Superior Court judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced the defendants convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery to life sentences in court Friday afternoon (Jan. 7, 2022) in Glynn County Superior Court. Gregory and Travis McMichael were both sentenced to Life plus 20 years without the possibility of parole. William Bryan was sentenced to Life with the possibility of parole.

The judge stated the father and son duo lacked remorse and their own actions and words were chilling and disturbing. In contrast Walmsley said Bryan did show some remorse and also fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.

State prosecutor Linda Dunikoski requested to impose a condition to their sentence preventing the defendants from profiting or benefitting off of their actions. She added if there was any profit made it should go to the Arbery family. The judge asked for the terms of the condition to be submitted in writing to him for review and decision.

Before sentencing the Arbery family gave their victims' impact statement, with Arbey's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones delivering a sharp, yet subtle attack at the attorney of Gregory McMichael.

We also learned that Cooper-Jones denied a request by the state prosecutors for cutting a deal for the three defendants in their upcoming federal hate crime trial next month. She wants it to go to trial to show her son's death was based on hatred and his race. The agreement would have put the men in federal prison for 30 years, attorney S. Lee Merritt said. That would have been in addition to the time they received in court today.