WILLIAM BRYAN was convicted of Ahmaud Abery’s murder.
Bryan was sentenced to life imprisonment plus ten year on August 8, 2022.
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Who is William Bryan,
William “Roddie”Bryan, a Georgia resident of 52 years old, was convicted of felony murder in the death Ahmaud arbery, 25, died.
Arbery was running in Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020. Gregory McMichael, his son Travis, 35, and Travis McMichael, 35, set out to pursue Arbery in a pickup truck.
Travis continued to shoot Arbery, which led to his death.
Bryan captured the fatal shooting of Arbery using his cell phone and later the video was leaked online.
Bryan was accused of trying confine Arbery using his vehicle after the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) assumed the case in the summer of 2020.
Bryan tried to claim that he was only a witness. But Bryan was arrested on falsely inmates Arbery, which led to his death.
All three men have pleaded not guilty.
What was William Bryan convicted?
On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, the trial was sent to a jury. They deliberated for nearly 12 hours before delivering their final verdict.
In the beginning, Ahmaud Arbery’s murder was a case in which each of the three defendants were charged with nine charges.
- Count 1 Malice murder
- Count 2Felony Murder (Felony offense with Aggravated Assault With a Firearm)
- Count 3Felony murder (Felony offense with Aggravated Assault with Pickup Trucks)
- Count 4Felony murder (Felony offense – False imprisonment).
- Count 5Felony Murder: Criminal attempt to commit an offense that is a felony
- Count 6Aggravated assault (with firearms).
- Count 7Aggravated assault (with pickup trucks).
- Count 8False imprisonment
- Count 9Criminal attempt to commit felonies
Travis McMichael was convicted of all nine charges, but Bryan and his father were not convicted for malicious murder.
Bryan was found guilty of three counts felony murder, one charge of aggravated attack, one count false imprisonment and one count criminal attempts to felony.
He was cleared of malice murder, one count felony murder and one count aggravated assault.
Bryan was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole on January 7, 2022.
US District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood sentenced Bryan for an additional 35-year term in prison. This will be in addition to his state sentence of August 8.
Travis and Gregory McMichael were sentenced to life in prison by the judge for interfering with rights, attempted kidnapping and weapon use.
Gregory McMichael spoke to Arbery’s family following the verdict and said: “The loss you’ve suffered is beyond description. It’s beyond words.
“I’m sure that my words mean little to you, but I wanted to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen. There was no malice in my heart or my son’s heart that day,”He said.
“… I pray that God’s peace will come to the Arbery family and this community,”He added.
Wanda Cooper-Jones was Arbery’s mother and said that she didn’t forgive the men who took his son’s life.
“He’s come to terms with he made a very bad decision, and he wanted to say he was sorry,”She told CNN. “So I did accept it, but as far as forgiving, I haven’t forgave him.”
Bryan made a similar apology. Arbery’s father however dismissed it, saying: “When this first happened, he should have shown some kind of remorse then.”
“When you get caught up and it’s looking bad for you, that’s when you’re trying to apologize. That’s a bad time to apologize. He should have did that day one.”
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What have you heard about William Bryan’s conviction?
Cooper-Jones briefly spoke outside the courthouse, after the final verdict had been delivered.
“I just want to say thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank each and every one of you who fought this fight with us,”She spoke.
“It’s been a long fight. It’s been a hard fight. But God is good.”
Linda Dunikoski (lead prosecutor) stated that the verdict was “based on facts”.
“The verdict today was based on the facts, based on the evidence, and that was our goal,”She spoke.
“Because the jury system works in this country. And when you present the truth to people and they can see it, they will do the right thing.”
Following the convictions of the three men, President Joe Biden spoke out.
Biden released a statement by the White House stating that nothing could bring Mr. Arbery and his family back, but the verdict will ensure that the perpetrators of this horrific crime will be punished.
“While guilty verdicts are a reflection of our justice system performing its job, it is not enough.
“Instead of fearing violence, we must recommit and work together to build a future of unity, shared strength, where everyone is safe from violence, regardless of skin color.
“My administration will continue to do the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all Americans.”
They will be back in court next year as they await trial for federal hate crimes they were each charged with.