JUDGE'S JUSTICE
Ahmaud Arbery’s sentencing: Killers slapped with LIFE in prison after black man, 25, was gunned down while jogging
AHMAUD Arbery's killers were sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis McMichael, 35, and their accomplice William 'Roddie' Bryan, 52, were found guilty back in November.
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The McMichael's were both sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Ahmaud's killing on February 23, 2020, sparked outrage across the country when a video of the death at the hands of the three men went viral.
Many drew comparisons to the death of – which saw white police officer Derek Chauvin convicted of murder.
Following the verdict, Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, admitted that the family had waited a long time for justice - noting that the authorities only arrested the trio after the footage emerged online.
But, she said it was “huge” to have her son's killers finally convicted of the crime – some 21 months after his death.
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"My prayers have been answered," she said. "Early in the case, in 2020, we were 74 days without an arrest.
"We finally were able to go through a lengthy trial and get justice for Ahmaud. Today was a good day."
The 25-year-old was jogging through Brunswick, when he was confronted by the McMichaels, who claimed he was a suspect in a series of alleged local break-ins.
The father and son reportedly then went to make a "citizen's arrest" by following him in their white pickup truck while armed with a pistol and shotgun.
William "Roddie" Bryan, 52, later joined in their pursuit and captured the event on video.
Before sentencing, the judge held a minute silence to represent a "fraction of the time Ahmaud was running for."
FATAL SHOTS
After exiting the truck, the younger McMichael fatally shot Arbery three times and later claimed self-defense, alleging that Arbery grabbed at his gun and refused his order to get on the ground, according to authorities.
It is believed the first shot was to Arbery's chest, the second was to his hand, and the third was to his chest again before he collapsed.
Months after Arbery was fatally shot, the video of his death emerged online, which led to the trio's arrests after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police.
The three defendants all issued not guilty pleas to the judge but were convicted on various counts.
Travis was charged and subsequently found guilty of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and a criminal attempt to commit a felony.
GUILTY VERDICT
Gregory was found not guilty for the charge of malice murder and guilty of four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
William Bryan was found guilty of aggravated assault and felony murder.
"You can’t claim self-defense if you are the unjustified aggressor," Georgia prosecutor Linda Dunikoski said during her final statement.
"Who started this? It wasn’t Ahmaud Arbery."
Who started this? It wasn't Ahmaud Arbery."
Georgia prosecutor Linda Dunikoski
She later added that the three had "no badge, no uniform, no authority" and were "just some strange guys in a white pickup truck."
"You can’t make a citizen’s arrest because someone’s running down the street and you have no idea what they did wrong," Dunikoski continued.
"It doesn’t matter who actually pulled the trigger," Dunikoski concluded. "Under the law, they’re all guilty."
Franklin Hogue, an attorney representing Gregory, later argued that the prosecutor's argument was "improper" and was a "misstatement of the law."
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Following the conviction, his co-counsel, Laura Hogue, said that she was "very disappointed" with the jury's decision, and they both plan on appealing the conviction, according to .
Father, son, and friend CONVICTED in Ahmaud Arbery's murder sending cheers around courtroom
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