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.
Just hours after he gave the statement and less than 48 hours after the murder of his daughter, Mr Parker went online to see what nice comments friends and family had posted on the Facebook page.
Instead, he was met with a barrage of harassment and links to pictures of him smiling at the press conference.
“That really threw me off. I was looking for something to keep me stable because my compass was spinning, I didn’t know which way was what, and seeing these comments broke that connection I had, that stability. “
Mr Parker recalls that by the Tuesday after the shooting this daughter’s memorial page had become flooded with negative comments.
“What was just this littering of comments by Tuesday became just a burning trash pile,” he testified. He clicked on some of the links to figure out what was going on. During this time he saw Jones’s videos.
Infowars published a story headlined: “Father of Sandy Hook Victims Asks ‘Read The Card?’ Seconds Before Tear-Jerking Press Conference.”
This all occurred before Emilie’s funeral.
Funeral planning ended up becoming dominated by contingency plans for if hoaxers showed up, or how to deal with the media and what people should be allowed to see.
At one point he couldn’t find his wife. Alissa was hiding in a coat closet, curled up in a ball, sobbing: “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Judge Bellis adjourns the court for the day.
Proceedings will resume at 10am on Thursday for a half-day session.
Sandy Hook father fights tears recalling press event that made him top target for hoax lies
The grieving father of a victim of the Sandy Hook shooting has broken his silence about the 2012 press conference that made him the top target for Alex Jones’ lies about the massacre.
Robbie Parker’s six-year-old daughter Emilie was one of the 26 students and staff members murdered in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on 14 December 2012.
One day after the massacre, the devastated father gave a brief speech to the media where he paid tribute to his little girl who “made the world a better place” for being in it.
Rachel Sharp reports on his testimony.
Sandy Hook father recalls press briefing that made him top target of Alex Jones’ lies
Robbie Parker told the court that he had been waiting to set the record straight ‘for a long time’
Jurors must decide how much Newtown families suffering worth
After watching days of testimony that included the parents of slain children breaking down on the witness stand, a Connecticut jury soon will have the difficult task of coming up with a dollar amount that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay for promoting the idea that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax.
Jurors must decide how much Newtown families suffering worth
A Connecticut jury soon will have the difficult task of coming up with a dollar amount conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay for promoting the idea that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax
ICYMI: Alex Jones pushes ‘deep state theory in testimony
Last week Alex Jones kicked off his combative testimony in his defamation case over his lies about the Sandy Hook massacre by pushing another wild conspiracy – this time about the so-called “deep state”.
Rachel Sharp watched the day in court.
Alex Jones kicks off Sandy Hook trial testimony by pushing ‘deep state’ conspiracy
Right-wing extremist spread lies that the Sandy Hook massacre was a ‘hoax’ and the 26 murdered victims were ‘actors’
Alex Jones: ‘I’m done apologising’
Alex Jones shouted that he was “done apologising” for spreading lies that the Sandy Hook massacre was a “hoax” as family members of some of the victims looked on crying in court.
The courtroom in Connecticut descended into chaos on Thursday as the far-right conspiracy theorist took the stand in his defamation case and refused to acknowledge any responsibility for causing a decade of harassment to the victims’ families.
“I’ve already said I’m sorry hundreds of times. And I’m done saying sorry,” he shouted across the courtroom.
Alex Jones shouts ‘I’m done apologising’ at Sandy Hook parents crying in court
Far-right conspiracy theorist – who has spent much of the trial mocking the proceedings on his Infowars show – moaned that ‘people think that I killed the kids’
Alex Jones is ‘the biggest bully I’ve ever faced’, says Sandy Hook mother
The mother of Sandy Hook victim, Jesse Lewis, describes Alex Jones as the ‘biggest bully I’ve ever faced’, weeks after winning a lawsuit against the InfoWars host.
Jones was under fire for claiming the Sandy Hook massacre was ‘hoax’ multiple times.
“Getting on the stand was something I felt like I had to do. I didn’t want to do it,” Scarlett Lewis said in a CNN interview.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve done since Jesse’s murder... I mean this is literally facing the biggest bully I’ve ever faced.”
Sandy Hook victim's mother calls Alex Jones 'the biggest bully I've ever faced'
The mother of Sandy Hook victim, Jesse Lewis, describes Alex Jones as the ‘biggest bully I’ve ever faced’, weeks after winning a lawsuit against the InfoWars host.Jones was under fire for claiming the Sandy Hook massacre was 'hoax' multiple times.“Getting on the stand was something I felt like I had to do. I didn’t want to do it,” Scarlett Lewis said in a CNN interview. “It was the hardest thing I’ve done since Jesse’s murder... I mean this is literally facing the biggest bully I’ve ever faced."Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Why is Alex Jones on trial for a second time?
Why Alex Jones is facing trial again over his Sandy Hook ‘hoax’ lies
Jones is currently in the middle of his second defamation trial - this time in Connecticut
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments