Alex Jones trial updates: Sandy Hook dad recalls stranger’s vile verbal assault after 4 years of Infowars lies
The third week of Jones’ defamation trial against Sandy Hook families has concluded
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alex Jones’s second defamation trial over his “hoax” lies about the Sandy Hook massacre has finished its third week in Connecticut court.
The jury heard emotional testimony from family members after a tense conclusion to the previous week’s proceedings, when the Infowars host delayed his return to the witness box following a rant at reporters outside the courthouse.
His own defence attorneys waived their right to cross-examine him, and he is now expected to resume testimony as a witness for his defence next week.
In his testimony, Jones shouted that he was “done apologising” for his egregious claims about the shooting under questioning from the plaintiffs’ lawyer while families of victims broke down in tears in the courtroom.
On Thursday morning, Sandy Hook father Robbie Parker, who found himself the target of hoax accusations the day after his daughter was murdered, concluded his emotional testimony, recalling a vile verbal assault from a conspiracy theorist, four years after the tragedy. He noted that these occurrences corresponded to when Jones would broadcast his lies.
Ms Parker begins to become emotional when discussing her husband’s relationship with their daughter Emilie, whose thoughtfulness she says he inherited from her father.
We also learn about her impressive talent for art at the age of six and would write notes for her parents at night and give them to her parents in the morning.
Ms Parker recalls the morning of the shooting that the group of children waiting for the bus were playing tag and as they piled onto the bus Emilie had not waved goodbye which she usually did.
She remembers thinking that “once is ok”.
Later she recalls being at the firehouse with other parents and learning the worse. The court is shown photos from that day of Alissa and Robbie leaving to go home, clearly devastated and in shock.
In the middle of Alissa Parker’s emotional testimony — in which she, like other parents, said she was unaware of Alex Jones — a lunch recess is called.
We will hear more of the harassment the family endured in the aftermath of the shooting when court resumes at 2pm.
ICYMI: Families testify of confrontations with Sandy Hook deniers
A mother who lost one of her sons in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre testified Tuesday that her biggest fear is that people who believe the shooting was a hoax will harm her other son, who survived the attack at his school.
Nicole Hockley and her former husband, Ian Hockley, were the latest family members of the 26 victims of the school shooting to testify at the defamation trial of Alex Jones, where a jury is deciding how much the conspiracy theorist must pay for spreading the hoax lie.
Families testify of confrontations with Sandy Hook deniers at Alex Jones trial
A mother who lost one of her sons in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre testified Tuesday that her biggest fear is that people who believe the shooting was a hoax will harm her other son, who survived the attack at his school.
Court resumes
Judge Bellis returns to the bench and court will soon be underway with continued testimony from Alissa Parker.
Attorneys from both sides discussed exhibits with the judge and the jury is now being brought back into the courtroom.
Ms Parker explains about a Facebook page set up by friends in Utah in memory of their daughter Emilie and how it attracted media queries.
A network affiliate in Utah wanted comments from the family on the death of Emilie as the Parkers were from there.
Her husband Robbie decided to give the statement to the affiliate at their church in Connecticut as he wanted someone who really knew his daughter to speak for her and to reach out to their community in Utah.
Ms Parker recalls arriving at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Newtown. It was a media circus and not what they had been expecting.
Robbie spoke and gave a “sweet” speech at a podium, honouring his little girl. Ms Parker says she was proud of him as she would not have been able to do what he did.
It was Mr Parker’s speech that Alex Jones seized on to accuse him of being an actor and faking the death of his daughter.
The speech was given on the Saturday after the shooting and by the Sunday he discovered videos being posted on Emilie’s memorial page and horrible things being said about him.
Ms Parker remembers him blocking users and deleting posts, but they just kept coming.
“I could tell there was a panic, I didn’t know what was going on but could sense that he was processing and scrambling a little trying to understand.”
Ms Parker describes the experience as a “full-on assault” and “so intense” and the words people were using were “so horrific”.
The threats began immediately telling the Parkers to watch their backs and that they would “burn in hell for what they’d done”.
Robbie was called a “liar” and their late six-year-old daughter a “whore”.
Ms Parker, who has remained remarkably composed throughout her testimony, is now crying and upset at the memory of the time.
All of this happened in the week after the tragedy and before Emilie’s funeral.
The Parkers feared there would likely be protesters at the graveside service.
A weeping Alissa tells the jury: “The service was supposed to be at her life.”
They decided to have a closed casket because they worried someone would photograph Emilie and somehow use it against them.
“We just shut down. We were just zombies. I hardly remember what was said on the day of the funeral,” she says, sobbing. “They stole that from me.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments