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Thursday, Oct 11, 2012 at 3:55 PM

Accused "Dark Knight" Shooter Faces 14 New Charges

Bill Robles / NBC News Prosecutors filed a motion Thursday to add 14 new counts of attempted first degree murder to the charges against "Dark Knight" massacre suspect James Holmes. The 24-year-old former neuroscience graduate student appeared handcuffed in court for the hour-long proceedings. He had facial stubble, mutton-chop sideburns and short brown hair, which bore no trace of the bright orange dye that appeared in his first court appearance months ago. During the proceedings, Holmes' attorneys indicated they would file a motion to delay a preliminary hearing on the merits of the case until next year, citing media meddling. "The defense investigation has been impeded because of the conduct of the media," Holmes' lawyer Daniel King said, explaining that responding to requests from the media for wider access to court filings has been distracting from their work. "We haven't begun to understand the nature and depth of Mr. Holmes' mental illness," he added. Holmes faces 24 counts of first-degree murder and appears to face 140 attempted murder counts, according to Reuters, which notes that redactions in court records have obscured the exact accounting of the charges. Get More at NBC News