The sentence was handed down to Travis McMichael, 36, and his father, Greg McMichael, 66, with the judge reiterating the seriousness of the February 2020 incident that made a significant contribution to the Black Lives Matter movement. William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, who recorded video of the shooting, was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In February, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and Bryan of violating Mr. Arbery’s civil rights, concluding that he had been targeted because of his race. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:26 2020: The video shows moments before the jogger’s death All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping and the McMichaels were convicted of using weapons to commit a violent crime. During Monday’s hearing, Greg McMichael addressed the Arbery family, saying their loss was “beyond description.” “I’m sure my words mean very little to you, but I want to assure you that I never wanted any of this to happen,” he said. “There was no malice in my heart or my son’s heart that day.”
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Travis McMichael declined to address the court, but his attorney said a lighter sentence would be more consistent with what similar defendants have received in other cases, noting that the police officer who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin , was sentenced to 21 years in prison for violating Floyd’s civil rights, although he was not accused of targeting Mr. Floyd because of his race. Image: Greg McMichael The McMichaels had already been sentenced to life in prison for Mr. Arbery’s murder and had asked the judge to divert them to a federal prison to serve their sentences, saying they were concerned about their safety in the state prison system. Their request was denied. The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a van to chase Mr Arbery after he ran past their home on February 23, 2020. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Mr. Arbery with a shotgun. Image: William ‘Roddie’ Bryan during the first test in November 2021 The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crime. During the hate crime trial in February, prosecutors bolstered their case that Mr. Arbery’s killing was racially motivated by showing jurors about a dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racial slurs and made disparaging comments about black people. Because they were first charged and convicted of murder in state court, protocol would have them turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their life sentences in state prison.
