‘A BETRAYAL’

Ahmaud Arbery’s Mom ‘Devastated’ Over Plea Deal for His Killers

Prosecutors announced a plea deal late Sunday without revealing what terms were agreed.

The family of Ahmaud Arbery has spoken out about their devastation after learning that federal prosecutors reached plea deals with two of his killers. Travis McMichael and his dad, Gregory, were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility for parole in January for the murder of Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was out jogging when he was killed. The McMichaels were due to stand trial on federal hate-crimes charges next month, but prosecutors announced a plea deal late Sunday without revealing what terms were agreed. In an Instagram post, an attorney for Arbery’s mom, Wanda Cooper-Jones, made it clear the family did not support the plea deal. The lawyer, S. Lee Merritt said he will oppose the plea deal and added: “This backroom deal represents a betrayal to the Arbery family, who is devastated.” A third man convicted of killing Arbery, William Bryan, was not mentioned in the court filings.