In the days, weeks, months, and years to come, we will be examining the ideas and beliefs of James Eagen Holmes, the person who committed mass murder in Aurora, Colorado.

The frequency of evil acts like the one Holmes just committed seems to be increasing. Thankfully, Americans still have the capacity to be shocked by it. At the same time, Jerry Coyne, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard, is trying to forestall a connection between Holmes's actions and any belief in Darwinian evolution.

To build his case, Coyne uses the example of the 1999 Columbine mass-murdering duo, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Coyne claims that people erroneously assigned blame to a belief Darwinian evolution in that case.

But the evidence in the Harris/Klebold case is startlingly contrary to Coyne's opinion. An expert in the Columbine case, attorney Barry Arrington, explains that Coyne's assertion is wishful thinking.

Investigators will uncover whether James Eagen Holmes subscribes to Darwinian evolution. In the meantime, speculation isn't helpful, even from people with high academic standing.