Jogging black man shot dead, three white defendants guilty to judge the United States and Georgia

米ジョージア州で昨年、ジョギング中の黒人男性アマード・アーバリーさん（当時25）を射殺したとして、殺人などの罪に問われた白人3人の裁判で、陪審団は24日、有罪評決を言い渡した。

On February 23 last year, while jogging in a residential area, Ms. Abrey was hunted and shot by the defendant Travis McMichael, 35, her father Gregory McMichael, 65, and two neighbor defendants, William Bryan, 52.

The defendant claimed that it was self-defense when trying to catch Mr. Aberley. On the other hand, the prosecution believes that Mr. Abley's race is related to the case.

Georgia sets the minimum sentence for murder to life imprisonment.

Twelve mainly white jurors reviewed for about 10 hours and delivered a guilty verdict around noon on the 24th.

The defendant was convicted of murder, aggravated brutality, unlawful imprisonment and intentional felony.

In February next year, the trio will also try hate crimes (hate crimes) on the grounds that Mr Abley is black.

The story of Mr. Arbury's death.

Mr. Abrey jogged in a residential area of Brunswick, Georgia, on the afternoon of February 23 last year.

The defendant, Gregory McMichael, who lives nearby, told police that he thought Mr. Abrey was similar to the suspect in a series of robberies in Satyra Shores in the state.

Police said there were no reports of such robberies and that there was no stolen goods in Mr. Aberley's belongings.

McMichael and his son, armed with pistols and shotguns, chased the unarmed Mr. Aberley on a pickup truck. The defendant Brian also joined the pursuit.

The jury confirmed the voice of the defendant Travis McMichael when he reported the case. The defendant said to the receiver, "I am in Satila Shores." A black man was running on the road. "

The defendant, Travis, said at the trial that he and his father tried to talk to Mr. Aberley from the truck, but did not respond.

The defendant got out of the truck and opened fire three times during a fight with Mr. Aberley. He insisted on self-defense because Mr. Aberly tried to grab his gun.

In this regard, the Procuratorate believes that self-defense cannot be advocated for the situation caused by the defendants themselves.

An autopsy confirmed that Mr. Abley had two gunshot wounds to the chest and a bullet scratch on the inside of his wrist.

The defendants McMichael and his son and Brian were arrested in May of the same year more than two months after the murder.

The prosecutor's office believes that the defendant Travis once issued racial insults to Mr. Aberley who fell to the ground. The defendant denied racial discrimination.

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"I beat the Lynch Group."

When the guilty verdict was read out on the 24th, dozens of people gathered outside the court cheered.

Mr. Arbury's father, Mr. Marcus Abley, cried and hugged his supporters.

"my son didn't do anything," Mr. Marcus said. "I was just running and chasing my dreams."

"We beat Lynch," Mr. Marcus told the press corps.

Ms. Abley's mother, Ms. Wanda Cooper-Jones, thanked the gathered supporters and said she didn't expect the day.

"it's been a long battle. This is an uphill battle. But God is good. "

Then he said, "my son can sleep peacefully."

Mr. Aberley was studying in a junior college targeting electrical engineers at the time of the incident.

Civil rights activist and cable TV host Al Sharpton said outside the courthouse. Eleven whites and one black jury in the Deep South (considered to be the conservative southernmost part of the United States) stood up in court and issued a statement saying that the lives of blacks are indeed important. Let's spread this sentence to the whole world. "

When the defendant Travis heard the guilty verdict, when he withdrew from court, he said to his mother, "I love you."

Prosecutor Linda Dunikowski said, "in this country, the jury system is at work. Show people the truth, and as long as they see it, they will do the right thing. "

Kevin Gove, a defender for the defendant Brian, said the defense team was "disappointed with the guilty verdict, but respected."

President Joe Biden said the guilty verdict was a sign that the US criminal justice system was "playing its part".

However, he added that the murder was "a tragic event that makes people aware of how much more needs to be done in the fight for racial justice in this country."

This is the key to the trial.

In this trial, the images reflecting the events before and after the incident became the focus.

The first important image is a 36-second image that captures Mr Aberley until his death.

This was taken by the defendant Brian on his cell phone while driving behind Mr. Aberley.

The video shows Mr. Abley struggling with the defendant Tevez after trying to avoid the waiting pickup truck in front of him. I heard screams, three shots.

During the struggle between the defendant Gregory and his sons Travis and Mr. Aberley, it can be confirmed that he was standing on the cargo counter of the pickup truck.

The video was leaked online on May 5 last year. The local lawyers consulted by the defendants were provided to the local radio station, which was the opportunity for the leak.

Taking the leak of the video as an opportunity, the case attracted the attention and anger of the world and led to the criminal prosecution of the defendants.

Five days later, a black man in a white T-shirt (believed to be Mr. Aberley) caught him surfacing on the construction site on the eve of the shooting.

The black man walked into the construction site, looked around for a few minutes, and ran down the street.

Landowner Larry English James Jr. testified in court that the man did not disturb or hurt all his belongings.

Ms. Ingrid said she used the camera to confirm that children and white couples had invaded their premises and never allowed the McMichael and son to enter the premises or fight someone over their land.

Jurors also confirmed the fuselage camera images of police officers who arrived at the scene after the incident.