Our live coverage has ended for the day. Read more on the reaction to the verdicts here.
Theawanza Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery’s aunt, said Wednesday that she was pleased that the three men convicted of murdering her nephew may serve “life-without-parole.”
Travis McMichael, who shot and killed Arbery, his father, Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. were found guilty Wednesday.
Judge Timothy Walmsley did not schedule sentencing today but said he plans to set a date in the coming weeks.
The jury in the trial of three men for the death of Ahmed Arbery was made up of 11 White people and one Black person, but prosecutors told CNN that they felt that when the jury heard their arguments, they would make the decision to find all three guilty, which they did.
One main goal for prosecutors Paul Camarillo, Cobb County senior assistant district attorney, said was to simply show that the defendant’s claim of self-defense, simply wasn’t a viable argument.
“We had to show that it did not apply in this case and if they could not get past that hurdle, they never could get to self-defense,” Camarillo said.
Larissa Ollivierre, Cobb County assistant district attorney, said she felt bad for Arbery’s parents when one defense attorney began talking about Arbery’s toenails.
“I think the comments were unnecessary and they were low. and I just feel bad that Ahmad’s mom dad and had to sit there and listen to all of those things,” Ollivierre said.
Dunikoski said defense attorney Kevin Gough’s comments about Black pastors– though made without the jury present — was strategic.
“Mr. Gough is a very, very good attorney, and he purposefully and intentionally and strategically, I believe, did what did he in an effort to attempt to insert potentially some error into the case in case he lost the case and it went up on appeal,” she said
The attorney for William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. said he plans to appeal after his client was convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
“Here he is, he does everything he’s supposed to do, he’s fully cooperating, he’s done everything that he can and now he’s looking at spending the rest of his life in prison,” the attorney continued as he spoke to members of the media Wednesday afternoon.
Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery, and his father, Gregory McMichael, were also found guilty of murder and other charges. The three defendants are White, Arbery was Black.
Gough said he planned to appeal the decision regarding his client, noting, “We believe the appellate courts will reverse this conviction.”
Gough was doubtful about the possibility of parole for Bryan.
“At his age, 25 years before parole eligibility? I don’t think parole is even something he’s going to be worrying about right now,” Gough said.
CNN’s Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, told CNN that her prayers had been answered and that “today was a very good day,” after three men were found guilty in her son’s killing.
Cooper-Jones also discussed thoughts she had about other mothers who were in her circumstance seeking justice for their children.
“My message to these families is don’t give up, keep pushing, keep fighting,” Cooper-Jones said.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for Cooper-Jones, said they are looking forward to the federal prosecution of the men found guilty Wednesday in Georgia.
Merritt said he agreed with Martin Luther King Jr.’s sentiment that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice, but not on its own.
“The moral arc is long and I agree that it does bend toward justice but it doesn’t bend on its own,” Merritt said. “It takes fight being mothers like the one I’m sitting next to that I have the real honor and privilege to represent.”
Lead prosecutor Linda Dunikoski said spoke about the verdict today, saying “When you present the truth to people and they can see it, they will do the right thing and that’s what this jury did today in getting justice for Ahmaud Arbery,”
Dunikoski, who is a Cobb County senior assistant district attorney, successfully prosecuted the cases of Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and their neighbor William R. Bryan.
All three men were convicted Wednesday of chasing and murdering Arbery, a 25-year-old Black jogger who was running in their neighborhood.
She also thanked her trial partners, calling it “a gigantic team effort.”
Sen. Jon Ossoff, of Georgia, extended his condolences to the Arbery family and insisted that “further investigation is necessary to determine how and why officials initially refused to pursue the case” into the three men found guilty Wednesday.
Ossoff added: “Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers will be held accountable, but a historic civil rights mobilization was necessary for the killers to face prosecution at all. There was nearly impunity for this murder, and further investigation is necessary to determine how and why officials initially refused to pursue the case. The circumstances of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder and the struggle required to secure a prosecution demonstrate profoundly the urgency of reforms to make equal justice real in America.”
Earlier today: In the same vein, Rev. Al Sharpton praised “White and Black activists” alike for their support during the trial and helping to raise awareness.
All three defendants were convicted of felony murder, but only Travis McMichael, the man who shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery, was convicted of the top charge, malice murder.
Georgia criminal defense attorney Page Pate told CNN this decision by the jury made sense to him.
He said the verdict shows “it was careful deliberation” by the jury in the case.
