Defendants in Ahmaud Arbery Case Found Guilty

Three men on trial for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder by a Georgian jury on Wednesday, ending a case that became an integral part of the American racial injustice debate. The three men convicted of Arbury's death, father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, chased Arbury in a pickup truck after seeing him run through the neighborhood in February 2020. Neighbor William Brian, the third man, took out his cell phone and caught the shooting on camera. 

The jury was not convinced of McMichael's claim that he had pursued 25-year-old Arbery because he believed Arbery was a thief. Travis McMichael reportedly “feared his life and fired a deadly shotgun” as the defense blamed Arbury for his death.

Each man has been convicted of   murders, assaults and torture, as all three face life in prison without parole. However, only Travis McMichael was convicted of all nine accusations filed against each. The jury returned the convictions of the three men, holding a little over a day of deliberation before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The issue of race has been prevalent throughout the whole case, revealing how much racism continues to affect the modern day legal system.