James Alex Fields Jr. killed Heather Heyer in 2017 when he rammed his car into a group of anti-racist counterprotesters.

Izabel Zermani / AP A courtroom sketch James Alex Fields Jr. (center) with his attorneys in court.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — The white supremacist convicted of murdering anti-racist protester Heather Heyer at 2017's "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. James Alex Fields Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder on Friday for ramming his car into a crowd of people at the rally in 2017, killing Heyer and injuring scores of other counterprotesters at the white nationalist rally. He was also found guilty of five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of malicious wounding, and one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving a death.



Michael Dwyer / AP A counterprotester holds a photo of Heather Heyer in 2017.

The judge accepted the jury's recommendation of a life sentence for the first-degree murder of Heyer, and an additional 419 years and a $480,000 fine. Victims wept in court as the sentence was read. A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 29. His sentencing came after a day of emotional testimony that included Heyer's mother, Susan Bro. "In the end, the hands of justice say that he needs to be kept away from society for a while, and I’m content with that," she said outside court Tuesday. "Justice has him, my daughter is still not here, and the survivors still have their wounds." Bro added that she thinks Fields needs help. "I don’t hate [James Fields], but my god the kid’s messed up. He needs help," she said. "Put him away, I’m sorry, but he should not be out in society, and I think the jury could see that."

Blake Montgomery / BuzzFeed News Susan Bro, at left, addresses reporters with state prosecutors after james Fields was sentenced to life in prison on Dec. 11, 2018.