time? I really can't come up with a mental that can make somebody that focused and calm.

Seems like you would need a clear, focused mind to rig up what he had rigged up. First off, he had to research exactly what and how to do it. Then he had to order supplies. He didn't get all his supplies at once b/c LE said he had MANY deliveries over 4 mths. Then he had to wire and assemble all of it. AND he had to do that all very carefully to make sure he didn't hurt his own self during the process. Even if he didn't wire the main wire until the last moment....he still had to take care not to knock over all the chemicals he had.

My husband suffers from a mixed state form of depression (agitated depression).

He could focus on programming meticiously for hours and hours at a time, then flip out because he couldn't find the remote.

 

[newsleuther]

From the hearing today, it was revealed that he directly told them about the explosives in his apartment.

After he was searched, Oviatt testified that Holmes told police there were "improvised explosive devices at [his] house ... [that were] set to go off if [they tripped] them."

 

[HastingsChi]

From the hearing today, it was revealed that he directly told them about the explosives in his apartment.

Not questioning the accuracy of the officer, just questioning Holmes' long rumoured statement to the officers about the apartment: you go through all the effort to booby trap your apartment, why tip them off?

 

[newsleuther]

Not questioning the accuracy of the officer, just questioning Holmes' long rumoured statement to the officers about the apartment: you go through all the effort to booby trap your apartment, why tip them off?

Yes, it is very odd. At first, I thought maybe he didn't tell them directly. Maybe he said something like "how many of you did my apartment kill?" or something like that. But with this testimony, it appears he told him about it directly. Very, very odd.

 

[HastingsChi]

Yes, it is very odd. At first, I thought maybe he didn't tell them directly. Maybe he said something like "how many of you did my apartment kill?" or something like that. But with this testimony, it appears he told him about it directly. Very, very odd.

Something rollinginit posted in one of the other threads makes me wonder if he was tested for methamphetamine (the smell, sweat, obvious paranoia of booby trapping his apartment, the crazy eyes, the crazier actions, the dramatic change in appearance, behaviour, personality, the rambling to officers about his apartment, stockpiling weapons)...

Seriously I wonder why with every other shocking incident in early to fall 2012 being blamed on bath salts how did Holmes never get the bath salts blame?

Also I hadn't heard my new Holmes possibly on meth theory before, had it been mentioned previously?

 

[tezi]

Something rollinginit posted in one of the other threads makes me wonder if he was tested for methamphetamine (the smell, sweat, obvious paranoia of booby trapping his apartment, the crazy eyes, the crazier actions, the dramatic change in appearance, behaviour, personality, the rambling to officers about his apartment, stockpiling weapons)...

Seriously I wonder why with every other shocking incident in early to fall 2012 being blamed on bath salts how did Holmes never get the bath salts blame?

Also I hadn't heard my new Holmes possibly on meth theory before, had it been mentioned previously?

According to early reports, he was taking vicodin (hydrocodone). It was also mentioned in either The Denver Post coverage or thedenverchannel.com coverage yesterday, that three prescription bottles were taken into evidence, but the names of the drugs weren't released.
Just as side note, bath salts were a problem also in 2011, so who knows with Holmes?

 

[HastingsChi]

According to early reports, he was taking vicodin (hydrocodone). It was also mentioned in either The Denver Post coverage or thedenverchannel.com coverage yesterday, that three prescription bottles were taken into evidence, but the names of the drugs weren't released.
Just as side note, bath salts were a problem also in 2011, so who knows with Holmes?

I tend to believe that bath salts became the go-to reason when speculating about the cause of a horrific event. To my knowledge none of the prominent cases that were initially blamed on bath salts turned out to be correct.

 

[newsleuther]

http://www.reddit.com/r/AuroraCase/comments/166jmb/day2_preliminary_hearing_twitter_updates/

10:44am by @Oh_Fender FBI bomb tech testifies in #theatershooting case. Holmes left trip wire across door @ 5ft attached to thermos full of glycerine.
by @rwmccallum

Court is in recess until 11 am (will still post updates when they arrive)

by @john_ingold Breaking from #theatershooting hearing: Holmes told cops he wired apartment to blow to draw police to his apartment, away from theater.

10:47am by @john_ingold And FBI bomb tech recounted devilish scene in Holmes apartment. Jars filled with homemade napalm and thermite. Carpet soaked in gas.

by @Oh_Fender Thermos perched over frying pan of chemicals. The combo would have caused sparks designed to ignite carpet full of gas #theatershooting.

by @john_ingold A trip wire connected to a thermose filled with glycerine that was perched over a frying pan with another substance.

by @Oh_Fender Court gets first glimpse of the inside #theatershootung suspect Home's apartment throufh photos.

by @john_ingold If wire tipped thermos, glycerine and other substance would combine to spark, which would catch carpet on fire, setting fuses to jars.

by @john_ingold Holmes, interviewed afternoon July 29, said he set his stereo to play loud music to attract attention, hoping somebody would hit trip wire.

@john_ingold He also told cops he put a "pyrotechnic firing box" on top of his refrigerator, wired to 6-inch fireworks shells. Box was remote controlled

 

[newsleuther]

Maybe the reason he told the cops was because the original plan was to draw them away from the theater? Meaning, the cops would have responded to his apartment for the loud music, set off the bomb, more cops would have responded, and then the shooting would have started with the cops already occupied elsewhere? Since that plan didn't work, he told them about the explosives? Still seems odd.

It also seems like he spoke to the cops a lot more than was originally reported. From original reports, they made it seem as if he wasn't talking.

 

[newsleuther]

Another strange detail

by @john_ingold He put the remote, FBI bomb tech said, next to a remote controlled car in an alley. Hope was someone would play with car, hitting remote.

10:53am by @john_ingold That was all according to the testimony of FBI bomb tech Garrett Gumbinner, who interviewed Holmes afternoon of July 20 More to come from Gumbinner after break, which ends in about 5 minutes.

 

[DeadCat]

Carpet soaked in gas. [/quote...artment? The fumes would have been so strong.

 

[tezi]

I tend to believe that bath salts became the go-to reason when speculating about the cause of a horrific event. To my knowledge none of the prominent cases that were initially blamed on bath salts turned out to be correct.

Oh, I did not mean to imply that I thought Holmes was on bath salts. I also don't think Holmes was on meth either. Just like I do not think the vicadin was to blame.

JMO, IMO, :moo: , and all other disclaimers.

 

[HastingsChi]

Where on earth was he sleeping? Surely not in this gas filled apartment? The fumes would have been so strong.

When I heard about the gas soaked carpet I don't understand: how anyone in the building didn't complain about the pungent odor of gasoline and how it is possible that the neighbor girl who went to his door to complain about the music never once mentioned noticing the unmistakable odor of gasoline...