On Friday, the three white men who chased and murdered Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison, but before that, a possible plea deal was presented before Arbery’s mother. 

On Nov. 24, 2021, father-and-son duo Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan were found guilty for their involvement in Arbery’s death.  

PREVIOUS: Arbery’s Killers Sentenced to Life in Prison; Federal Trial Begins Feb. 7 

Travis McMichael, the man who pulled the trigger which took Arbery’s life, was found guilty of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony. His father, Gregory, was acquitted on the charge of malice murder but was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Bryan was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.  

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The plea deal presented to Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, would have put the men in federal prison for 30 years in addition to the time the judge sentenced, CNN reported. “She rejected that offer because we believe that today the state will move forward with life sentences without the possibility of parole, and we think that’s the appropriate sentence,” her attorney S. Lee Merritt said.  

Cooper-Jones delivered a victim impact statement during sentencing and asked the judge to give the maximum sentence. Travis and Gregory McMichael were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 20 years consecutive to the life sentence. Bryan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.  

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Their federal trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 7, 2022, where they face hate crime charges. They maintain their innocence and plan to appeal the conviction.  

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