3 Suspects In Killing Of Ahmaud Arbery Are Indicted On Murder Charges

The three suspects in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery have each been indicted on nine counts including felony murder. The prosecutor in the case announced the news on Wednesday.

Arbery was a black man who was shot dead after being chased in a neighborhood in South Georgia. The charged men in the case are Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and their neighbor William Bryan.

The Wednesday announcement came from the office of the District Attorney Joyette M. Holmes of Cobb County. She stated that each man would be charged with malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. 

Holmes said, “This is another step forward in seeking justice for Ahmaud. We will continue to be intentional in the pursuit of justice for this family and the community at large as the prosecution of this case continues.”

Richard Dial, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said in a court hearing this month that Bryan heard McMichael use a racial slur after shooting Arbery. Each of the three men has been charged with malice murder, the most serious charge they face, which under Georgia law is “the intentional killing of a person with malice aforethought.”

Each man could face up to a life sentence without parole.

The three men are currently being held in custody in Glynn County. Kevin Gough, a lawyer for Bryan, continues to claim his client is innocent.

“We’re disappointed that the district attorney chose to indict Mr. Bryan,” Gough said. “But at the same time we’ve been demanding a speedy trial from Day 1. The presentation of this case to the grand jury brings us one step closer to our day in court.”

The killing of Arbery along with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have both led to a national outcry for racial justice along with protests against police brutality that have occurred nationwide.