The family of an Arizona road rage victim used an artificial intelligence video of him to provide glimpses of his character and humor during the sentencing of his killer.
Christopher Pelkey was 37 when he was fatally shot by 54-year-old Gabriel Paul Horcasitas at a red light in the afternoon of Nov. 13, 2021.
During Horcasitas’s sentencing hearing last week, an AI rendering of Pelkey told his murderer that it was a shame that they met in such circumstances on that fateful day.
“I believe in forgiveness, and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do,” the avatar told Horcasitas.
It was a first in US courts and a way for presiding judge Todd Lang to imagine what Pelkey would have said and feel his family’s grief.
“Even though that’s what you wanted, you allowed Chris to speak from his heart as you saw it,” Lang said before handing down a 10.5-year sentence.
Horcasitas’ defense attorney said he filed a notice to appeal the sentence, adding that he believes the appeals court would consider the AI video’s impact on the judge’s decision.
