In one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history, James Holmes, a onetime graduate student, was accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 in a shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater in 2012.

His physical appearance changed in court, from initially sporting wild orange curls to short brown hair when it was announced that the death penalty would be sought against Holmes.

“Initially, I sat about 10 feet behind James Holmes that day,” artist Bill Robles said, “with his parents sitting behind me, holding hands. When the district attorney told the judge, ‘For James Eagan Holmes, justice is death,’ it was a pretty chilling statement to hear. Can you imagine how his parents felt at that moment?”