- A man who drove his car into a crowd of anti-nationalist protesters in August 2017 called his victim “that one girl who died, or whatever.”
- He made the comments to his mother during a call from jail in December 2017, according to BuzzFeed News, citing court documents.
- Fields is charged with first-degree murder and malicious assault for the incident that killed Heather Heyer and left 19 injured.
- Fields has repeatedly said it was he who drove into the crowd, but the issue for the court is finding the motive.
- Fields says it was self defense, and told prosecutors: “I didn’t want to hurt people, but I thought they were attacking me.”
The man accused of murdering a woman at the Charlottesville anti-nationalist protest in August 2017 by running her down with his car reportedly referred to her as “that one girl who died, or whatever.”
James Fields made the comment about Heather Heyer in a phone to call to his mother from jail in December 2017, BuzzFeed News quoted prosecutors as saying.
The 21-year-old is reported to have described Heyer’s own mother, Susan Bro, as “one of those anti-white communists.” He said that this meant the pain he caused her was irrelevant.
Quoted in the cited indictment, he said: "It doesn't f---ing matter. She's a communist. She's the enemy, mother."
Fields has been charged with offenses including first-degree murder, malicious wounding, aggravated malicious wounding, and failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving a death, the 30-count federal indictment reportedly says.
He pleaded not guilty in July. He has admitted driving into the crowd, but says he was acting in self-defense.
Read more: Key trial issue: Why did driver plow into counterprotesters?
The incident on August 12 - where Fields drove his grey Dodge Challenger into a crowd of counterprotestors - killed 32-year-old Heyer, and left 19 people with injuries.
The protesters were matching against the "Unite the Right" rally, where hundreds of white nationalists came to Charlottesville to protest a decision by officials to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
Counter protesters came to meet them, including Heyer, and brawling broke out between white nationalists and counter demonstrators and authorities forced the crowd to disband, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
When the crowds separated, prosecutors say that Fields drove his car towards a "racially diverse group of people," the AP reported.
He accelerated his car and smashed into the crowd, then "rapidly reversed and fled," the indictment alleges.
Fields says it was self defense, BuzzFeed reported, and he said to prosecutors: "I didn't want to hurt people, but I thought they were attacking me."
On November 26, the AP reported that Fields' lawyer said his client would plead self defense.
Fields told the judge he is being treated for bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and ADHD, AP reported.
The case is expected to conclude on December 13.