Georgia

HAPPENING NOW: Murder trial for men charged in death of Ahmaud Arbery begins

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. — The trial for a trio of men charged in the 2020 death of Ahmaud Arbery is now underway in south Georgia.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys for the three defendants have gathered in a Glynn County, Georgia courtroom to begin the jury selection process.

A father and son, Greg and Travis McMichael, and their neighbor, Roddy Bryan, are accused of chasing Arbery in a truck after he jogged through their neighborhood, claiming they believed he was a thief.

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At some point, Arbery confronted the men and was shot and killed by Travis McMichael. Most of the encounter was caught on cell phone video shot by Bryan.

It wasn’t until the video became public months after Arbery’s death that charges were brought against the men.

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At present, none of the attorneys have requested the trial be moved from the Glynn County area where the alleged crimes occurred.

The difficulty to find impartial jurors for such a high-profile murder trial is highlighted by court officials mailing out a massive 1,000 jury duty notices to potential jurors.

Because of the large number of potential jurors, jury selection could take anywhere for a few days to the end of the week.

The trial will likely last into November.

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Channel 2′s Tony Thomas will be in Glynn County Monday for the trial. Keep up with the latest updates on Channel 2 Action News throughout the day.