Ahmaud Arbery case goes to jury after 13-day trial

Ahmaud Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones, left, along with her attorney Lee Merritt, center, listens to William “Roddie” Bryan’s defense attorney Kevin Gough present his closing statement to the jury during the trial of he and Travis McMichael, and his father, Gregory McMichael, at the Glynn County Courthouse, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. The three men are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. (Stephen B. Morton/AP Photo)

The case of three white men charged with murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery went to a jury Tuesday after a 13-day trial in which prosecutors argued the defendants provoked a confrontation with the 25-year-old Black man and defense attorneys said their clients acted in self-defense.

“You can’t claim self-defense if you are the unjustified aggressor,” Linda Dunikoski told jurors in her final closing arguments. “Who started this? It wasn’t Ahmaud Arbery.”

>>BURIED TRUTHS: WABE’s award-winning podcast explores key figures and fascinating history of the Arbery case.