In Georgia, all three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison.

Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, to life in prison without parole. William “Roddie” Bryan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

“I’ve read somewhere, and I don’t remember where it was, that at a minimum, Ahmaud Arbery’s death should force us to consider expanding our definition of what a neighbor may be and how we treat them. I argue that maybe a neighbor is more than the people who just own property around your house. I believe that assuming the worst in others we show our worst character,” Walmsley said before the sentencing.

Walmsley said the three men “hunted down and shot” Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man running in a Georgie neighborhood in 2020.

“In my opinion, Greg McMichael very early on in this tried to establish a narrative. He made comments like ‘Ahmaud Arbery was trapped like a rat,’ ‘stop or I’ll blow your — and I won’t repeat it again — head off.’ Effectively admitted that he wasn’t sure what Ahmaud Arbery had done wrong,” Walmsley said.

“Travis McMichael claims he was in shock, but it’s interesting because he talks about his concern for his child and his own well-being. Part of this was while the victim was actually laying there in the street,” the judge said.

“Mr. Bryan, he joined in, after calling out to the McMichaels ‘you all got him,’ claimed he didn’t know what was going on. But obviously wanted to know if this individual who was running through the neighborhood who he didn’t know had been caught in some way,” the judge continued.

He said these quotes give context to the video of the killing presented in court during the trial.

“In this case, I think many people are seeking closure. The mother, the father, the community, and maybe even parts of the nation, but closure is hard to define and is a granular concept. It’s seen differently by all depending on their perspective and the prism of your lives,” Walmsley said.

“Instead of closure, maybe it would be best to see today’s proceeding as an exercise in accountability. We are all accountable for our own actions. Today demonstrates that everybody is accountable to the rule of law. Taking the law into your own hands is a dangerous endeavor,” he added.

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Three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery sentenced to life in prison

The 12-person jury started its deliberations on Tuesday over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. It must determine the fate of three men facing murder and other charges stemming from the fatal shooting of the 25-year-old last year.

Deliberations began following 10 days of testimony from eyewitnesses, including police officers, neighbors, and one of the defendants.

Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan have all pleaded not guilty to one count of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of false imprisonment, and one criminal attempt to commit a felony. If convicted, the men face life in prison.

On Feb. 23, 2020, the McMichaels spotted Arbery leaving a nearby house that was under construction. The McMichaels, both armed, started chasing Arbery from a pickup truck while he was on foot. Bryan, who lived in the area, joined the chase soon after in his own truck. Bryan recorded a video of what would be Arbery’s final moments.

As Arbery ran down the street with the trucks closing in on him, he charged at Travis McMichael. McMichael shot Arbery three times as the 25-year-old tried to grab his shotgun, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The incident garnered national attention after Bryan’s video footage leaked in May 2020.

The defense argued that the McMichaels were acting on Georgia’s now-defunct citizen’s arrest law, which allowed them to detain Arbery because they had a suspicion he’d committed a crime. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) repealed the law in May.

Bryan’s lawyer, Kevin Gough, has tried to isolate himself from the case, arguing that his client was unaware a crime was occurring when he joined the chase and started recording, according to The New York Times. Gough has also said Bryan didn’t cause any harm to Arbery.

However, prosecutor Linda Dunikoski has argued that the defendants didn’t have grounds to follow Arbery because there wasn’t any evidence he’d committed a crime. Dunikoski said the three defendants decided to attack Arbery “because he was a Black man running down their street.”

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Arbery case goes to jury

A defense attorney representing one of the men charged with murdering Ahmaud Arbery last year became the subject of criticism by saying he didn’t want “black pastors” to attend the court proceedings. 

Kevin Gough, attorney for William “Roddie” Bryan, told Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley that he was concerned about Rev. Al Sharpton’s presence in the courtroom the previous day, saying it could’ve been an attempt to intimidate the predominantly white jury.

“Obviously there’s only so many pastors they can have,” Gough said. “And if their pastor’s Al Sharpton right now that’s fine, but then that’s it. We don’t want any more black pastors coming in here … sitting with the victim’s family, trying to influence the jurors in this case.”

Sharpton was sat with the victim’s family in the courtroom at the time of Gough’s comments. Gough told the judge he didn’t realize Sharpton had been there until after the court had adjourned for the day.

“You weren’t even aware of it until later?” Walmsley said. “I’m not sure what we’re doing.”

Sharpton issued a statement, saying Gough’s remarks showed “arrogant insensitivity.”

“I respect the defense attorney doing his job,” Sharpton said, “but this is beyond defending your client, it is insulting the family of the victim.”

Bryan, along with father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, is charged with murder in Arbery’s Feb. 23, 2020, killing. Arbery, 25, was chased and fatally shot after the defendants spotted him running in their neighborhood.

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A defense lawyer in Arbery’s killing says he doesn’t want Black pastors in court