It seems out of an episode of Black Mirrorbut it is a reality. For the first time, a ‘person‘ Murdered has been able to declare in the trial against its author and count, among other things, the day he met Gabriel Paul Horcasitashis murderer. It has taken place in the United States, in the Superior County Court of Maricopaand has been possible thanks to artificial intelligence.
The video with the declaration of Christopher Pelkey He was made by his sister and his husband. They recreated their image and his voice so that he could rule in the trial against Horcasitas, making use of the legal figure of the victim’s impact declaration. That is, a testimony, oral or written, presented by a victim or his relatives before a court, usually during the sentence phase of a criminal trial in the United States. Its purpose is to express how crime has affected its life – in emotional, physical, economic or social terms – and can influence the judge’s decision on the penalty.
According to ABC15, the family believes that this happened in this case. The prosecution requested a penalty of 9 and a half prison, which The court raised to 10 and a half years for reckless homicide. Horcasitas had already been previously convicted of that same crime.
Pelkey’s murder took place on November 13, 2021, After an argument on the road with horsites in the town of Chandlerin the state of Arizona. Both were driving by Gilbert Road when they stopped at a red traffic light. Pelkey, 37, got out of his vehicle to go to the one behind, in which he was 50 -year -old Horcasitas then, who shot him several times with his gun. The victim was taken to the hospital, where she died.
Pelkey’s “statement”
An ai version of us army veteran Christopher Pelkey, who was killed in a road rage incident in 2021, was used in a victim impact statement at a court sentencing https://t.co/jljmbs2x0apic.twitter.com/sfsuaess1c
– Reuters Tech News (@reuterstech) May 10, 2025
‘It is a pity that we were that day in those circumstances. In another life, we could probably have been friends‘, affirmed the recreation of the army veteran. ‘I believe in forgiveness,’ he added.
The video with Pelkey’s intervention also includes real fragments of recordings of the deceased, while showing a profile of his personality, his humor, and also It is introduced aged by a filter applied to a photograph.
‘This is the best I can offer you How I would have seen if I had had the opportunity to age. Remember: Aging is a gift that not everyone receives, so open it and stop worrying about those wrinkles, ‘says the digital version of Pelkey.
Your sister, Stacey Waleshe said that the video was very well received by all who knew him and considered him ‘A faithful representation of the spirit and soul of how he would have faced his own sentence as a victim of murder’.
The Court allowed the Pelkey family to present the video because did not constitute evidence in the case. Wales, who wrote the script, said he was not ready to forgive the murderer, but that He felt that his brother would have a more comprehensive perspective. ‘The goal was to humanize Chris, get to the judge And let him know its impact on this world and that existed, ‘he said to Reuters.
His viewing was also comforting for his relatives. One of the children of Wales and Pelkey’s nephew said: ‘Mom and dad, thanks for doing that. I needed to hear my uncle Chris one last time. It meant a lot for me, thank you ‘.