The three men who were charged and convicted of the murder of 25-year old Ahmaud Arbery have now been convicted of federal hate crimes as well.

Last Tuesday, a jury found Travis McMichael, 35, his father Gregory McMichael, 65, and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, 51, guilty of a federal hate crime along with interference of rights and attempted kidnapping.

Prosecutors were successful in showing the jury that Arbery was targeted because he was a black man. Arbery was out for a jog in a suburban neighborhood of Glynn County, Georgia February 23, 2020, when his killers began to chase after him. The McMichaels chased after Arbery in their truck as they wielded a shotgun.

Bryan, who was also present at the time of the murder, rode in another vehicle and videotaped the altercation as it happened. Bryan was not physically part of the altercation that led to Arbery’s death.

During the trial, prosecutors focused on whether or not the three men were racially motivated in their confrontation with Arbery. This focus made it unlike the Georgia murder trial which focused on whether or not the men were responsible for Arbery’s death. During the murder trial, race was not a primary factor considered in whether or not the men killed Arbery.

During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on social media posts and text messages sent by the McMichaels and Bryan. They also used the mens’ testimony to paint a picture of their racially motivated actions by displaying evidence that showed the men using derogatory language and racial slurs when describing Arbery and Black people in general.

The defense acknowledged that the McMichaels and Bryan used offensive language but denounced that race played a role in their actions. Bryan’s attorney called the evidence of racism against Arbery merely “circumstantial.”

In one instance, the prosecution displayed evidence in which Travis McMichael made a racially charged post under a Facebook video of a group of primarily Black teens beating up a white teen. In his post, McMichael commented, “I say shoot them all.” McMichael also referred to the black teens as “monkeys.”

During closing arguments, Prosecutor Christopher J. Perras painted a picture in which the three men acted as vigilantes when they chased after Arbery. They saw "a Black man in their neighborhood and assumed the worst of him." Perras told the court. "This wasn't about trespassing. This wasn't about neighborhood crimes, either. It was about race -- racial assumptions, racial resentment, and racial anger."

Despite not being part of the physical assault, Bryan’s defense pushed back against claims that Bryan was also racially motivated in his approach to Arbery. Defense attorney J. Pete Theodocion explained that Bryan saw a scene in which his neighbors, two men with whom he was familiar, told Arbery, a man who happened to be black, to stop running. Theodocion told the court that "It was entirely reasonable" to think Arbery had done something wrong because he was being chased down. Theodocion added that Bryan had “enough evidence” to follow his neighbors in his own truck and record the incident.

Despite these claims, the prosecution pushed back. Prosecutor Tara Lyons emphasized that because the men “did not see 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery as a fellow human being," Arbery lost his life.

As a result of this guilty conviction, the three men will face penalties including steep fines and up to life in prison. The sentencing related to the federal hate crime conviction will be on top of the life sentences the men received during the murder trial period.

Investigating hate crimes remains to be the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program. Despite this, hate crimes are notorious for their difficulty to prosecute. The FBI details that in 2020, there were over 8,000 single-bias incidents. 62% of incidents were race-related with 20% and 13% being related to sexual orientation and religion respectively.

While these crimes remain to be difficult to prosecute, this guilty verdict has renewed support and trust in those who question justice.

The three men had originally agreed to a plea deal of 30-year sentences in exchange for guilty pleas to the hate crime charge. However, after a passionate plea by Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, the case went to trial.