Aurora

The Psychiatrist Who Treated the Movie Theater Killer Tells Her Story

De: Dr. Lynne Fenton, Kerrie Droban

Narrado por: Hillary Huber

A compelling look at violence and trauma from the psychiatrist who treated mass shooter James Holmes, perpetrator of the infamous movie theater massacre.

As an expert and speaker on mass shootings and gun violence, Dr. Lynn Fenton knew it was impossible to “spot a killer”. But when she met her new patient, troubled grad student James Holmes, the hair on her arms stood up. She feared he was going to kill. Yet she could find no way to thwart him.

A few months later, Holmes struck: He entered a packed movie theater and opened fire, killing 12 people and wounding 70; some were left brain damaged, several were paralyzed for life. Immediately the familiar debates reignited: the crisis of mental health access. More restrictive gun laws vs more “good guys with guns”. The morality of the death penalty. The legitimacy of the insanity defense.

But what about the victims and bystanders whose lives would never be the same? Dr. Fenton’s memoir is a voice for them. Her inability to thwart Holmes’ mass murder made her a scapegoat and elicited innumerable death threats. Her chilling account provides an intimate look at her life before and after the Aurora massacre, as well as alarming insight into the sinister patient who called himself “fear incarnate”. With unprecedented access to thousands of pages of documents, audio and video recordings, trial transcripts, medical records, and notes, Aurora attempts to answer the question Holmes himself posed in his infamous notebook: “Why? Why? Why?”

©2022 Dr. Lynne Fenton and Kerrie Droban (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“We rarely glimpse inside the minds of mass murderers, much less the minds of the professionals who crawl into them. Here, Dr. Lynne Fenton chronicles her deep dive into a genuine madman’s nerve center—and the personal price she paid for it. Aurora is a vital, important book that captures the human and legal confusion in the aftermath of mass murder. It can’t bring the dead back to life, but it can make you feel the terror. It takes your breath away.”—Ron Franscell, bestselling author of The Darkest Night and ShadowMan

“The harrowing story of a woman who saw violence on the horizon but was powerless to prevent it. This book is disturbing on multiple levels.”—Peter Langman, PhD, author of Warning Signs: Identifying School Shooters Before They Strike

“Insightful, brilliant, and unflinching, Aurora sheds light on America’s most disturbing and inexplicable crimes—mass shootings. The authors have created a page-turner that both fascinates and educates. This in-depth study of random violence will serve as a wake-up call to help prevent future massacres.”—Leslie Rule, bestselling author of true crime, including A Tangled Web: A Cyberstalker, A Deadly Obsession, and the Twisting Path to Justice

An in-depth look at how James Holmes’ psychiatrist tried everything within her ability to protect the public from James Holmes.

In Aurora: The Psychiatrist Who Treated the Movie Theater Killer, Dr. Lynne Fenton offers a harrowing and deeply personal account of her experience as the psychiatrist of James Holmes, the perpetrator of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, movie theater massacre. Through this compelling memoir, Fenton chronicles her sessions with Holmes and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the legal and professional turmoil she faced following the tragedy.

Fenton’s involvement in the case was inadvertently made public due to a clerical error by the courts, thrusting her into an unexpected and relentless media spotlight. In the book, she reflects on how this exposure upended her professionally and personally. More importantly, she meticulously recounts the efforts she made to secure Holmes the psychiatric help he so clearly needed, as well as the challenges and limitations inherent in the mental health system that ultimately failed to prevent the tragedy.

A particularly illuminating aspect of the book is Fenton’s discussion of how other mental health professionals who evaluated Holmes after his arrest perceived his psychological state. By comparing their assessments to her notes from their sessions, she provides a rare and valuable perspective on the complexities of diagnosing and treating individuals with severe mental illness, particularly those who may pose a danger to themselves or others.

Beyond her role as Holmes’ psychiatrist, Fenton’s personal and professional background is remarkable. She initially trained as a dancer before transitioning into medicine, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She later served as Chief of Physical Medicine for the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm before building and running her own practice. Rather than resting on her laurels, she pursued a second medical residency in psychiatry and completed a research fellowship, ultimately becoming a faculty member at the University of Colorado Boulder. In this final role, she encountered one of the most chilling and infamous cases of modern American crime.

