The three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of federal hate crimes on Tuesday.
Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and their neighbor, William Bryan were convicted of federal hate crimes after a jury decided they targeted Arbery, a black man, because of his race.
CNN reported:
The federal hate crimes trial for the three White men convicted of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, featured testimony from more than 20 witnesses — several of whom spoke about racist messages used by the defendants.
A former Coast Guard colleague told jurors Travis McMichael, who shot and killed Arbery, called her a racist slur for dating a Black man. A New York woman testified that during a visit she made to Brunswick, Georgia, Gregory McMichael went on an angry rant about Black people. An FBI agent said in court that William “Roddie” Bryan’s word of choice was “bootlip,” which she described as a derogatory term for a Black person, referencing a stereotypical characterization of their face.
The remarks shared in court, which had been made privately and publicly, reveal the three men talked about Black people in derogatory terms and used racial slurs in conversations with others — key evidence prosecutors used to prove the men acted out of racial animus. Defense attorneys have acknowledged their clients used racist language but deny that’s what motivated their actions in Arbery’s February 23, 2020, killing in south Georgia.
All three men were previously found guilty by a Georgia jury and sentenced to life in prison.
“Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He sentenced Bryan to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Bryan, who is 52 years old, will be eligible for parole under Georgia law only after he has served 30 years in prison because he was convicted of serious violent felonies.” CNN reported last month.
Arbery was a thief who was caught several times snooping around homes and properties in Brunswick, Georgia – even in the daylight.
The media claimed Arbery was out “jogging” when he was shot dead.
The men pursued Arbery to confront him and make a citizen’s arrest (which was legal at the time), a fight ensued and Arbery was shot dead.
The defense argued Travis McMichael shot Arbery in self-defense after he tried taking his weapon away during the fight.
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