Forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified Friday on behalf of the parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who say they suffered years of harassment after Jones spread lies about the killing of 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. “He put out some hate speech and some misinformation, but he made a lot of money and invested it,” Pettingill said, describing Jones as a “very successful man.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register A 12-person jury on Thursday said Jones must pay the parents $4.1 million in damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the massacre. The verdict followed a two-week trial in Austin, Texas, where Jones’ radio show and Infowars web show are based. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis testified that Jones’ fans harassed them for years in the false belief that the parents had lied about their son’s death. Jones tried to distance himself from conspiracy theories during his testimony, apologizing to the parents and acknowledging that Sandy Hook was “100% real.” Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems LLC, filed for bankruptcy last week. Jones said during Monday’s broadcast that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals. The bankruptcy filing halted a similar defamation lawsuit by Sandy Hook parents in Connecticut where, as in Texas, he has already been found liable. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Jack Queen. Editing by Howard Goller and Mark Porter Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