As a reader and someone who studies and experiences mental illness firsthand, I found Aurora to be exceptionally informative and riveting. Fenton’s account is detailed yet accessible, shedding light on the ethical dilemmas, systemic obstacles, and emotional burdens mental health professionals face. The book is as much a personal memoir as it is a cautionary tale about the challenges of identifying and addressing potential threats in a flawed mental health system.

Aurora is an essential read for those interested in psychology, criminal justice, or true crime. It provides a rare, insider perspective on a case that continues to haunt public memory while raising important questions about the intersection of psychiatry, law, and personal responsibility. Dr. Fenton’s integrity, resilience, and dedication to her field shines through in this gripping and thought-provoking book.

Interesting but poor narration

I listened to the poorly narrated audiobook of AURORA written by Dr Lynne Fenton, the university psychiatrist who tried to treat him. Dr Fenton was blamed and needed FBI protection from vigilantes who wanted to kill her for not preventing the murders. Let that sink in. Crazy vigilantes wanted to do the same thing as the shooter to Dr Fenton. People who thought of themselves as the “good guys” stalked, threatened and wanted to kill a doctor for something her patient did.

Psychiatrists are legally bound to keep patient confidentiality unless patients are a danger to themselves or others. Legally, the danger has to be specific and planned. “I want to kill everyone at my school” is a thought, not a specific plan. The therapist would then ask if there are specific people he wanted to kill and how he’d do it. If he says “I’ll shoot X Y and Z” it’s still a thought if he doesn’t have a gun and doesn’t plan on getting one. Similarly, “I’m going to shoot up my school Friday” is specific whether or not he has a gun yet.

A lot of people express anger as wanting to kill someone, a thought or fantasy without any plan of follow through. Committing someone was a lot easier years ago, too easy.
Fenton continued to try to find a way to report the shooter. She consulted colleagues, attorneys and mentors, none could envision a way to pass legal and ethical muster.

I had assumed Holmes was suffering from a form of psychosis, based on his appearance, especially his eyes. Upon reading AURORA, Holmes seems more like a cunning young man with Anti Social and Narcissistic Personality Disorders. Most clinical narcissists only see their world through their point of view. Holmes can see other points of view but doesn’t care.

Loved it!

Very well done, tactful but authentic. Such a heartbreaking experience for so many. Definitely recommend.

Fascinating

This book is a fascinating account of the impact one person made and the ripple effect it caused. Lives were ended and lives were destroyed because of one person’s hate. This book is binge worthy and is well done. It is not for the easily triggered or squeamish.

No words

Born and raised in Colorado. Thank you so much for giving your life to this. I am just sick reading what actually happened and how you were victimized. I hope you can find some sort of peace and some semblance of a normal life. Breaks my heart. 💜

Well written and heartwrenching

As a psychiatrist, I know how unbelievably painful this must have been and remains. This is our worst nightmare. JH is the monster. Not you. Donate your profits to the families and survivors. Don't profit from their pain.

Sensationalism

This book is clearly engaging in the Joker theory which was debunked shortly after the shooting. The psychiatrist simply talks about details she could not have known and unwittingly outs herself as somebody who did not do enough and completely misunderstood him as a psychopathic killer which he was not.

Total Propaganda

The most obvious propaganda book I have ever seen. It is pretty obvious that Fenton is obviously an operative.

Odd and underwhelming

As someone who, due to education and profession, has a highly extensive knowledge and experience with this case, I very much looked forward to the release of this book. However, I couldn’t be more disappointed with the final product. It’s a weird forced narrative that is FILLED with incorrect and/or convoluted facts, some of which are very simple to research for their accuracy. In addition, it’s as if many specifics of the case and time leading up to the shooting were placed in a blender and then dumped on the page. The amount of misquotes, especially when related to false attribution, timeline, and presentation out of context, are so extensive throughout that it’s surreal. So much so, after the 2nd chapter, I went back and confirmed this book was supposed to be a true and honest non-fiction presentation of the case and those involved.
I could continue but I dislike rambling reviews so will just stop now and finish with this. if you’d like a good fiction read about dramatized events loosely related to the case, you might enjoy it. If you prefer a non-fiction, historically accurate, honest review of the case, including Dr Fentons role in it, this isn’t the book for you.