Alex Jones made life ‘living hell’ with hoax claim, Sandy Hook father testifies
In emotional testimony on Tuesday, the father of a six-year-old victim of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting said the rightwing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones made his life a “living hell” by claiming the murders were a hoax involving actors and aimed at strengthening gun control.
Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, are suing Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems over harassment and threats they and other parents say they have endured for years because of Jones and his Infowars website.
Twenty first-graders and six adults at the Connecticut school were killed in the shooting, in December 2012.
Heslin and Lewis are seeking at least $150m. A jury is deciding the amount of punitive damages the Infowars host will pay.
Heslin’s emotional testimony on Tuesday continued for more than an hour.
Heslin said he suffered abuse and harassment online, on the phone and on the street. His home and car had been shot at, he said.
“What was said about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the world,” Heslin said. “As time went on, I truly realized how dangerous it was … My life has been threatened. I fear for my life, I fear for my safety.”
According to his attorneys, an “encounter” after the trial in Austin began forced Heslin into secured isolation.
A forensic psychologist testified Heslin and Lewis suffer from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder similar to that endured by soldiers in war zones or child abuse victims.
Heslin said Jones started the fight but he would finish it. He also said that while he did not know if the Sandy Hook hoax theory originated with Jones, it was Jones who “lit the match and started the fire” with an online platform and broadcast that reached millions.
Lewis was also called to the witness stand. She delivered much of her testimony directly at Jones, who by then had arrived in the courtroom.
“I am a mother, first and foremost, and I know you are a father,” Lewis said. “My son existed ... I know you know that.”
Referencing Jones’s theories that Sandy Hook victims and their families were “crisis actors”, Lewis asked Jones: “Do you think I’m an actor?”
“No, I don’t think you’re an actor,” Jones said.
The judge admonished him to stay quiet until it was his turn to testify.
Jones told reporters the case was a “witch hunt” and a “show trial” greater than those in “Nazi Germany”.
Jones’s legal troubles extend beyond Texas. He also faces trials in Connecticut. In both states, judges issued default judgments against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.
Last week, Free Speech Systems filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.