Wednesday's proceedings in the Austin Thompson sentencing featured a new voice - his mother.
Thompson is the teen who pleaded guilty to killing five people in a Raleigh mass shooting from 2022.
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Elise Thompson read a letter to the court and detailed what it was like that day when she found out her son was behind the massacre.
RELATED: Get a comprehensive breakdown of Wednesday's proceedings in our blog
The mother explained how Austin grew up playing video games, being a good student in school and often going fishing and hunting with his father.
All of that was washed away when on Oct. 13, 2022, when she had to be taken to the hospital after discovering her 16-year-old son James dead in her bathroom - a harrowing sight.
Elise recalled the first moments she remembers in the hospital, being told it was her other son behind the trigger.
"A male detective was sitting there and he said, 'Austin did this.' And you know, you don’t think of that. It’s your child. You’re like, 'What?' They’re like, 'Austin did this.' He left a note. Not comprehending what’s happening to you. You try but they were ... I don’t even remember what questions they asked me after I woke up."
Prosecutors repeatedly asked if Elise Thompson had noticed any changes in her son’s demeanor, even after he started taking acne medication.
"I've run through that almost every day since the tragedy," she said. "I don’t remember seeing any issues at all. Or mood swings or anything like that. He was just normal."
And Elise finished with what amounted to a victim impact statement. The statement recalled the good times with her sons.
Within the note was a message to her one remaining child, describing her "new normal."
"I’ll miss watching you both going into adulthood, getting married and potentially having your own children," she said. "We belong to the worst club on earth. My heart is shattered and so are my hopes and dreams for you and James. We have nothing left to look forward to. I lost both of you on one afternoon."
Austin's father, Alan Thompson, was also in attendance. He did not get called to the stand. Several of Austin's teachers at Knightdale High School spoke, all saying there weren't any alarming signs in his behavior that would suggest he was capable of the shooting.
Photos of the crime scene were combed through on Wednesday, with investigators taking the court through their findings. The court also went over James Thompson's autopsy, upon which there were an estimated 57 stab wounds.
Each day we're streaming court proceedings in their entirety on WRAL.com. You can watch the past two days right now on our YouTube page. We'll stay with this case until there's a resolution.
