BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The defense attorneys for the three white men standing trial regarding the death of Ahmaud Arbery rested their case on Thursday.
On Friday, instructions are expected to be given in a charge conference from Judge Timothy Walmsley before closing arguments are made on Monday. This is a meeting between a judge and the parties’ lawyers, after the parties have closed their cases and before the jury is charged, to determine the content of the instructions to the jury and to note any objections the lawyers may have to the instructions proposed by the judge.
Watch the charge conference live on 11Alive.com or the 11Alive YouTube channel.
Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and William R. Bryan face murder charges for the 25-year-old's killing in Brunswick last year that shook the nation.
Arbery, a Black man, was ambushed when he was shot and killed while jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood. The suspects, a white father and son, claimed there had been burglaries in the area and confronted him.
Though Arbery died Feb. 23, 2020, the case was set aside until it caught wind again months later when a graphic video capturing the killing went viral online, being one of several cases that spurred protests and a nationwide movement for racial justice.
The video in question was recorded by Bryan, the McMichaels' neighbor who is accused of being the third man involved. The three men were indicted on malice and felony murder charges for Arbery's killing in June 2020.
During the trial, there has been a focus on the video from that day and others from an unfinished home in the Satilla Shores neighborhood.
Arbery was allegedly spotted entering onto that property a number of times in the months leading up to his death, with the defense arguing he became in the minds of some neighbors — including the men accused of murder in the trial — a "suspect" in break-ins and thefts around the neighborhood. There is no evidence Arbery ever took anything or committed any damage at the home, and the owner had maintained before the trial he did not suspect Arbery of taking anything.
Other moments that have stood out during the trial was when Travis McMichael, the man accused of pulling the trigger in the fatal shooting, took the stand and testified.
"I shot him (Arbery)," Travis McMichael said tearing up.
In addition to testimonies from officers, the medical examiner, and others in the neighborhood, the defense asked several times for a mistrial for various reasons. Each time, the judge shot down the request.
On the same day the defense decided to rest its case, a large crowd gathered outside the courthouse to show support for the Arbery family. Many of them were Black pastors. They organized an event after Kevin Gough, Bryan's attorney, garnered national attention for mentioning the presence of Black pastors in the courtroom during the trial, even going as far as calling their presence intimidating and 'mob-like.' The judge said he wouldn't remove anyone unless they were causing a disruption with their behavior.
The jurors were dismissed until Monday.
Trial Coverage
- Death of Ahmaud Arbery | Facebook, a sleepy juror, Black pastors take center stage during Day 10 of trial
- State rests its case on Day 8 of testimony in trial of 3 men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery
- Death of Ahmaud Arbery trial: Judge shoots down motion for mistrial, limiting visitors in courtroom -- again
- What happened when Black pastors from around the country gathered outside the court
- Prosecutors map out Ahmaud Arbery's jog before resting its case in trial
- Travis McMichael takes the stand in death of Ahmaud Arbery trial | Key takeaways from his testimony
- 'I think they might be trying to steal' | Homeowner's 911 call on white couple in Ahmaud Arbery death trial
- Where is Satilla Shores? | Neighborhood at center of Ahmaud Arbery death trial
- Neighbor who called police on Ahmaud Arbery testifies he felt 'guilt' after his death
