All three of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers were found guilty in their federal trial today.
Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryant were found guilty of federal hate crimes charges for interfering with the rights of Ahmaud Arbery. The three defendants were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping for trying to detain Arbery.
In addition, Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael were found guilty of federal firearms charges.
The jury came to a verdict swiftly in the case, only beginning deliberations at 2:23 p.m. Monday.
Past racial slurs made by the defendants became an issue in the trial, with prosecutors sharing text messages containing slurs during the trial. Greg McMichael was accused of saying Black people cause trouble during a conversation in 2015 and Bryan used the N-word in a text message about who his daughter was dating.
On Feb. 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, when both Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery with two firearms. During the encounter, GBI officials say Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery.
The arrest and investigation is a result of heightened interest in the case after a cell phone video of the slaying was released to the public and went viral on the Internet. The video led to an outcry from elected officials, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the public at large.
The McMichaels and Bryan were all found guilty of killing Arbery in November.
The Georgia Sun will have more details on this story as it develops.
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