A verdict has been reached in the trail of three men, Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., who were charged with malice murder and felony murder in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.
After deliberating for a total of 11 hours, a jury reached a verdict at 1:21 p.m on Wednesday.
A jury has found all three men charged in the killing of Arbery guilty of murder.
Travis McMichael has been found guilty on all nine counts of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
Travis McMichael faces a sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole on each murder charge. He faces 20 years on each aggravated assault charge. He faces 10 years on the false imprisonment charge, and 5 years on the criminal attempt to commit a felony charge.
BREAKING: Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan, all found GUILTY in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery pic.twitter.com/rjvpHXUGaU
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 24, 2021
Gregory McMichael has been found not guilty of one count of malice murder. Gregory McMichael has been found guilty on eight other charges; felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
Gregory McMichael faces a sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole on each of the four felony murder charges, 20 years on each aggravated assault charge, 10 years on the false imprisonment charge, and 5 years on the criminal attempt to commit a felony charge.
BREAKING: Gregory McMichael, who chased Ahmaud Arbery with his son, Travis, found guilty of murder https://t.co/CwyDiNZhhh pic.twitter.com/QE2QAz0GQV
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) November 24, 2021
Bryan was found not guilty on one count each of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.
Bryan was found guilty on six other charges; felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and attempt to commit a felony.
Bryan faces a sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole on each murder charge. He faces 20 years on the aggravated assault charge, 10 years on the false imprisonment charge, and 5 years on the criminal attempt to commit a felony charge.
#BREAKING: William Bryan -- charged in Ahmaud Arbery's death -- is found *not guilty* on one count each of malice murder, felony murder, & aggravated assault, but guilty on six other charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, & attempt to commit a felony pic.twitter.com/ECXrr0oDtX
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 24, 2021
Judge Timothy Walmsley asked Ahmaud Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., to leave the courtroom after he reacted to the guilty verdict of Travis McMichael.
“I ask that whoever just made an outburst be removed from the court, please,” Walmsley said. “If you feel like you need to make a comment regarding the verdict, I ask that you step outside the courtroom now.”
A sentencing date has not been set.
On February 23, 2020, Arbery, who was unarmed, was jogging near Brunswick, Georgia when he was fatally shot after being pursued by Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael in a vehicle. Bryan, their neighbor, filmed Arbery’s death from a separate vehicle. All three men were arrested in May last year.
In a statement outside the courtroom, Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones said her son can now "rest in peace."
"Thank you. Thank each and every one of you who fought this fight with us. It's been a long fight. It's been a hard fight. But, God is good," she said.
"I never thought this day back in 2020," she added. "He will now rest in peace."
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