Hate Crime Convictions Upheld in Landmark US Case
A federal appeals court in the United States has confirmed the hate crime convictions of three white men responsible for the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was chased and shot in Georgia more than five years ago. The ruling from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, 14th November 2025, solidifies the federal convictions against the perpetrators.
The Fatal Pursuit and Its Aftermath
The incident occurred on 23 February 2020, when father and son Greg and Travis McMichael armed themselves and used a pickup truck to pursue 25-year-old Arbery after seeing him running in their neighbourhood outside Brunswick, Georgia. A neighbour, William 'Roddie' Bryan, joined the chase and recorded cellphone footage of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at close range.
More than two months passed without any arrests, until the graphic video of the killing was leaked online. Public outrage grew rapidly, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police. The killing became a flashpoint in a wider national conversation about racial injustice.
The Legal Proceedings and Racial Evidence
All three men were first convicted of murder by a Georgia state court in late 2021. Following a second trial in U.S. District Court in early 2022, a separate jury found them guilty of federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
Federal prosecutors successfully argued that the killing was driven by 'pent-up racial anger', presenting a history of racist text messages and social media posts from the defendants. In March 2024, defence attorneys had urged the appeals court to overturn the hate crime convictions, claiming this evidence did not prove they targeted Arbery because of his race. The three-judge panel took over a year to reject this argument and uphold the convictions.
Life Sentences and Lasting Impact
Even if the appeal had been successful, the trio would have remained in prison. They are already serving life sentences for their state murder convictions. This federal ruling ensures their hate crime convictions stand, delivering a measure of finality to a case that shocked the United States and galvanised the movement against racial violence.
An attorney for Greg McMichael declined to comment on the ruling. Lawyers for Bryan and Travis McMichael did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
