Prosecutor Reads Racist Messages by Ahmaud Arbery’s Killer

Ahmaud Arbery was a 25-year-old Black man from Georgia who went for a jog on February 23, when he was pursed by a white father and son named Gregory and Travis McMichael. While chasing after Arbery they shot and killed him. Social media erupted after the video went viral. In May 2020, Gregory and Travis were arrested in connection with Arbery’s death.

What We Know:

• During this trial, the question to answer is whether the actions of Gregory and Travis McMichael were racially motivated.
• On Thursday, November 12, Zachary Langford a friend of Travis Mcmicheal testified on behalf of Travis stating that he is a jokester and had at least one Black friend. The prosecutor asked Langford about a text Travis McMichael had sent him last year that used racial remarks towards Black people when referring to a “crackhead…with gold teeth”. Langford didn’t recall the text mentioned, until he was shown the transcript of the conversation, where he then responded, “He was referring to a raccoon, I believe.”
• The defense attorney for the McMicheals denies that race played a part in the actions of his clients. After the tragic death of Arbrey, the McMicheals told police they had armed themselves and pursued Arbrey because they suspected him to be a burglar.
• The mother of Arbery, Wanda Cooper-Jones asked the judge to deny the McMicheals bond and stated, “They want to go home because they think in their selfish minds that they are the good guys.”
• The defense attorney for the McMichaels also made claims that his clients had the correct assumption of Arbery. “We have substantial evidence that, on the day in question, Mr. Arbery was not a jogger,” said Robert Rubin, one of Travis McMichael’s attorneys. “He was there for nefarious purposes.” Despite this comment, no evidence was presented to support this notion.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley listened to two days of arguments on whether Gregory and Travis McMichael should be released on bail. According to KTLA 5, Walmsley determined the McMichaels posed “a significant risk and danger to the community” and denied their plea for bail.