“Let’s put the facts together with the law and come up with what we feel is the right verdict, and I think it was the right verdict for this case,” Pate said.
The guilty verdicts for all three men charged in killing Ahmaud Arbery last year send “an important message,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement this afternoon.
Harris added: “These verdicts send an important message, but the fact remains that we still have work to do. The defense counsel chose to set a tone that cast the attendance of ministers at the trial as intimidation and dehumanized a young Black man with racist tropes. The jury arrived at its verdicts despite these tactics. Ahmaud Arbery was a son. He was a brother. He was a friend. His life had meaning. We will not forget him. We honor him best by continuing the fight for justice.”
Earlier today: Travis McMichael, who shot and killed Arbery, was convicted on all nine counts against him. Five of the counts — malice murder and four counts of felony murder — carry a possible life sentence.
His father, Gregory McMichael, was found guilty of all but the first count — malice murder. He faces possible life in prison for the four counts of felony murder that he was convicted of.
The third defendant, William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., was convicted on six of the nine charges. He was found not guilty of malice murder, not guilty on one of the felony murder counts and not guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm. But Bryan could still be sentenced to life in prison since he was convicted on three of the felony murders counts.
Jason Sheffield — an attorney for Travis McMichael, one of three convicted of murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery — said he is planning to appeal the jury’s guilty verdict.
Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. were found guilty of murder in Arbery’s death. Each faces the possibility of life in prison.
“That is a very disappointing and sad verdict for myself and for Bob and for our team, but we also recognize that this is a day of celebration for the Arbery family,” Sheffield added. “We cannot tear our eyes away from the way they feel about this. They feel they have gotten justice today. We respect that. We honor that. Because we honor this jury trial system.”
Defense attorneys speak outside the courthouse:
All three men who were found guilty in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery face the possibility of life in prison when they are sentenced.
Travis McMichael, who shot and killed Arbery, was convicted on all nine counts. Five of the counts — malice murder and four counts of felony murder — carry a possible life sentence.
His father, Gregory McMichael, was found guilty of all but the first count — malice murder. He faces possible life in prison for the four counts of felony murder that he was convicted on.
The third defendant, William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., was convicted on six of the nine charges. He was found not guilty of malice murder, not guilty on one of the felony murder counts and not guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm. But Bryan could still get sentenced to life in prison since he was convicted on three of the felony murders counts.
The judge did not schedule sentencing today but he said he plans to set a date in the coming weeks.
Here’s a breakdown of each of the counts that defendants were charged with in the case, along with the maximum penalties:
Count 1: Malice murder
Count 2: Felony murder (Felony offense: Aggravated assault with a firearm)
Count 3: Felony murder (Felony offense: Aggravated assault with pickup trucks)
Count 4: Felony murder (Felony offense: False imprisonment)
Count 5: Felony Murder (Felony offense: Criminal attempt to commit a felony)
Count 6: Aggravated assault (with firearms)
Count 7: Aggravated assault (with pickup trucks)
Count 8: False imprisonment
Count 9: Criminal attempt to commit a felony
President Biden reacted to the guilty verdicts in the trial of three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery, saying that it “ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished.”
“Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin,” the President said.
Biden said Arbery “should be here today” celebrating the holidays with his family, pledging that his administration will continue to work for equal justice.
After all three men on trial in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder, defense attorney Laura Hogue said, “I’m floored, floored with a capital ‘F,’” as she spoke to her client Gregory McMicheal’s wife, Leigh, according to a pool reporter who was in the room.
The comments were made as the courtroom was emptying following the reading of the verdict.
Leigh McMichael’s “face was red with tears,” the pool reporter observed, as she spoke to her husband’s attorney.
Hogue said she was “very disappointed.”
Hogue’s co-counsel, Frank Hogue, said they planned to appeal the conviction, the pool reporter said.
Attorneys for Travis McMichael, Leigh’s son, declined to comment.
Marcus Arbery Sr., the father of Ahmaud Arbery, celebrated the guilty verdicts outside the courthouse, saying “we conquered that lynch mob.”
Arbery said he saw the guilty verdicts as a victory for his son — and also for justice everywhere.
“It’s all our problem,” he continued. “So hey, let’s keep fighting. Let’s keep doing and making this a better place for all human beings.”
Earlier in the day Judge Timothy Walmsley asked Arbery to leave the courtroom after he reacted to the guilty verdict of Travis McMichael – the man who shot his son.
Arbery exclaimed, “Woohoo!” after the first guilty verdict was read.
