The 12-person jury reached its verdict in the highly publicized Ahmaud Arbery trial on Wednesday on the second day of jury deliberations, wrapping up the two-week-long trial.
Travis McMichael, 35, his father Greg McMichael, 65, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, were all found guilty on charges of murder, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment in the fatal shooting of Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. on Feb. 23, 2020.
The full list of charges and jury verdict is as follows:
Travis McMichael
- Count 1 Malice Murder: Guilty,
- Count 2: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 3: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 4: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 5: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 6: Aggravated Assault: Guilty
- Count 7: Aggravated Assault: Guilty
- Count 8: False Imprisonment: Guilty
- Count 9: Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony: Guilty
Greg McMichael
- Count 1 Malice Murder: Not Guilty
- Count 2: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 3: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 4: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 5: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 6: Aggravated Assault: Guilty
- Count 7: Aggravated Assault: Guilty
- Count 8: False Imprisonment: Guilty
- Count 9: Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony: Guilty
William Bryan
- Count 1 Malice Murder: Not Guilty
- Count 2: Felony Murder: Not Guilty
- Count 3: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 4: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 5: Felony Murder: Guilty
- Count 6: Aggravated Assault: Not Guilty
- Count 7: Aggravated Assault: Guilty
- Count 8: False Imprisonment: Guilty
- Count 9: Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony: Guilty
Travis McMichael and Greg McMichael had alleged they were conducting a citizen’s arrest on Arbery after they suspected him to have burglarized a home in their neighborhood under construction. Video footage had shown Arbery sprinting from the home and running down the street before the McMichaels pursued him.
Bryan had filmed video of the incident while driving in his pickup truck after Arbery as he ran down the street. The video shows the 36-second encounter as Arbery approached the McMichaels’ truck parked in the road. Greg McMichael was seen in the bed of the truck armed with a handgun, while Travis McMichael excited the driver’s side door with a shotgun.
In the video, Arbery ran around the passenger side of the truck, then to the front of the truck. An obstructed view shows his scuffle with Travis McMichael as Arbery reached for McMichael’s shotgun and began punching Travis McMichael, who fired two shots during the scuffle.
Travis McMichael then fired a third shot at Arbery at point-blank range. Arbery can be seen falling down in the street. Travis McMichael claimed he fired in self-defense.
Judge Timothy Walmsley paused the reading of the verdict on Wednesday and removed several from the courtroom who erupted in cheers after the first guilty verdict was read.
After the verdict was released, President Joe Biden released a statement, saying: “Ahmaud Arbery’s killing – witnessed by the world on video – is a devastating reminder of how far we have to go in the fight for racial justice in this country. Mr. Arbery should be here today, celebrating the holidays with his mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, and his father, Marcus Arbery. Nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back to his family and to his community, but the verdict ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished.”
“While the guilty verdicts reflect our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough. Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin. My administration will continue to do the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all Americans,” the statement added.
