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Psychiatrist says Sandy Hook parents fear for their lives

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —  The parents of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim live with a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder and a constant fear that followers of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will kill them, a psychiatrist testified Monday at Jones’ defamation trial.

Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, have sued Jones and his company Free Speech Systems over the harassment and threats they and other parents say they’ve endured for years while Jones claimed the 2012 attack was a hoax or faked.

The psychiatrist testified that Heslin has had guns fired at his home and has been accosted on the street. The parents are seeking at least $150 million in the case.  An attorney for Heslin and Lewis, said the family has gone into isolation under a “large and professional security team” because of an incident that happened since the trial began. He did not provide details of what happened.

The pair are expected to testify today as the final witnesses for their side.

Jones, who has attended only some of the trial, was not in the courtroom for Monday morning’s testimony and will testify today in his own defense.

The trial is in Texas because he lives in Austin and his company is based there. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protection, though defense attorneys say that should not disrupt the trial, which is in its second week.

Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax involving actors aimed at increasing gun control. In both states, judges issued default judgements against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.