Sentence tossed in Arizona case where deceased victim was depicted speaking in AI-generated video

An Arizona appeals court has tossed a 10-year manslaughter sentence tied to an AI-generated video that showed the deceased victim “speaking” to the judge. In a decision released Wednesday, the Arizona Court of Appeals ordered Gabriel Paul Horcasitas to be resentenced in the 2021 shooting death of Christopher Pelkey, ruling the AI footage was not reliable. The court said the video crossed a line by not reflecting actual events and by presenting statements as if they came from Pelkey himself. The AI video was used during a May 2025 hearing. Horcasitas, 55, was convicted in the Chandler road rage shooting of Pelkey, 37.