Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers found guilty of federal hate crimes

The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty of federal hate crimes on Tuesday, for violating Arbery's civil rights and targeting him because he was Black.

A jury of eight white people, three Black people and one Hispanic person, reached its decision after several hours of deliberation on the charges against father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan.

The jury also found the three men guilty of attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels were found guilty of the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime.

The US district judge, Lisa Wood, told the men they have two weeks to file any appeal. She also said she would schedule sentencing once pre-sentencing reports were filed.

Wood praised attorneys from both sides, saying prosecutors had the "difficult task" of proving the "racial motivation of hate crimes", which they did in a "skillful [and] professional manner". The defense attorneys, she said, represented their clients "zealously" but "did not volunteer" to represent them, having been appointed.

"No one need wonder whether they got a fair trial - they did," Wood said.

Outside court on Monday, Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, said: "I think the DoJ [Department of Justice] presented its case well."