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A jury in Glynn County, Georgia, found the three men who chased and ultimately killed Ahmaud Arbery guilty of murder after less than two days of deliberation. Members of the victim’s family joyfully cried aloud. Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, says God has answered her prayers;
We finally got the justice for Ahmaud that he deserved back in 2020.
Defendants Travis McMichael, 35; his father Gregory McMichael, 65; and their 52-year-old neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., face the possibility of life in prison once they are sentenced.
The younger McMichael, Arbery’s shooter, was found guilty on all nine charges; one count of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and one count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Five of these charges carry the possibility of life in prison.
His father was convicted on all counts, except malice murder. The 65-year-old faces life imprisonment on four of these charges.
Bryan Jr. was found guilty on six of the nine counts. Three of them are felony murder; one is aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and one count of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Bryan’s defense lawyer, Kevin Gough said he plans to file an appeal because he was convicted of felony murder.
The three men must wait for the judge to schedule their sentencing, which he indicated would be in the upcoming weeks.
President Joe Biden said the Arbery case is a desperate reminder of how far the United States has to go in the fight against racial injustice. But, “the verdict ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished.”
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement shortly after the verdict was announced. He said Arbery was subjected to vigilantism that has no place in Georgia.
In addition to the state’s conviction, the men are facing federal charges. They will stand trial on federal hate crime charges scheduled to begin on Feb. 7, 2022.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The New York Times: Three men found guilty of murder in Arbery shooting. By Richard Fausset
CNN: All 3 men guilty of murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery; by By Mike Hayes, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Meg Wagner, and Melissa Mahtani
The Washington Post: Jury finds all 3 men guilty of murder in Ahmaud Arbery’s death; by Tim Craig and Hannah Knowles
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Jules Antonio’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Capt. Bryant Wine Courtesy of Georgia National Guard’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License