The three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery have been convicted on federal hate crime charges
- Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael, and William Bryan were found guilty of federal hate crimes on Tuesday.
- The trio is already serving life sentences for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery after a state trial.
The three Georgia men who killed unarmed Black man Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty on all counts at their federal hate crimes trial on Tuesday.
Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan were found guilty of interference of rights and attempted kidnapping charges. The McMichaels were also found guilty on charges of using a firearm in the commission of a crime.
Travis McMichael shot Arbery after he and his father pursued Arbery — who was jogging through their neighborhood — in February 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit and filmed it on his cellphone.
The three men were already found guilty in state court in November on murder charges in connection to Arbery's death, and each were sentenced to life in prison last month.
Federal prosecutors in the hate crimes trial argued that Arbery's killing was racially motivated. Prosecutors showed the jury text messages and social media posts of Travis McMichael and Bryan using racist slurs and making derogatory comments about Black people.
The trio's defense attorneys said the crime had nothing to do with race but with their incorrect belief that Arbery was responsible for crimes in their neighborhood.
A jury comprised of eight white people, three Black people, and one Hispanic person deliberated for three hours on Monday. Court resumed at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, and their decision was read out at 10:30 a.m.
Before adjourning court on Tuesday, the judge did not schedule a sentencing hearing. But the three men could face additional sentences of up to life in prison.