Breaking: Jury Reaches Verdict in Ahmaud Arbery Trial

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Jurors in Georgia have returned a guilty verdict in the Ahmaud Arbery trial.

Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis, 35, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, were arrested and charged with a number of crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, including murder and aggravated assault.

Arbery was shot during a confrontation with Greogy and Travis McMichael. Prosecutors have argued that Arbery was on an afternoon jog and racism was a key factor in the case.

The defense argued that Arbery was the suspect of a number of local break-ins in the neighborhood.

When the group confronted Arbery, video footage shows Arbery attacking Travis, according to the defense. If Arbery had gotten the shotgun from Travis, it was a life-or-death situation, the defense claimed.

Despite this defense, the jury found Travis McMichael was found guilty of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

The jury found Greg McMichael guilty of four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Jurors found him not guilty on charges of malice murder.

The jury found Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael guilty on all counts.

In 2020, the McMichaels were armed with a pistol and a shotgun. They pursued Arbery in a pickup truck through the neighborhood where the break-ins were occurring.

Bryan later joined the pursuit and Arbery was unarmed.

A 36-second clip filmed from a vehicle following Arbery surfaced in May 2020. Here’s footage of the confrontation:

In 2017, police bodycam footage showed another confrontation between Arbery and police officers.

He was in a car in an area known for drug use. After resisting orders of police, a taser malfunctioned and Arbery left on foot. Watch the clip:

Prior to the 2017 incident, Arbery served five years of probation for a first-time weapons charge. In 2018, he was convicted of probation violation for shoplifting.

Arbery’s family members, including Kimberly Cummings Arbery, 55, of Townsend, Georgia, said her family wants justice.

“It has been torture,” she said outside the courthouse. “A piece of my heart left that day.”

“It surprises me it has taken so long,” she added of the deliberation process.

“He was crazy about my lemonade,” Kenya Thomas, Arbery’s aunt, 46, of McDonough, Georgia, said as she brought a few gallons of strawberry lemonade in honor of her nephew.

“He loved that football just like he jogged and ran he tore that football field up,” she said.