The father/son duo, Gregory and Travis McMichael, have been sentenced to life in jail for killing Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020, in Brunswick, Georgia. On Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, the duo was convicted for interference with rights — a hate crime — in addition to attempting kidnapping and weapon use charges. William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., their neighbor and an accomplice to the Arbery killing, received a 35-year sentence.
All three perpetrators are already serving life sentences for their state court convictions. The state court convictions were based on a series of charges related to the murder of 25-year-old Arbery. One of the charges handed down to the men was felony murder.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood decided all three would be remanded to state custody to begin their sentences. The men’s lawyers argued that they should be in federal prison to serve their terms.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery’s mother, stated that she was “very relived,” according to CNN.
I’m glad, I’m thankful. I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who stood with us through this long process.
Arbery’s mother told the judge she felt “every shot that was fired [that day] every day.” The victim’s father, Marcus, stated “these three devils have broken my heart into pieces that cannot be found or repaired.” He then asked the court to give the three white men the stiffest sentence possible.
Then the victim’s father accused the men: “You killed him because he was a Black man and you hate Black people.”
On that horrible day, the father/son duo and Bryan chased the victim in trucks through their coastal neighborhood. The perpetrators saw the 25-year-old running by their homes. They then cornered him before Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery with a shotgun. Bryan filmed the incident on his cellphone.
All three men were tried and sentenced separately.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: McMichaels sentenced to life terms, William ‘Roddie’ Bryan gets 35 years for federal hate crime convictions in Ahmaud Arbery’s killing
NBC News: Father and son sentenced to life in prison, neighbor gets 35 years for federal hate crimes in killing of Ahmaud Arbery
CBS: Father and son sentenced to life in prison for federal hate crimes in Ahmaud Arbery’s killing
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Inset Image Courtesy of Becker1999’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
