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 in the killing of Christopher Pelkey after finding an AI-generated video used during sentencing was not reliable. In a decision released Wednesday, the Arizona Court of Appeals ordered Gabriel Paul Horcasitas be resentenced in the 2021 shooting death. The court said the video crossed a line by presenting statements as coming directly from Pelkey, arguing it did not reflect actual events and instead created a depiction based on imaginings from Pelkey’s sister. The video was played at a May 2025 hearing as an AI-based victim impact statement. Horcasitas was also convicted of endangerment.