American black jogger killer now also convicted of hate crime | Abroad

The new conviction comes almost exactly two years after Arbery’s death on February 23, 2020. Travis McMichael (36), his father Gregory McMichael (66) and their neighbor William ‘Roddie’ Bryan (52) were charged with this last November. already found guilty of murder†

At their previous conviction, for which all three got life in early January, prosecutors omitted a possible racist motive in the three – all white men. In the new trial before a federal court, the jury finds that there is also a hate crime. The jury found all charges proven.

Lead suspect Travis McMichael was also convicted of attempted kidnapping and carrying and possessing a Remington rifle. His father Gregory was convicted of possessing and carrying a Magnum revolver. The sentence will be handed down next week, but a new life sentence seems likely, as do hefty fines. In the US, suspects can receive multiple life sentences.

The trio killed Arbery, 25, in Georgia after they saw him jogging there on February 23, 2020. They decided to chase him in two pickup trucks. After a few minutes, Travis McMichael got out and shot him at close range after a skirmish. The neighbor filmed the chase and murder on his phone. The convicts claimed they thought Arbery was a burglar, but had no proof.

Footage of the murder has been doing the rounds on the internet. The suspects were still at large at the time. Arbery’s death sparked protests in Brunswick, where the murder took place. His name was also cited in demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, a black American who was killed by a white officer during his arrest in May 2020.

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The conviction sparked satisfaction with Arbery’s parents. Outside the courthouse, their attorney Ben Crumps held up the hands of mother Wanda Cooper-Jones and father Marcus Arbery Sr in victory. Mother Wanda thanked the Public Prosecution Service, but also came with strong criticism. “Last January 31, you accepted another deal with these three killers who took my son’s life.”

Cooper-Jones was referring to the so-called please deal , in which prime suspect Travis McMichael would, among other things, plead guilty in exchange for a 30-year sentence. He would also be transferred to a federal prison.

Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected the deal, however, because she considered the terms too favorable. She did this partly because of the fierce criticism of the deal from Arbery’s family. Mother Wanda Cooper-Jones was extra happy with the end result today. “What we got today, we wouldn’t have had without the struggles we fought as a family.”

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