A federal judge has sentenced Travis McMichael, the man who shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery, 25, in 2020, to a second life sentence on federal hate crimes charges.
The other two men previously sentenced at the state level, Greg McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan, also face additional federal hate crimes sentencing this week.
In January, all three men were sentenced to life in prison, with only Bryan having a chance at parole, in Glynn County Superior Court. They are under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and are being held in the Glynn County Jail.
Travis McMichael had asked to serve his time in federal prison, saying he was afraid he would be killed if he were forced to serve his sentence in a state prison. McMichael alleged that he had received credible death threats. News of his request drew widespread unsympathetic criticism on social media. None of the three men’s photos are available on the Georgia Department of Corrections website.
Bryan, 53, is serving state sentences for murder, felony criminal attempt, and false imprisonment. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Greg McMichael, 67, who is Travis McMichael’s father, is serving state sentences for murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and felony criminal attempt. He was sentenced to life without parole on the murder charge.
Travis McMichael, 36, is serving state sentences for murder, aggravated assault, and felony criminal attempt. He also was sentenced to life without parole on the murder charge.
Arbery, who enjoyed running, had been jogging through the area at the time when the McMichaels, who were armed, and Bryan, who blocked his path and shot video of the incident, chased him down in their vehicles. Travis McMichael pulled a shotgun on Arbery, who tried to wrestle the barrel away, and shot him at point-blank range, leaving Arbery to die in the middle of the road. His murder prompted a national outcry, along with the murder of George Floyd and the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. Four Louisville police officers were indicted last week on federal civil rights charges in Taylor’s death.
