Two of the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery have been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Travis and Gregory McMichael were sentenced to life without parole, while accomplice William “Roddie” Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. The McMichaels were both convicted of four counts of felony murder, while Bryan was convicted of three counts.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, calls for three men convicted of her son’s murder to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
“They were fully committed to their crimes. Let them be fully committed for the consequences.” https://t.co/dY3OG34QXQ pic.twitter.com/K0G8nKeRHT
— ABC News (@ABC) January 7, 2022
The murder took place in Brunswick, Georgia, in February 2020. The defense argued the three killers had been trying to carry out a citizens arrest after they saw Arbery walking around a construction site in their neighborhood. They claimed to believe Arbery was committing a robbery and cornered him with their pickup trucks before a physical altercation ensued. Travis McMichael, the son of Gregory, fatally shot Arbery during a struggle.
Prosecutors said Arbery was simply going for a jog and posed no threat to the men, who hunted him down in an act of attempted vigilantism. (RELATED: Biden Says Arbery Verdict ‘Not Enough’ To Ensure Equal Justice)
Attorneys for the three men said the verdicts will be appealed. In addition to the felony murder charges, they were convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.