
AI video of dead road rage victim ‘forgives' killer in Arizona courtroom
A man who was shot dead three years ago in a road rage incident appeared — sort of — at his killer's sentencing with a message from beyond the grave, all thanks to AI.
Chris Pelkey, a lifelong resident of Upstate New York, was gunned down in 2021 at age 37 in Chandler, Ariz. At a state courthouse on Thursday, a digitally regenerated version of Pelkey spoke to the man who took his life.
'To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life we probably could have been friends,' AI Pelkey says.
'I believe in forgiveness and a God who forgives. I always have, and I still do,' Pelkey added.
Pelkey was a devout Christian and a decorated army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Horcasitas shot Pelkey at a red light after Pelkey left his vehicle and walked towards Horcasitas' car.
Story continues below advertisement
The digital regeneration used Pelkey's voice profile to emulate his tone and video recordings to mimic his physical appearance, including his distinct beard.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The idea to present an AI-generated victim statement from Pelkey was brought to fruition by Pelkey's sister, Stacey Wales, after she collected dozens of impact statements for the trial, she told local news outlet ABC-15.
'All I kept coming back to was, 'What would Chris say?'' Wales said, who described her brother's digital resurrection as a 'Frankenstein of love' to local outlet Fox 10.
As AI permeates everyday life, U.S. lawmakers are beginning to gather information on its potential application in the courtroom and will soon seek public comment on its use as evidence at trial to determine how best to regulate its potential introduction.
Story continues below advertisement
On Friday in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules voted 8-1 in favour of seeking public comment on a draft rule designed to ensure evidence produced by generative AI technology meets the same reliability standards as evidence from a human expert witness.
According to The Guardian, Judge Todd Lang was receptive to the use of AI during the proceeding.
'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 remarked. 'I feel that that was genuine.'
Pelkey's brother, John, also supported using AI in Pelkey's case. He said that upon seeing his brother's face, he felt 'waves of healing,' adding that he is certain his brother would have forgiven the man who killed him.
'That was the man I knew,' John said.
Horcasitas was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on manslaughter charges.
— With files from Reuters

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Montreal police report rise in assaults, decline in vehicle theft in 2024
Montreal police are reporting a slight increase in the number of crimes in the city last year, driven in part by a rise in assaults. The overall number of offences increased 3.4 per cent compared to 2023. The police service also says more hate crimes are being reported, especially those based on ethnicity, national origin or skin colour. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The service's 2024 annual report says more than 20 per cent of all crimes against persons reported in Montreal last year occurred in the context of domestic violence. However, motor vehicle theft dropped by 25 per cent in 2024 and gun crime decreased by 19 per cent. The agency hired 328 police officers in 2024, 42 per cent of whom were women and 26 per cent of whom identify as being part of a minority group.


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Ombudsman to investigate Ontario jail where inmates were stripped to boxers, had wrists tied
The Ontario ombudsman is launching an investigation into the treatment of inmates at a provincially run jail after an avalanche of complaints from the public and prisoners. The backlash stems from an incident in which inmates were forced to strip down to their underwear and sit, wrists tied, facing a wall. On Monday, Ombudsman Paul Dubé's office said he would be probing the Ministry of the Solicitor General's response to the incident that occurred at Maplehurst Correctional Complex back in December 2023. The facility houses around 1,500 inmates and is rated as medium and maximum security. The incident in question involved a crisis intervention team of correctional officers in part of the Maplehurst jail. During the event, the ombudsman said inmates were stripped down to their boxer shorts and forced to sit on the floor facing the wall, with their wrists zip-tied together. Story continues below advertisement Earlier this year, the Toronto Star released security footage relating to the event, including correctional officers dressed in tactical gear patrolling as inmates sat on the floor. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The ombudsman's office said it had received 60 complaints about the incident, including from some directly involved. They also said several inmates have had their sentences reduced because of the incident. 'Several inmates and members of the public have contacted us to express concerns about the treatment of inmates by the ICIT over two days in December 2023,' Dubé said in a statement. 'The Ministry has already investigated the incident. What my investigation will cover is the steps the Ministry took as a result, and what it is doing to make sure something like this does not happen again.' Global News contacted the Solicitor General's office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The ombudsman's office said his investigation will look at the government's response and measures that can be put in place to avoid it happening in the future. It will not probe the conduct of individual correctional officers.


Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
How the Los Angeles protests over Trump's immigration crackdown evolved
Tensions over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown escalated this weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area to quell protests that at times turned violent. Dozens of demonstrators have been arrested for clashing with police over the past three days after federal immigration authorities conducted several raids in the city of over four million people, including in communities with large Latino populations. Trump's move to send in the National Guard has been condemned by California state and city officials who have accused the president of inflaming tensions unnecessarily. Here's how the situation has evolved since Friday. Friday, June 6 - ICE raids spark protests The unrest began Friday after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested immigrants in a series of operations throughout the Los Angeles area. Story continues below advertisement The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Sunday that those arrested included 'some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,' including alleged gang members with past criminal convictions for murder, assault, drug smuggling and other offences. 2:21 Protesters rally in Los Angeles following ICE immigration raids City officials and immigration rights advocates say street vendors and day labourers were picked up outside a Home Depot store, a garment factory, a warehouse and other locations in Los Angeles and nearby communities like Paramount and Compton, home to large Latino populations. A total of 44 people were arrested for immigration violations Friday, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations told The Associated Press and Reuters. Protesters descended Friday on a federal immigration detention facility in downtown Los Angeles, which prompted a standoff with police who made several arrests. Federal officials have shared photos online of threatening language against ICE spray-painted on the walls of the building. Story continues below advertisement Impromptu demonstrations also erupted at some of the raid locations earlier in the day. One organized labour executive, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, was injured and detained by ICE at one site, according to an SEIU statement. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting ICE a goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants a day. Saturday, June 7 - Trump orders National Guard deployment The protests grew on Saturday, with a few hundred demonstrators descending again near the immigration detention centre in Los Angeles, where local police declared an unlawful assembly and began to arrest people. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Confrontations broke out near a Home Depot in Paramount where federal agents were staging at a Department of Homeland Security office nearby, sparking fears of another raid. Story continues below advertisement Agents unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls, and protesters hurled rocks and cement at Border Patrol vehicles. As the protests continued to grow, Trump issued a memorandum deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops in response to what he called a 'rebellion' against the federal government's authority to conduct immigration enforcement. 2:10 Trump deploys California National Guard to LA to quell protests despite governor's objections The order federalized part of California's National Guard under what is known as Title 10 authority, which places him, not the governor, atop the chain of command. It marked the first time a U.S. president has deployed the National Guard without a governor's request in 60 years. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops 'if violence continues,' saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were 'on high alert.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Trump's move was an unnecessary escalation and urged protesters to refrain from violence. Story continues below advertisement Sunday, June 8 - National Guard troops arrive as protests grow further Thousands took to the streets in Los Angeles on Sunday to protest Trump's order, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. U.S. Northern Command confirmed 300 National Guard troops were deployed in Los Angeles, Paramount and Compton on Sunday with the sole purpose of defending federal buildings and agents. A statement said about 500 Marines were prepared to deploy if necessary. Starting in the morning, National Guard troops stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. By the evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. 2:23 Trump's National Guard move 'excuse to escalate' situation, Newsom says Los Angeles police Chief Jim McDonnell told a media briefing on Sunday evening that people had a right to protest peacefully but the violence he had seen by some was 'disgusting' and the protests were getting out of control. Story continues below advertisement Police said they had arrested 10 people on Sunday and 29 the previous night, adding arrests were continuing. Newsom demanded the Trump administration rescind the 'unlawful' National Guard order in a letter to Hegseth Sunday afternoon. Separately, police in San Francisco said they arrested nearly 150 demonstrators during a protest Sunday night against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Monday, June 9, 2025 - California sues Trump administration California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced plans Monday to sue the Trump administration to roll back the National Guard deployment, which he argued violates the state's sovereignty. U.S. officials told The Associated Press there are currently about 1,000 National Guard members in the Los Angeles area as of Monday, and that the full 2,000 troops ordered by Trump should arrive by the end of the day. Story continues below advertisement More demonstrations were expected in Los Angeles Monday, including one led by the Service Employees International Union in support of its detained president Huerta. Protests against Trump and in support of the Los Angeles demonstrations were held in Boston, Chicago, New York and other major cities. 2:59 'They spit, we hit': Trump threatens anti-ICE protesters in LA Trump defended his decision in several comments to reporters and on social media Monday. He also said he would arrest Newsom for his immigration policies if given the chance. 'Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,' he said while returning to the White House. Newsom called the arrest threat an 'unmistakable step toward authoritarianism' in a post on the social media platform X. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also condemned the violence at her daily press conference Monday, after protesters over the weekend were seen carrying Mexican flags. Story continues below advertisement Mexico Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said Sunday at least 42 Mexicans were being held in four Los Angeles-area detention centres after the recent ICE raids and that four were deported.