had for a normal life.

A convicted mass killer, he asked for mercy and didn't get it. Jurors found that the mental illness he indisputably suffers cannot outweigh the horror of 12 murders. And so we move to the third and final phase of his sentencing trial. This time, jurors will hear more heart-rending testimony from the people who survived or lost loved ones.

Holmes will at the very least spend the rest of his days locked up. It is possible he may be put to death.

Mental illness was the reason Holmes opened fire in a crowded movie theater on July 20, 2012, killing 12 people and wounding 70, his lawyers insist. Mental illness turned a smart, shy boy into one of the worst mass shooters in recent U.S. history.

Photos:Colorado shooting victims Photos: Colorado shooting victims Jonathan T. Blunk, 26, served for five years in the U.S. Navy. He died shielding a friend from the gunfire inside the theater. Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Colorado shooting victims Alexander J. Boik, 18, was remembered by friends and loved ones as a "great person" whose "craziness touched hundreds," according to a Facebook page created in his memory. Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Colorado shooting victims Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse E. Childress, an Air Force reservist, was a cybersystems operator on active duty. He was 29. Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Colorado shooting victims Gordon W. Cowden, 51, took his two teenage children to the theater. His children escaped unharmed. Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: