GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. — The three men convicted in 2021 of killing Ahmaud Arbery nearly two years ago were once again at the mercy of the judge's gavel as a jury deliberated whether they intentionally killed the young Black man because of the color of his skin.
Travis McMichael is the man who fired the fatal shot on Feb. 23, 2020. His father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, were also convicted on murder charges in contributing to Arbery's death. The federal hate crimes trial sought to determine if they also violated Arbery's civil rights, a hate crime.
Below is the verdict laid out by each charge.
Travis McMichael
- Interference with rights - Guilty
- Attempted kidnapping - Guilty
- Carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence - Guilty
Last year during the Georgia trial, Travis McMichael was found guilty of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit a felony, false imprisonment.
Gregory McMichael
- Interference with rights - Guilty
- Attempted kidnapping - Guilty
- Using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence - Guilty
Last year during the state trial, Gregory McMichael was found guilty of four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit a felony, false imprisonment.
William "Roddie" Bryan
- Interference with rights - Guilty
- Attempted kidnapping - Guilty
Last year during the state trial, William "Roddie" Bryan was found guilty of three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit a felony, false imprisonment.
Background on the case
In Feb. 2020, Arbery was jogging in a south Georgia neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, when authorities said he was chased, shot and killed. Arbery, a Black man, was pursued by three white men: Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan.
They were convicted of murder just before Thanksgiving last year. They were later given life in prison as a result of Georgia minimum sentencing guidelines. While the state trial concluded, the men still had to face the federal charges.
Testimony in the hate crimes trial included the recollections of neighbors and investigators, forensic and autopsy evidence and, the viciously racist and at-times violent texts and social media posts of Travis McMichael, along with racist communications by Greg McMichael and Bryan.
Some of the evidence, including racially-charged texts and social media posts, presented during the federal trial wasn't included in the state trial.
Arbery’s family also filed a federal lawsuit on the one-year anniversary of his death, which also claimed the men violated his civil rights.