New prosecutor named in Ahmaud Arbery case

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Monday named a new prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery case. Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes will now prosecute the fatal shooting of the 25-year-old.

In a statement, Carr called Holmes a “respected attorney with experience” as a lawyer and judge, adding that her office has the “resources, personnel and experience to lead this prosecution and ensure justice is done.”

Attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing the Arbery family, issued a statement urging Holmes to be “zealous in her search for justice, as she works to hold all of those responsible for the unjustifiable execution of an unarmed young Black man in broad daylight.”

Arbery was shot and killed while jogging in Brunswick on February 23. Two men, 64-year-old Gregory McMichael and his son, 34-year-old Travis McMichael, were arrested last week for murder and aggravated assault. 

The arrests followed the release of cellphone video showing two men confronting and shooting Arbery. The McMichaels claim they were acting in self-defense. 

According to the only witness in the police report, McMichael told investigators he thought Arbery was a burglary suspect and ordered him to stop. McMichael said Arbery “violently” attacked his son, and the two fought “over the shotgun” before Travis shot him twice. 

Gregory McMichael is a former law enforcement officer who used to work for the local district attorney. Due to conflicts of interest, the case is now on its fourth prosecutor.

Omar Villafranca contributed reporting.