Ahmaud Arbery Murder: Three men convicted of murder in the shooting death of Arbery
AGN.News Team
August 8, 2022
BRUNSWICK (AGN.News) – On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was jogging through a Brunswick neighborhood while studying to become an electrician. He passionately wanted to become an electrician. That was a career that he wanted as other family members had chosen early in their lives.
What did Ahmaud Arbery do?
As Ahmaud Arbery was jogging through Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia, he felt he was secure as as a Black man just jogging down a tree-lined street. He was very motivated to stay physically fit just like millions do everyday.
As he jogged, he saw a new home under construction. He stopped and entered the now unfinished, with vertical studs in place but unfinished walls, with wiring fully exposed to observe what he would likely be doing as an electrician when he finished school. He had no idea he would be dead in less than 10 minutes.
What happened to Ahmaud Arbery?
As he exited the property, three white men, Travis McMichael, armed with a shotgun, and his father, Gregory McMichael, armed with a handgun, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, in his truck and using his phone to video the chase, erroneously assumed he was a burglar. The two McMichaels who are now carrying guns, began chasing Arbery in their pickup truck (the son driving and the father in the bed of the truck).
What did the men do to Arbery?
The three white men pursued Arbery in their trucks for several minutes, using the vehicles to block his path as he tried to run away. Two of the men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, were armed with a .357 Magnum revolver, and in one vehicle. Their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, was in another vehicle.
After overtaking Arbery, Travis McMichael exited his truck and assaulted Arbery with a shotgun. As Arbery attempted to defend himself, Travis McMichael shot an unarmed Arbery, three times (twice in the chest) with a 12-gauge shotgun, murdering him. Bryan recorded this confrontation and murder of Arbery on his cell phone.
It was reported that Arbery was still alive as members of the Glynn County Police Department, in several vehicles, quickly arrived on the scene soon after the shooting, as the on-scene video showed him moving in the background. No arrests were made for more than two months. The GCPD said the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office first advised them to make no arrests. Greg McMichael previously worked for Brunswick District Attorney’s Office.
As Arbery’s family and people across the country demanded justice for Ahmaud Arbery, an attorney with Bryan’s video of the murder in-hand among others, took action.
Federal and state charges
It was reported that at the urging of Gregory McMichael, a local attorney provided Bryan’s video to local radio station WGIG, which published the video on May 5. The video went viral on YouTube and Twitter. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested the McMichaels on May 7 and Bryan on May 21, charging them with felony murder and other crimes.
On June 24, 2020, a Cobb County grand jury indicted each of the three men on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and other crimes. Their trial began in November 2021 in the Glynn County Superior Court.
All three were convicted in Glynn County Superior Court on November 24, 2021 of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Travis McMichael was further convicted of malice murder.
On January 7, 2022, the McMichaels were sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole plus 20 years, with Bryan sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
On February 22, 2022, the three men were found guilty in a federal court of attempted kidnapping and the hate crime of interference with rights, while the McMichaels were also convicted of one count of using firearms during a crime of violence.
The three men are scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood on Monday, August 8, 2022 for their hate crimes.
COVID-19 PREVENTION
STOP THE SPREAD! GET VACCINATED!
VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE!
Everyone is being urged by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.gov) to get vaccinated, wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash hands as a way to cut down on the transmission rate.
For more information on local responses to the novel coronavirus also called … COVID-19, contact your local healthcare provider, visit coronavirus.gov or visit cdc.gov for the United States response to the coronavirus.
News you can use! Enjoy the best of news from your community by Alphabet Global News.
ALPHABET GLOBAL NEWS
Reliable. Trusted. Local. News.
On Mobile … Fast!
Written by
AGN.News Team
Disclaimer: This post does not represent the views or viewpoint of the owner of AlpLocal.com, AGN News or its representatives or reporters. Any content which references any person, entity or group with similar names, descriptions, or business interest in any geographical location or similar businesses is merely a coincidence and not directed at said business. AGN News is compiled from submissions by contributors or other sources.
