The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, in February 2020, are now appealing their convictions.
Greg McMichael, 65, and son Travis, 35, along with neighbor William Roddie Bryan Jr., 52, were found guilty of murder and other felony charges for chasing down and executing Arbery with a shotgun while he jogged in a predominantly White enclave in this seaside Georgia city about four hours southeast of Atlanta.
Jason Sheffield and Bob Rubin, attorneys for Travis Michael, told CNN that they are already discussing in what courtroom they plan to appeal his conviction.
“I can tell you honestly, these men are sorry for what happened to Ahmaud Arbery,” Sheffield asserts. “They are sorry that he is dead. They are sorry for the tragedy that happened because of the choices that they made to go out there and try to stop him.”
“We believe the appellate courts will reverse this conviction,” Bryan’s attorney, Kevin Gough, added.
All three men face up to life in prison without parole when they are sentenced in early 2022. Moreover, the murderers were also indicted on federal charges of committing a hate crime and kidnapping and are expected to stand trial in February.
The lead prosecutor in the state case doesn’t believe the three men have much of a leg to stand on.
“You can’t start it and claim self-defense,” the lead prosecutor argued in her closing statements. “And they started this.”
