Tuesday started an emotional stretch for one east Raleigh neighborhood.
Austin Thompson, the teen who killed five people in the Hedingham neighborhood in 2022, began his sentencing hearing, a process that's much different than a standard sentencing.
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The proceedings are expected to last weeks. On Tuesday, those in court got a small sampling of how taxing this process will be emotionally, especially when family members of victims took to the stand to recall what happened on Oct. 13, 2022.
RELATED: See a comprehensive, running blog of Tuesday's proceedings here
Most who took the stand either cried or teared up while revisiting that harrowing day. Almost every single person had to take an emotional break at some point during their testimony.
It's easy to understand why, when you're hearing from people who have lost loved ones.
But law enforcement, witnesses and neighbors are all still clearly shaken up by this awful tragedy, even three years later.
As calm as it may have felt in the courtroom, the 911 calls from the Hedingham neighborhood showed the chaos of the evening.
Tuesday’s afternoon session largely focused on the two victims found on the greenway, including Sue Karnatz.
"I drove home ... met my three kids and told them their mom was dead," said Tom Karnatz, Sue's husband.
Tom Karnatz shared anecdotes such as that one, detailing how his life is forever changed. And how complicated it is as his sons check of milestones in their lives.
"My joy at those things will be tempered because Sue isn’t there to experience it with us," he said. "Every day, for the rest of my life, I will wake up and Sue will not be lying next to me and that will make that day hard."
Jasmin Torres, the widow of Gabriel Torres, the Raleigh police officer who was shot and killed, spoke while wearing a button featuring her late husband.
Before she wrapped up speaking, Jasmin said, "Our life has been changed forever. My daughter didn't deserve any of it, my husband didn't deserve any of it and I know I didn't deserve any of it."
Jasmin will give a full victim statement at a later date.
For every person who gave testimony, it’s hard to describe how difficult it was to recall that day.
Ginny Marshall said her daughter, Mary Marshall, had a laugh that was what sunshine must sound like.
"I was like where’s my girl? Why can’t we reach her?" Ginny Marshall said.
A light she no longer has.
"The level of fear that followed Mary’s murder was something we never expected," Ginny Marshall said. "Have to live with overwhelming and paralyzing pain of losing family, but the fear of going out in public is shopping. I was terrified to go to public places, send grandkids to school. Even now, if I can’t get in touch with loved ones, there’s a panic that wasn’t there before."
The day ended with one of the detectives testifying about the inside of Thompson's home and what he experienced there.
"I had never seen that much blood inside the bathroom," said Lt. Jamie Rigsbee with Raleigh police.
Judge Paul Ridgeway cut Rigsbee short due to time, so he will be back on the stand on Wednesday morning, where we're sure to hear more emotional testimony and likely to hear more about Austin Thompson and what led up to that shooting.
