Ahmaud Arbery Murder Suspects Officially Indicted in Georgia
Ahmaud Arbery Murder Case Three Suspects Officially Indicted ... Each Facing 9 Counts
UPDATE
3:14 PM PT -- Crump says Wednesday's indictments confirm what Ahmaud's father has been saying for months -- "that this was a lynching."
UPDATE
He adds ... "This is a significant step on the road to justice and while nothing will bring back Ahmaud's life, it is important that a Grand jury recognized his life had value and was wrongly and ruthlessly ended. We expect a trial will lead to the successful prosecution and sentences that reflect the heinous nature of this crime."
UPDATE
2:06 PM PT -- Lee Merritt, the attorney for Ahmaud's mom, Wanda, tells TMZ, "The family of Ahmaud Arbery is determined to see these men prosecuted, convicted and appropriately sentenced for the brutal hate crime that took Ahmaud’s life over four months ago.‬“
UPDATE
Ben Crump, the family's other attorney, calls the indictment "Monumental" in getting justice for Ahmaud.
Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan have each been indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
The Cobb County D.A., Joyette Holmes, announced the indictment to reporters Wednesday in front of the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, GA. Although the defendants had been arrested for murder, the grand jury handed up the indictment ... formally charging them with the crimes.
Each defendant is facing 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
In Georgia, murder charges typically go before a grand jury for indictment.
The 3 defendants have remained in custody since their arrests last month, and last appeared in court in early June for probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there is enough evidence to move forward with the case.
As we reported ... during that hearing, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective took the stand and testified he found NO evidence Ahmaud ever took anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed.
Remember, the elder McMichael, Gregory, had claimed he thought Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect. Travis fired the fatal shots on February 23, during a struggle with Ahmaud ... that came after all 3 men chased him down.
FEBRUARY 2020
Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder May 8, and a judge ordered them held without bail. Bryan, who recorded the incident, was arrested 14 days later and slapped with charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Authorities allege Bryan had no right to stop or confine Arbery and Bryan was working with the McMichaels by repeatedly using his vehicle to trap Arbery.
The GBI detective who testified in the preliminary hearing also said Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n****r" right after he shot him.
Originally Published -- 12:39 PM PT
