On November 13, 2021, Christopher Pelky was shot and killed by Gabriel Horicetus in a road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona. After two trials in three and a half years, Horicidus was convicted of manslaughter and one count of endangerment. At sentencing on May 1st, 2025, 49 impact statements were shared. But in a historic court first, Chris delivered one himself. His sister Stacy, her husband Tim, and friend Scott Yenser used AI to create a digital likeness of Chris, combining a script, old photos, and a past audio interview. The emotional impact of this virtual statement led Judge Lang to issue the maximum 10 and 1/2ear sentence. His reaction is shown at the end of this video. Hello. Just to be clear for everyone seeing this, I am a version of Chris Pelky recreated through AI that uses my picture and my voice profile, I was able to be digitally regenerated to share with you today. But here is insight into who I actually was in real life. Take a look. All right. Uh I'm Chris Pelky. Uh I served with the United States Army uh in the infantry. Um I'm from upstate New York. And what else? Where'd you deploy? Where did I deploy? I went to uh Baghdad in 2006 2008 and then I went to Afghanistan in uh ' 09 to 10. Um I think the the number one thing is is God is is is having a relationship with the Lord and being close with him and that he really is the only answer to every problem we have, everything we go through. Um we got to do it with with Jesus at our side. Um everything else I've tried has failed. Um, and aside from that, you know, just like Jesus says, you know, love God and love people, you know, and being in that community with people where we can lift each other up and support each other and and have that community of uh of like-minded brethren, you know, combat veterans, people that believe in the Lord and, you know, people that are are sober and trying to live that good life, you know. So, you know, it's just all about God and all about people. So, as you can see from my video, I recorded in 2021. This here is a true representation of who I was, you know, not how the courtroom portrayed me. So, I would like to make my own impact statement. So, hello everybody. Thank you so much for being here today. It means a lot. I can't tell you how humbled I am for those that spoke up for me, everyone who flew in, took off work, those who are watching this remotely, and for everyone who has supported my family and loved ones through three and a half years and two trials. I wish I could be with you all today. To your honor, Judge Lang, thank you for making yourself available to see this case to the end, especially when the rescheduled trial conflicted with your daughter's spring break. Thank you for listening to everyone today. Thank you for reading the flood of impact statements that came in before today that so many people wrote on my behalf. Uh every single one of them is meaningful and gives a glimpse into my life with each of them to Gabriel Horicidas, the man who shot me. It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, uh we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do. Uh to my family and everyone that I've met along the way, it was a lot of fun. You know, I always had a lot of fun. Love each other because you never know how long you have, but make the most of each day and live your life. It is okay to stumble. God has you. Remember, getting old is a gift that not everybody has. So, embrace it and stop worrying about those wrinkles. Uh, I once played with one of those filters on your phone where you can make yourself look old. I shared it with a cousin of ours years ago. This is the best I can ever give you to what I would have looked like if I got the chance to grow old. Scary, huh? No, really. Thank you to everyone for being here. It means more than you know. Well, I'm going to go fishing now. Love you all. See you on the other side. This marks the first time in history that a murder victim was able to deliver their own voice and image in a victim impact statement. Personally, I think what Stacy, her husband Tim, and their friend Scott Yenser created using AI was nothing short of brilliant. It added a powerful emotional weight to the sentencing, one that no written statement could match. What made it even more impactful was their decision to portray Chris in a calm, compassionate way, staying true to his personality rather than expressing anger. That kind of grace hits harder than rage ever could. I truly believe that hearing Christopher Pelky's voice and seeing him forgive Gabriel Horacetus will stay with him, especially in those quiet moments at night. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for watching and we'll see you at the next video.