Murder victim 'speaks' beyond the grave in AI generated video at sentencing
The family of an Arizona man killed in a road rage incident nearly four years ago brought him back last week as an AI-generated image to face the man responsible for his killing give an impact statement to the judge.
The video message created by Christopher Pelkey's sister that used his likeness and voice during the May 1 sentencing was the first time the technology was used in an Arizona court at a sentencing, according to records.
Pelkey was killed in November 2021 by Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, who was ultimately convicted of manslaughter charges. The AI-generated Pelkey spoke to Horcasitas in court and sought forgiveness.
"In another life, we probably could have been friends," the avatar said in the video. "I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do."
MORE: Bill would criminalize 'extremely harmful' online 'deepfakes'
Stacey Wales, Pelkey's sister, told ABC affiliate KNXV that the slain victim's friends and family "agreed this capture was a true representation of the spirit and soul of how Chris would have thought about his own sentencing as a murder victim."
Wales said she wrote the script for the video and noted that her brother was a forgiving, God-fearing man.
Dozens of other family members also provided victim impact statements and expressed anger over Horcasitas' actions.
Prosecutors asked the judge for Horcasitas to be sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, but Judge Todd Lang ultimately issued a 10 and a half year sentence. Lang said he was moved by the AI-generated video.
"I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness," the judge said during the sentencing. "I feel that that was genuine."
Horcasitas's attorney, Jason Lamm, told ABC News that he was not given advanced notice about the video. He argued in court that Pelkey was the one who instigated the road rage incident and what the judge heard was a "kinder, more gentle" version of Pelkey.
"I appreciate the fact that victims have the right to address the court, and this was a cathartic endeavor for Stacey Wells, but this was cringe," Lamm told ABC News.
He said he has filed a notice of appeal for his client and that the use of the AI-generated video will likely be one of the points of contention.
MORE: EU launches global sting operation against AI-generated child sexual abuse material
"This will be a bellwether case not just for Arizona but also courts around the country to rule on the use of AI in victim impact statements," Lamm said.
Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer provided a statement to KNXV about the use of AI in court cases.
"AI has the potential to create great efficiencies in the justice system and may assist those unschooled in the law to better present their positions. For that reason, we are excited about AI's potential. But AI can also hinder or even upend justice if inappropriately used," she said in her statement.
"A measured approach is best. Along those lines, the court has formed an AI committee to examine AI use and make recommendations for how best to use it. At bottom, those who use AI—including courts—are responsible for its accuracy," she added.
Murder victim 'speaks' beyond the grave in AI generated video at sentencing originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

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

Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hilliard man used AI to create child porn, shared it on Kik, feds say
A Hilliard man faces federal criminal charges accusing him of producing nude AI-generated images on children. Austin Pittman, 25, is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography, possessing AI-generated child pornography, and production of AI-generated child pornography on June 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received several tips that a user on the instant messaging app Kik had sent another user suspected child sexual abuse material from June to September 2024, according to court records. The videos appeared to show a child and an adult engaged in sexual activities. Members of the task force traced the IP address to a duplex on East Beck Street in Columbus' Schumacher Place neighborhood, where Pittman lived, according to court records. Law enforcement traced activity from the Kik username to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where Pittman had previously been stationed before he was given an "other than honorable discharge" from the U.S. Army, according to court records. In March 2025, Pittman and his family moved to Hilliard. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his home there and arrested him on April 29. Pittman told officials he was viewing the child sexual abuse material for "shock value." He said he had a porn addiction and was sending the images and videos to other people in exchange for more porn, according to court records. Police seized his phone and found 200 more images, including nude images of two minor children he generated using AI and family photos, according to court records. Pittman remains in the Franklin County Jail awaiting a June 21 court hearing. The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force includes several area and federal law enforcement agencies, including Columbus and Hilliard police, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio man used AI to create porn shared on Kik, feds say

13 hours ago
'Call Her Daddy' host Alex Cooper accuses former soccer coach of sexual harassment
Alex Cooper, host of the popular podcast "Call Her Daddy," has accused her former Boston University soccer coach, Nancy Feldman, of uncomfortable encounters that Cooper characterizes as sexual harassment. Cooper made the allegation in her new Hulu documentary "Call Her Alex," which premiered on Sunday at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Cooper, who played collegiate soccer at Boston University, said in the documentary that the alleged harassment began during her sophomore year, when she said Feldman, "really starting to fixate on me, way more than any other teammate of mine, and it was confusing." "[It] was all based in her wanting to know who I was dating, her making comments about my body and her always wanting to be alone with me," Cooper alleged in the documentary. She claimed Feldman placed a hand on her thigh and asked about her sex life. "It was this psychotic game of, 'You want to play? Tell me about your sex life,'" Cooper said, adding that Feldman would tell her, "I have to drive you to your night class. Get in the car with me alone." "I felt so deeply uncomfortable," she said. In the documentary, Cooper said she didn't feel she could come forward at the time because she was on a full-tuition scholarship. After sharing the allegations with her parents, Cooper said they contacted lawyers, but were advised the case could drag on for years. Despite a meeting, she said the Boston University athletics officials failed to act. Feldman was not fired, though she later retired in 2022. While Cooper chose not to play soccer her senior year, she retained her scholarship. She returned to Boston University while filming the documentary and broke down in tears upon seeing the field, reflecting on all that she had lost. "When I look back at that time in my life, I was scared, hopeless," Cooper said in the documentary. "I had no resources and no options, and the minute I left that campus, I was so determined to find a way where no one could ever silence me again." ABC News has reached out to Feldman and representatives from Boston University for comment but has not yet received a response.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kyiv rocked by relentless drone, missile barrage
Kyiv is facing an intense aerial attack in the overnight hours, with residents reporting relentless waves of drones and missiles and near-constant explosions echoing across the city. ABC News' bureau estimates that dozens of drones were launched toward Ukraine's capital. While many were intercepted, several appear to have reached their targets, sparking fires across multiple districts. Authorities have confirmed at least two injuries. It comes 24 hours after Russian forces targeted regions throughout Ukraine with more than 470 attack drones -- one of the largest overnight aerial strikes of the war, according to Ukraine's air force. MORE: Russia and Ukraine hold 1st stage of prison swap following peace talks Earlier Monday, Russia and Ukraine held the first stage of a prisoner swap following an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.