James Eagan Holmes

The suspect in the Colorado movie house massacre that claimed 12 lives was once a gifted honours student who sought to "positively contribute to the world," according to newly released reference letters accompanying his application to an Illinois graduate programme.

Launching a case that legal analysts expect to be dominated by arguments over the defendant's sanity, Colorado prosecutors are filing formal charges on Monday against James Eagan Holmes, the former neuroscience student accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 others at an Aurora movie theatre.

The suspect in the Colorado movie house massacre that claimed 12 lives was once a gifted honours student who sought to "positively contribute to the world," according to newly released reference letters accompanying his application to an Illinois graduate programme.

Launching a case that legal analysts expect to be dominated by arguments over the defendant's sanity, Colorado prosecutors are filing formal charges on Monday against James Eagan Holmes, the former neuroscience student accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 others at an Aurora movie theatre.