The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted three men on federal hate crime charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Adding on, a federal grand jury has charged two of the men with using a firearm in the commission a crime.
Arbery was killed in February 2020 while jogging near his home in Glynn County, Georgia. Three men, Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan, attempted to follow Arbery while he was jogging because they believed he may have been connected to a string of robberies in the area. The McMichaels followed in one car with a firearm while Bryan trailer behind in another vehicle as he recorded the incident. Ultimately, the McMichaels confronted Arbery and killed him. Arbery was unarmed at the time of the incident and he has not been connected to any of the robberies that took place in the area.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the three men were charged with "malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony." All three of the men involved in the shooting have pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them. As of now, no date has been set for the trial. However, the next court hearing involving the case has been set for the second week of May.
This is the second major development in the case to unfold this week. Yesterday, the lead prosecutor in the case, Jesse Evans, left his job at the Cobb County District Attorney's Office. No reason was given for his abrupt departure.
“Jesse Evans has been an invaluable member of the Cobb DA’s team for many years, and we wish him every success in his next chapter. Teams are greater than any single individual, and we will continue working as a team to seek justice in each and every case," Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. said.
“As for the State of Georgia v. McMichael, McMichael and Bryan, Senior ADA Linda Dunikoski will step into the role of lead prosecutor. Linda has worked on the case since the Attorney General appointed the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office to act as District Attorney Pro Tempore."
The Arbery family has not yet commented on these most recent developments.
Photo Credit: Getty Images