Comment Parents who lost their 6-year-old son in the Sandy Hook massacre confronted right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in court Tuesday, saying his claims that the deadliest elementary school shooting in U.S. history was a “gigantic hoax” created a “vibrant hell’ for them. Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, parents of Jesse Lewis, who was killed in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., are seeking $150 million in damages from the Infowars radio show and its webcast host and media company in a lawsuit for defamation. Heslin, who took the stand before Jones arrived at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on Tuesday, spoke of his grief — compounded by death threats and abuse from strangers that left the parents fearing for their lives. “I can’t even describe the past nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,” Heslin told the jury. Twenty-six people were killed in the shooting, 20 of them children. Jones had told his audience that it was a “false flag” operation carried out by “crisis agents”. “My son existed,” Jesse’s tearful mother said, directing her testimony to Jones. “There are records of Jesse’s birth.” Jurors in Austin, where Infowars is based, will not hear evidence related to the defamation claims because Judge Maya Guerra Gamble issued a rare default judgment against Jones after he refused to turn over documents to the parents’ attorneys. Instead, the jury will determine how much compensatory and punitive damages Jones must pay. Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy last week, according to Jones’ attorney, who said the company would not intervene in the defamation suit. Alex Jones’ media company files for bankruptcy amid Sandy Hook trial Lewis emphasized that she was not part of any “deep state” conspiracy theory. “I know you do. That’s the problem… and you keep saying it, why? For money?” he asked. Jones shook his head. “It seems so incredible that we have to do this — that we have to plead with you … to get you to stop lying,” Lewis said. “I’m so happy that this day is here. I’m really relieved… to have to tell you all this.” Heslin testified that it was unclear whether the conspiracy theory started with Jones, but he said Jones “lighted the match and lit the fire,” reaching millions with his Infowars platform. A medical examiner who testified said Heslin and Lewis suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Jones previously admitted the shooting took place and blamed his false claims on “a form of psychosis.” He testified Tuesday that he expected an apology and that his comments had been taken out of context. “I never intentionally tried to hurt you. I never said your name until this came up in court – I didn’t know who you were until this came up,” Jones said. “The Internet had questions. I had questions.” Lewis cheekily asked Jones during her testimony, “Do you think I’m an actor?” He replied, “No, I don’t think you’re an actor.” Jones, 48, has been banned from major social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Spotify for violating their hate speech policies. Judges in Connecticut and Texas have also found Jones liable for damages in lawsuits stemming from his false claims. Jones described the legal process as a “witch hunt” and a “show trial” in a flurry of reporters last month. Timothy Bella contributed to this report.
