AI Video of Arizona Victim Delivers Forgiveness at Sentencing; Horcasitas Gets 10.5 Years

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Updated May 9, 2025, 12:18 AM

Christopher Pelkey, a 37-year-old Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was active in his local church, was killed in a road rage shooting in Chandler, Arizona, in November 2021. During the sentencing hearing for Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, who was convicted of manslaughter, Pelkey's family used artificial intelligence to create a video of him delivering a victim impact statement.

Pelkey's sister, Stacey Wales, led the creation of the AI-generated video, using voice recordings, photos, and videos of her brother, and wrote the script to reflect his forgiving nature. The AI avatar addressed Horcasitas directly, saying, 'In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do.' The video included an old-age filter to show what Pelkey might have looked like had he lived and was labeled as AI-generated. Wales also collected 49 letters from family and friends for the court.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang was visibly moved by the AI presentation, stating, 'I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness.' Lang sentenced Horcasitas, 54, to 10.5 years in prison, the maximum allowed and one year more than what prosecutors had requested. Horcasitas' lawyer filed a notice of appeal after the hearing.

Arizona law permits victims to choose the format of their statements, and there was no objection to the use of AI in this case. The use of AI for delivering victim impact statements has raised questions among legal experts and ethicists about authenticity, consent, and possible prejudicial effects as the technology becomes more accessible.

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Sources

washingtontimes.com(3)theguardian.com(3)decrypt.co(3)wjtv.com(2)

WJTV 12 News

@WJTV

AI-generated video gave victim a voice at his killer's sentencing in Arizona https://t.co/CDeuEgKlOC

CBS News

@CBSNews

A man who was killed in a road rage incident in Arizona "spoke" during his killer's sentencing hearing after his family used artificial intelligence to create a video of him reading a victim impact statement. https://t.co/tDNG8XucX3

NBC4 Washington

@nbcwashington

The road-rage killer of an Arizona man was sentenced after his victim spoke to the court via artificial intelligence in what could be the first-of-its-kind use of the technology, officials said. https://t.co/Dy05w5JQb2