This photo combo shows, from left to right, Travis McMichael, William "Roddie" Bryan, and Gregory McMichael during their trial at at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga.
AP file
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The white father and son convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting after they chased him through a Georgia neighborhood were sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.
A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael, 66, in Brunswick. Both were previously sentenced to life without parole in a state court for Arbery’s murder.
A federal jury in February convicted Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan of violating Arbery’s civil rights, concluding they targeted him because he was Black. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.
The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after the 25-year-old ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun.
The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar. Investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.
FILE - Travis McMichael looks on during the sentencing in his trial along with his father Greg McMichael and neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, on Jan. 7, 2022, in Brunswick, Ga.
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool, File
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood said Monday that Travis McMichael had received a fair trial.
“And it’s not lost on the court that it was the kind of trial that Ahmaud Arbery did not receive before he was shot and killed,” the judge said.
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Before the two sentencings, she heard from members of Arbery's family. His mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, said she feels every shot that was fired at her son every day.
“It’s so unfair, so unfair, so unfair that he was killed while he was not even committing a crime,” she said.
A recently painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is displayed in Brunswick, Ga., on May 17, 2020, where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February.
AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan, File
Greg McMichael addressed the Arbery family before he was sentenced, saying their loss was “beyond description.”
“I’m sure my words mean very little to you but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen there was no malice in my heart or my son’s heart that day,” he said.
Travis McMichael declined to address the court, but his attorney, Amy Lee Copeland, said her client had no convictions before Arbery’s slaying and had served in the U.S. Coast Guard. She said a lighter sentence would be more consistent with what similarly charged defendants have received in other cases, noting that the officer who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, got 21 years in prison for violating Floyd’s civil rights, though he was not charged with targeting Floyd because of his race. Full story here:
Photos: Scenes from the courtroom in murder trial of 3 men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's killing
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski gestures as she speaks during opening statements in the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Gregory McMichael listens to opening statements in the trial of he and his son Travis McMichael and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Travis McMichael speaks with his defense attorney Robert Rubin during the trial of his father, Gregory McMichael, himself and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, who are charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, at the Gwynn County Superior Court, in Brunswick, Ga., Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Former Glynn County police officer Ricky Minshew testifies during the trial of Greg McMichael, his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan at the Glynn County Courthouse on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The men are on trial for murder and other crimes in the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defendant William "Roddie" Bryan listens to an attorney as police body camera footage is shown during trial at the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael and their neighbor Bryan are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski shows a photo of defendant Travis McMichael during the trial of he and his father Greg McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
APTOPIX Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, listens to Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, right, during the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Firearms expert Brian Leppard with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation examines a 12-gage Remington pump shotgun as part of evidence during the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
APTOPIX Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Travis McMichael reacts to questions during his testimony in the trial of he and his father Greg McMichael and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Greg McMichael's wife, Leigh McMichael, left, and her husband's Greg McMichael's attorney Laura Hogue, right, reacts during a recess during the trial Travis McMichael, his father and William "Roddie" Bryan in the Glynn County Courthouse, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Greg McMichael wipes his eyes during a recess in the testimony of his son Travis McMichael during their trial and trial of their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan at the Glynn County Courthouse, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defendant Travis McMichael testifies during his trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 in Brunswick, Ga. Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael, and a neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan are charged charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, sits with Wanda Cooper-Jones, mother of Ahmaud Arbery, during the trial of Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 in Brunswick, Ga. Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael, and a neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan are charged charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defense attorneys Kevin Gough, right, and Laura Hogue speak during a break in the trial of the killers of Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, lower right, are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Satilla Shores resident Brook Perez testifies during the trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Sean Rayford/Pool Photo via AP)
Sean Rayford
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defendant Gregory McMichael looks on during his trial at the Glynn County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
OCTAVIO JONES
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defendant Travis McMichael looks on during during his trial at the Glynn County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
OCTAVIO JONES
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski stands in front of Judge Timothy Walmsley during the trial of William "Roddie" Bryan, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, at Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick, Ga., Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
OCTAVIO JONES
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defendant William "Roddie" Bryan looks on during his trial at Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. William "Roddie" Bryan, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael are charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
OCTAVIO JONES
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Defense attorney Jason Sheffield gestures, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick, Ga., during the trial of William "Roddie" Bryan, Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael, who are in the February 2020 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Gregory McMichael reacts during the trial of himself, son Travis McMichael and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan at Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick, Ga., Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The three are charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski presents a closing argument to the jury during the trial of Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three men charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski presents a closing argument to the jury during the trial of Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three men charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Greg McMichael's defense attorney Laura Hogue presents a closing argument to the jury during the trial of Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three men are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
Stephen B. Morton
Ahmaud Arbery-Georgia
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Judge Timothy Walmsley looks on as the prosecutors make their final rebuttal before the jury begins deliberations in the trial of William "Roddie" Bryan, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga., Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones
Ahmaud Arbery-Georgia
Updated
Jun 14, 2023
Prosecutors Linda Dunikoski and Larissa Ollivierre stand during the trial of William "Roddie" Bryan, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga., Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Octavio Jones