Widow of Aurora Victim Sues Holmes' Psychiatrist

He should have been in custody, says lawsuit
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 15, 2013 5:26 PM CST
Widow of Aurora Victim Sues Holmes' Psychiatrist
In this July 23 file photo, James Holmes appears in Arapahoe County District Court with defense attorney Tamara Brady in Centennial, Colo.   (AP Photo/Denver Post, RJ Sangosti, Pool, File)

The widow of one of the people killed in the Aurora, Colorado, rampage has sued the psychiatrist of alleged shooter James Holmes, reports the Denver Post. The lawsuit argues that the University of Colorado's Lynne Fenton should have had Holmes placed in temporary custody after he spoke of his fantasies about killing a large number of people. Fenton reportedly told campus police of her worries, along with the school's campus threat team, but widow Chantel Blunk says she should have done more.

"Fenton was presented with the opportunity to use .... reasonable care when the Colorado University police offered to apprehend James Holmes on a psychiatric hold," the suit says, adding that Fenton "rejected the idea." The university has hired a legal team to defend Fenton, with a spokesperson saying "the lawsuit is not well-founded legally or factually." (More Lynne Fenton stories.)

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