“I ask that whoever just made an outburst be removed from the court, please,” said Walmsley.
Concluding his remarks outside the courthouse today, Arbery appealed to love, saying all humans should be treated the same.
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Latonia Hines, the executive assistant district attorney in Cobb County, said Ahmaud Arbery’s killing signaled a change in the community, Georgia and the nation as a whole.
Speaking for the district attorney, who had to leave due to a family emergency, Hines pointed to changes that have happened since the start of this case, including changes to Georgia’s citizen arrest law.
“We want you to know that from the moment this case came to our office, it was our foremost goal to ensure that we got justice for Ahmaud Arbery’s family, and in particular, we are so very proud and thankful for the confidence that the family has given to us,” she said at a news conference on the courthouse steps.
Hines also said she admired the “steadfastness and the strength” of Arbery’s parents throughout the trial and the “courage” of the jury to convict all three men charged in his killing.
Adding, “We want to thank this community for the support that it has given, to the family and to us and the community at large.”
Linda Dunikoski, the lead prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, said that the prosecution’s argument was a “team effort.”
“We had so many people on the team that helped bring justice for Ahmaud and his family, and we really, really appreciate the support that we had and the faith from Mr. Arbery [Ahmaud Arbery’s father] and from Ms. Wanda Cooper-Jones [Arbery’s mother] who have been with us, and put their faith in us and trusted us,” she said outside the Glynn County, Georgia, courthouse.
Rev. Al Sharpton praised “White and Black activists” alike for their support during the trial of three men found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery last year.
Sharpton added: “Tomorrow, in all our joy today, there will be an empty chair at Wanda’s table. Ahmaud will not be at Thanksgiving tomorrow. But she can look at that chair and say to Ahmaud, ‘I fought a good fight and I got you some justice.’ We can’t fill that chair for you, Wanda, but we can say that you are a mother above all mothers. You fought for your son.”
Religious leaders during the trial: Defense attorney Kevin Gough attempted to have Rev. Jesse Jackson removed from the court on Nov. 15 as the civil rights leader sat with Arbery’s family.
Gough insisted that prominent Black pastors such as Jackson and Sharpton, who was also at the trial, could influence the jury. The week before, Gough asked the judge to ban Black pastors from court and later apologized for it.
Gough objected to Jackson’s presence in the public gallery on Nov. 15 inside the courtroom.
“How many pastors does that Arbery family have? We had the Rev. Al Sharpton here earlier last week… I don’t know who Mr. Jackson, Rev. Jackson is pastoring here,” Gough said.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the guilty verdict of all three defendants in the death of Arbery is “not a celebration, it is a reflection to acknowledge that the spirit of Ahmaud defeated the lynch mob.”
“We did this together. We said ‘America, we will make us better than what we saw on that video,’” he said.
Crump, who represents Marcus Arbery Sr., praised both Arbery’s father and mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones for enduring the trial. He said they are “still devastated because they’re missing Ahmaud.”
“You can’t experience the pain of a mother and a father who witnessed what they witnessed not being there to protect their child,” Crump said.
“Every parent in America can take solace in knowing that we have an example of how to deal with tragedy and grief when they look at the example of Marcus Arbery and Wanda Cooper. And we should applaud them.”
When deciding their verdict, the jurors in the trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery had to weigh two different types of murder charges – malice murder and felony murder.
Travis McMichael was found guilty of malice murder while the other defendants, Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., were convicted on four and three of the counts of felony murder, respectively.
The difference between the charges has to do with intent, Elie Honig, CNN senior legal analyst, said.
Malice murder means that the jury determined that Travis McMichael intended to kill Ahmaud Arbery, and he did, Honig said. Travis McMichael was the person who shot Arbery. Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr.’s felony murder convictions means that they intentionally committed the felony.
For context: Despite the different murder convictions, all three of the men could face possible life sentences.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, mother of Ahmaud Arbery, spoke outside the courthouse after the verdicts were read. She told the crowd that was gathered that she wanted to say “Thank you.”
Cooper-Jones said, “to tell you the truth, I never thought this day back in 2020.”
“I never thought this day would come. But God is good,” she added.
She concluded by saying that her son can now “rest is peace.”
“You know him as Ahmaud, I know him as ‘Quez,’ he will now rest in peace,” she said
The family of Ahmaud Arbery and civil rights attorneys emerged from the courthouse in Glynn County, Georgia, with their arms raised and interlocked after three men were found guilty in his killing.
Observers raised their fists in solidarity.
