For two years, Stacey Wales documented what she wanted to say at the sentencing hearing for the man who killed her brother, Christopher Pelkey, in a 2021 road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona. Yet, when writing her statement, she struggled to find the right words, hearing her brother’s voice in her head. This inspired her to use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate a video of Pelkey addressing the courtroom and the man who fatally shot him. On Thursday, Wales presented this video in court, marking what AI experts believe is the first U. S. use of such technology for a victim impact statement by an AI-rendered deceased victim. Since the initial 2023 trial, retried in 2025 due to procedural issues, Wales had been preparing her victim impact statement. She withheld emotion during trials to avoid swaying the jury but anticipated the sentencing hearing as a chance to express herself. Encouraged by her attorney to humanize Pelkey, she collected 48 victim impact statements from various people in her brother’s life—including teachers, friends, and military comrades. While conflicted about expressing forgiveness herself, Wales said Pelkey’s voice in her mind was one of forgiveness, embodying his mantra to love God and others. Turning to her husband Tim, experienced in AI applications, and their business partner Scott Yentzer, they faced the challenge of creating a convincing video with limited resources: a 4. 5-minute audio clip of Pelkey, his funeral photo, and a script by Wales. Technological hurdles included digitally altering the image to remove sunglasses and trim his beard. Recreating Pelkey’s laugh was particularly difficult due to background noise in available clips.

The process prompted Wales to record her own video for her family’s future use, reflecting on mortality. Despite initial reservations from victim rights attorney Jessica Gattuso, who had never seen such an approach in Arizona courts, the video was shown at the hearing. The AI avatar introduced itself as a recreation of Pelkey, thanked supporters, and addressed the shooter, Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, expressing forgiveness and urging love and life’s fullness before signing off with a fishing reference. The judge and defense raised no objections. Judge Todd Lang praised the video, highlighting the family’s balance between anger and their brother’s voice of forgiveness. Horcasitas received a 10. 5-year sentence for manslaughter. Wales noted the video’s profound emotional impact, especially for her teenage son, and described the project as cathartic and healing. AI’s role in the courtroom is evolving, with precedents like bogus AI legal citations and attempts to use AI-generated lawyer avatars, though such efforts have faced pushback. Experts like Maura Grossman, a University of Waterloo professor, see this use of AI for a victim impact statement as novel but not legally or ethically problematic since the video was presented before a judge, not a jury, and not as evidence. While AI’s use in legal settings will likely increase, concerns remain regarding consent, fairness, and good faith in content creation. Gary Marchant of Arizona State University views victim statements seeking to represent the deceased’s voice as among the least objectionable AI uses, contrasting with more malicious deepfakes. Wales advises anyone using AI in similar ways to act with integrity and avoid selfish motives, emphasizing inclusivity in seeking closure so no one is left out.