ON January 7, 2022, Gregory McMichael, who along with his son Trevor McMichael, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in 2020.
Gregory’s wife was present in court during the verdict.
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Who is Gregory McMichael’s wife?
McMichael is married to wife Leigh McMichael, and they have two children: daughter Lindsey McMichael and son Travis, who was also sentenced to life for Arbery’s murder.
Leigh previously worked at a hospice institution as a nurse.
She testified on her son’s and husband’s behalf in the trial, during which she was sobbing.
Her cheeks were flushed with tears as she sat in the courtroom gallery.
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Attorney Laura Hogue comforted McMichael’s wife and children after the verdict. Hogue attempted to console Leigh and her daughter, who were both devastated by the verdict.
What were the charges in the case?
Gregory was found guilty of four charges of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony, but not of malice murder.
Travis was charged with malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two charges of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony, and was eventually found guilty.
William “Roddie” Bryan, the McMichaels’ neighbor, was convicted guilty of felony murder and aggravated assault.
Travis is accused of shooting Arbery three times at close range with a shotgun.
He and his father contend that he shot Arbery in self-defense after tracking him down and accusing him of being a burglar.
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Who was Ahmaud Arbery and how was he killed?
Arbery was a 25-year-old Black man who was shot and killed while running near Brunswick, Georgia, by a group of white males: the McMichaels and Bryan.
Arbery was running in the area when the McMichaels and Bryan pursued him down, pinning him between two pickup vehicles before killing shooting him with a shotgun.
According to police interview transcripts, Gregory started the chase after seeing Arbery racing by his house, alleging that he suspected Arbery of burglary or theft in Satilla Shore; however, no evidence of this has emerged.
In a pickup vehicle, Gregory and Travis chased Arbery. Bryan told police that he watched the chase and joined in on his own, but he wasn’t sure if Arbery had done anything illegal, according to police evidence.
Travis and Arbery engaged in a physical confrontation after Travis left his truck with a shotgun, during which Travis shot Arbery.
Bryan used his phone to film the chase and shooting.
Arbery had broken into an unfinished house with no doors five times in the previous five months, including just before the shooting.
There was no proof of theft on the security camera footage from inside the residence.
