Jury Unanimously Finds Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers Guilty

After four hours, a jury in Brunswick, Georgia found Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan guilty of attempted kidnapping and violation of civil rights, and the McMichaels were additionally charged with the use of a firearm to commit a crime. All three men were sentenced up to life in prison as well as given fines.

The defense attorneys argued that the defendants had sanctioned reasons to pursue Arbery. Arbery had been running from the direction of an under-construction house, and the McMichaels suspected he had trespassed the area several times, and stolen items from it. The defense attorneys didn’t deny the defendants’ use of derogatory language or offensive media, but they said the defendants didn’t chase and kill Arbery because of his race, rather they thought Arbery had done something wrong. Travis McMichael claimed he shot Ahmaud Arbery in self-defense as they wrestled over his shotgun.

Federal prosecutors argued that Bryan and the McMichaels targeted Arbery because of his race. Christopher Perras, a prosecutor, asked “If Ahmaud was another white person jogging, would this have happened in the way that it did? If Ahmaud hadn’t been using public streets, would this have happened the way it did?” Perras also noted that the defendants acted on assumption, anger, and resentment towards the Black community when they saw Arbery run by. To back this claim up, the prosecutors had evidence of private and public occurrences where the three men used racial slurs, inflammatory language, and violent media.

February 23 is officially Ahmaud Arbery day in Georgia.

LUKE FANN

Editor-in-Chief at The City Voice | fann-l@students.grps.org

Editor-in-Chief Luke Fann is a junior at City and freelances for Rapid Growth Media's Voices of Youth program. He also attends Michigan State University's MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop, receiving the Sparty Award in Journalistic Storytelling and the Art of Storytelling. Additionally, he recieved an Award of Excellence in the Level Up: Leadership for Media program in 2025 and earned an honorable mention for his piece on AI and LLMs at the 2024 MIPA Spring Awards.

Luke began writing in 7th grade and became an editor by the following year. By his sophomore year, he was Managing Editor and then Editor-in-Chief. As for writing, he focuses on business and technology news, taking a deeper dive into topics rather than focusing solely on breaking news. He also covers personal interests, and his weekly editorials offer unique takes on timely issues.

If you're interested in writing for The City Voice, especially as a middle schooler or Underclassman, reach out to Luke or attend a meeting. Journalism is a great way to express your passions. No matter your background, The City Voice wants to hear your voice.