The sentencing phase has begun for Austin Thompson, the 18-year-old who pleaded guilty to killing five people in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood in October 2022.
Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, entered guilty pleas on January 21 to five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and several assault charges. The proceedings, which began Tuesday (February 4), will determine whether Thompson receives life in prison without parole or becomes eligible for parole after serving at least 25 years.
Due to Thompson's age at the time of the crimes, he cannot automatically receive life without parole under the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case of Miller v. Alabama, which prohibits mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders. He is not eligible for the death penalty.
In court Tuesday, emotional testimony came from survivors and family members of victims. Tracey Howard, whose wife Nicole Connors was killed, testified about his ongoing grief. "Austin's actions have broken me," Howard said, struggling to speak. "I don't enjoy the things I used to do."
Marcille "Lynn" Gardner, who survived being shot while walking dogs with Connors, told the court she spent three months in the hospital and still has shell fragments in her body. In a moment of forgiveness, Gardner said, "Being a Christian, I don't just talk the talk. I walk the walk... I'm not forgiving to free him. I'm forgiving to free me."
Perhaps the most emotional testimony came from Jasmin Torres, widow of Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, who was shot in his car. "I saw my husband," she said through tears. "I saw that he was bleeding. I saw that he was in shock... Our life has been changed forever."
According to prosecutors, Thompson first killed his 16-year-old brother James inside their family home, shooting him in the head and stabbing him 49 times. He then packed a backpack with ammunition and survival supplies before continuing his rampage through the neighborhood and onto the Neuse River Greenway.
In addition to his brother and Officer Torres, Thompson killed Nicole Connors, 52; Mary Marshall, 34; and Susan Karnatz, 49. Two others, including another police officer, were wounded.
Thompson's attorneys indicated in court filings that he wanted to plead guilty to spare both victims' families and his own relatives the pain of a trial. They also noted he continues to suffer seizures from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head sustained during his arrest.
The sentencing hearing is expected to continue through next week.