Ahmaud Arbery: Accused Killers Rally To Reverse Hate Crime Convictions

ATLANTA, GA — Three white men convicted of chasing down and killing a 25-year-old Black man in a Brunswick neighborhood are asking Wednesday for their hate crime convictions to be overturned, per media reports.

Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, along with William “Roddie” Bryan, were convicted in the February 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery in a Satilla Shores community - a killing that triggered nationwide outrage.

The McMichaels were sentenced to life in prison without parole on federal hate crime charges, while Bryan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Wednesday is expected to hear arguments from defense attorneys asking the court to dismiss the hate crime convictions of the three men, the Associated Press reported.

The attorneys say evidence of previous racist remarks the men made did not prove racist intent to harm, the Associated Press reported.

"On Feb. 23, 2020, father and son Greg and Travis McMichael armed themselves with guns and drove in pursuit of Arbery after spotting the 25-year-old man running in their neighborhood outside the port city of Brunswick. A neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan, joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery in the street," the Associated Press reported.

Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Arbery's family traveled to Brunswick to draw attention to the case before leaving for Atlanta, News4Jax reported.

"It's been a struggle," William Arbery, Ahmaud Arbery's uncle, told News4Jax about how life has been without his nephew. "It's been a hurt struggle because we never had that happen in our family, and it just (tore) the whole family apart. We haven't gotten it together, yet."

Read more via the Associated Press and News4Jax.