The white supremacist who killed a woman by plowing his car into a crowd of protesters during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was sentenced Friday to life in prison on federal hate crime charges.
James Alex Fields Jr., 22, will serve the sentence imposed by a U.S. district judge alongside a life term for a conviction in a Virginia state court in December for the murder of Heather Heyer. He’s scheduled for formal sentencing in the murder case next month.
Fields, an extremist associated with the hate group Vanguard America, pleaded guilty in March to 29 federal counts for intentionally ramming his vehicle into anti-racist counterprotesters during the white supremacist rally on Aug. 12, 2017. Each of the counts would have been punishable by life in prison, though prosecutors agreed to drop an additional charge that could have led to a death sentence.
Fields had asked for mercy due to his age and history of mental illness ahead of his sentencing.
Many of those injured in clashes at the Charlottesville rally still face recovery and lingering trauma. A fund has been set up to serve the Charlottesville community. You can donate here.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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