Ahmaud Arbery: Jogger's murderers sentenced to life in prison

Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William 'Roddie' Bryan sentenced for murder of black jogger

The three white men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery, the black jogger who was shot while running through a Georgia neighbourhood in 2020, were sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

In November, a jury found Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan guilty of murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Both McMichaels were sentenced to life without parole. Bryan, whom Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley said expressed some remorse over Arbery's murder, received life with the possibility of parole.

In remarks before the sentencing, Mr Walmsley called Arbery's killing a "tragedy on many, many levels" and said the sentencing "demonstrates that everyone is accountable to the rule of law".

Earlier, Arbery's relatives had addressed the court to argue that racial stereotyping led to the killing of the 25-year-old avid jogger. Defence lawyers pleaded leniency, saying none of the three men ever intended for Arbery to be killed.

Linda Dunikoski, the lead prosecutor, had argued that the two McMichaels should die in prison, and only Bryan should be able to seek parole, pointing to what she called "a demonstrated pattern of vigilantism" by the McMichaels.

Jasmine Arbery addressed the court in a quavering voice to offer a poetic celebration of her brother's race, which she said was mistaken for something frightening by his murderers.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, leaves the podium after giving her impact statement to Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley during the sentencing of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbour, William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Georgia. AP

"He had dark skin that glistened in the sunlight like gold. He had curly hair; he would often like to twist it. He had a broad nose and the colour of his eyes was filled with melanin," she said.

"These are the qualities that made these men assume Ahmaud was a dangerous criminal. To me, those qualities reflected a young man full of life and energy who looked like me and the people I love."

The defence lawyers have said they will appeal the convictions. Bob Rubin, a lawyer for the younger McMichael, said life without parole should be reserved only for "the worst of the worst".

Arbery was killed on February 23, 2020, when the McMichaels grabbed their guns and chased him in their pickup truck through the mostly white neighbourhood of Satilla Shores, suspecting the jogger of fleeing a crime.

Bryan followed in his own vehicle and recorded the encounter on his mobile phone as Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery at close range.

Travis McMichael said during the trial that he had fired his gun in self-defence, but prosecutors argued that a self-defence argument was impossible since the three white men initiated the deadly incident.

Graphic footage of the attack was not seen until months later when it was leaked online and it was learnt that all three men were still walking free.

The McMichaels and Bryan will also face federal hate crime charges in February.

Agencies contributed to this report