CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. 鈥斅燗 jury recommended life in prison Tuesday for James Alex Fields for murdering Heather Heyer when he drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters the day of a 2017 white nationalist rally tied to Confederate statues.
Fields, 21, was convicted of first-degree murder and nine other charges on Friday, including the wounding of others in the crash and fleeing the scene. Jurors had the option of 20 years to life on the first degree murder charge, plus additional time on the other counts.
The jury also recommended a sentence of 70 years each on five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, 20 years each on three counts of malicious wounding and 9 years for hit and run, as well as $480,000 in total fines.
The judge will formally impose a sentence March 29.聽Virginia judges typically follow a jury鈥檚 recommendation and cannot increase the penalty beyond it.
‘Still hard to process’
After the proceeding, prosecutor Joseph Platania called the jury鈥檚 verdict and recommendation 鈥渁 true act of public service.鈥�
He also thanked the other victims and their relatives, who 鈥渉ad to some extent relive鈥� their trauma in order to testify. 鈥淲e are unable to heal them or bring Heather back,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re hoping they can take some level of solace from these convictions and sentences.鈥�
Heyer鈥檚 mother, Susan Bro, said the proceedings of the past few days were 鈥渞eally still hard to process. 鈥� I鈥檓 running through about 50 different emotions all at once.鈥�
She said that the verdict on Friday 鈥渇ar more emotional for me. Once I heard what the minimum sentences were i breathed a sigh of relief.鈥� Tuesday鈥檚 sentencing recommendation left her with 鈥渁 mix of emotions; they nullify each other. I鈥檒l sit home and cry tonight because I would have been decorating for Christmas by now.鈥�
Of Fields, she said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 hate him, but my God, the kid鈥檚 messed up. He should be locked up. 鈥� I hope his mother can find some measure of peace.鈥�
She added that 鈥淚 do not have hate for this young man,鈥� but instead told prosecutors that 鈥淚 trusted them to deal with this. I trusted the system of justice to handle what it needed to handle.鈥�
She also called to continue Heyer鈥檚 social justice work. 鈥淭he things that Heather died for, I鈥檓 not seeing a lot of progress in the last year and a half. We’ve had a victory today, but we must put direct actions to our words.鈥�
Community members, including Heyer鈥檚 fellow activists, echoed Bro鈥檚 sentiments.
鈥淭his community is still grieving from this white supremacist assault,鈥� said Jalane Schmidt. 鈥淲e’ll continue to confront white supremacy on whatever platform it presents itself.鈥�
Anna Malinowski, of Show Up for Racial Justice Charlottesville, said police and other Charlottesville officials had to face up to 鈥渢he mistakes that they made that led up to this happening.鈥� She called on the city to 鈥渃ontinue fighting white supremacy. 鈥� We will not have peace without justice.鈥�
鈥淭his community is still grieving from this white supremacist assault,鈥� said Jalane Schmidt. 鈥淲e’ll continue to confront white supremacy on whatever platform it presents itself.鈥�
Bro added that she was inspired by a quote from the late former first lady, Barbara Bush, who lost a 3-year-old to leukemia. Bush said the best way to overcome such a loss was 鈥渄oing by others,鈥� and the Heather Heyer Foundation was Bro鈥檚 response. She said the foundation had given out scholarships 鈥渢o have young social young social activists in positive non-violent social justice.鈥�
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 live in that wave of grief and anger,鈥� Bro said.
That said, 鈥淚 will always have a hole in my heart, but I have to live at the same time. I have grandchildren. I have stepchildren. I have people who love me who I have to be here for.鈥�
鈥淗eather was always mortified to have her name come up in public. 鈥� But she鈥檇 be excited that hate didn鈥檛 win. 鈥� You can鈥檛 bring hate here and get away with it.鈥�
Bro said she would be involved in Fields鈥� federal hate-crimes trial, even though Fields is certain to spend the rest of his life in prison. The charges get to what she called an essential question: 鈥淲hat do we do with hate in this country?鈥�
‘A living nightmare’
During the initial phase of the trial, Jurors were shown evidence including video of Fields marching and chanting with white nationalists, a meme Fields had posted months earlier of a car plowing into a crowd and a text message he sent his mother the day before the car attack that included a photo of Adolf Hitler.
During the sentencing phase, jurors heard from several of the people injured in the Aug. 12, 2017 crash, and Heyer’s mother.
Jeanne 鈥淪tar鈥� Peterson told the jury her life has been 鈥渁 living nightmare鈥� since she was hit by Fields鈥� car. Her right leg was shattered, and she鈥檚 had five surgeries to try to repair it. She also suffered a broken spine and still hasn鈥檛 been able to return to work.
Wednesday Bowie said Fields tried to destroy a community that day. She told the jury 鈥渢he world is not a safe place鈥� with Fields in it.
Susan Bro, Heyer’s mother, said in emotional testimony Monday that her daughter’s death was like an 鈥渆xplosion鈥� in her family.
Heather Heyer was a 32-year-old paralegal and civil rights activist. Bro said Fields tried to 鈥渟ilence鈥� her daughter with his car, and said: 鈥淚 refuse to allow that.
Fields’ defense called a psychologist Monday who testified Fields had a long history of mental health issues.
Daniel Murrie said Fields went off his psychiatric medication at age 18 and built an isolated 鈥渓ifestyle centered around being alone.鈥�
People who attended the white nationalist rally with Fields testified earlier in the trial that Fields seemed exactly like everyone else at the “Unite the Right” event.
The Associated Press and 草莓传媒’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.
