Murder Victim Speaks from the Grave in Courtroom Through AI

Chris Pelkey was shot and killed in a road rage incident. At his killer’s sentencing, he forgave the man via AI.

In a historic first for Arizona, and possibly the U.S., artificial intelligence was used in court to let a murder victim deliver his own victim impact statement.

What happened

Pelkey, a 37-year-old Army veteran, was gunned down at a red light in 2021. This month, a realistic AI version of him appeared in court to address his killer, Gabriel Horcasitas.

“In another life, we probably could’ve been friends,” said AI Pelkey in the video. “I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives.”

Pelkey’s family recreated him using AI trained on personal videos, pictures, and voice recordings. His sister, Stacey Wales, wrote the statement he “delivered.”

“I have to let him speak,” she told AZFamily. “Everyone who knew him said it captured his spirit.”

This marks the first known use of AI for a victim impact statement in Arizona, and possibly the country, raising urgent questions about ethics and authenticity in the courtroom.

Judge Todd Lang praised the effort, saying it reflected genuine forgiveness. He sentenced Horcasitas to 10.5 years in prison, exceeding the state’s request.

The legal gray area

It’s unclear whether the family needed special permission to show the AI video. Experts say courts will now need to grapple with how such tech fits into due process.

“The value outweighed the prejudicial effect in this case,” said Gary Marchant, a law professor at Arizona State. “But how do you draw the line in future cases?”

Arizona’s courts are already experimenting with AI, for example, summarizing Supreme Court rulings. Now, that same technology is entering emotional, high-stakes proceedings.

The U.S. Judicial Conference is reviewing AI use in trials, aiming to regulate how AI-generated evidence is evaluated.

AI gave a murder victim a voice and gave the legal system a glimpse into its own future. Now the question is: should it become standard, or stay a rare exception?

Would you trust AI to speak for someone you loved?