Man convicted in Ahmaud Arbery murder moved to Georgia medical prison
Defendant Gregory McMichael looks on during his trial at Glynn County Superior Court on November 19, 2021 in Brunswick, Georgia. (Photo by Octavio Jones-Pool/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, Ga. - One of the men convicted of chasing down and killing Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery is now being held at a new facility.
Officials say 66-year-old Gregory McMichael has been transferred to the Augusta State Medical Prison from his prior location at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in Jackson, Georgia.
On its website, Augusta State Medical Prison reports that it can hold 1326 inmates and provides "centralized acute, specialized medical and Level IV Mental Health services for male and female offenders" as well as housing "severe medical cases."
Prison officials could not say whether McMichael's move was because of a medical condition.
LAWYER: ARBERY SHOOTER FEARS HE WILL BE KILLED IN STATE PRISON
McMichael, his son Travis and William "Roddie" Bryan, are serving life sentences for Arbery's death in 2020. Travis McMichael and Bryan remain at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison.
Men convicted in Ahmaud Arbery shooting
In February 2020, a federal jury convicted the McMichaels and Bryan of violating Arbery’s civil rights, concluding they targeted him because of his race. All three were also found guilty of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were convicted of using guns in the commission of a violent crime.
The McMichaels armed themselves with guns and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home on Feb. 23, 2020. Bryan, a neighbor, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun. The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar, but investigators determined he was unarmed and had committed no crimes.
During the February hate crimes trial, prosecutors fortified their case that Arbery’s killing was motivated by racism by showing the jury roughly two dozen text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan used racist slurs and made disparaging comments about Black people.
A state Superior Court judge imposed life sentences for the McMichaels and Bryan in January for Arbery’s murder, with both McMichaels denied any chance of parole.
The federal hearings marked the first time the men involved in the deadly chase expressed any remorse to Arbery’s family. Only Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots, chose to remain silent when given a chance to speak in court.
Greg McMichael told Arbery’s family their loss was "beyond description."
"I’m sure my words mean very little to you, but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen," he said. "There was no malice in my heart or my son’s heart that day."
Bryan said he was sorry.
"I never intended any harm to him, and I never would have played any role in what happened if I knew then what I know now," Bryan said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report