The case of a Brunswick man killed while running down the street has a new prosecutor involved.
Lee Merritt, an attorney representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old man who was shot and killed back in February said in a tweet that Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes has been assigned to the case.
Hinesville District Attorney Tom Durden said on Friday his office was assigned to the case on April 14.
Durden was the third DA to handle it after two other district attorneys recused themselves from the case citing conflicts of interest. Holmes will now be the fourth DA assigned.
Arbery’s death has garnered national attention after a video surfaced last week showing Arbery being shot and killed by Travis McMichael.
Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael were arrested last week on charges of murder and aggravated assault after the GBI got involved in the investigation.
Greg McMichael worked for years as an investigator in Brunswick DA Jackie Johnson’s office.
Her office and the Glynn County Police Department have been criticized for not issuing an arrest warrant for Greg McMichael and his son immediately after the shooting.
Johnson asked Waycross DA George E Barnhill to investigate the matter.
In mid-April, Barnhill recused himself from the case stating that his son worked alongside Greg McMichael in the Brunswick DA’s office.
In his letter of recusal, Barnhill stated that Travis McMichael’s actions were justified under self-defense and citizens arrest laws.
RELATED: Ahmaud Arbery case puts spotlight on citizen's arrest law; it prohibits the use of deadly force
Tom Durden stated in a press conference Friday his office got involved on the case on April 14.
Three weeks after his involvement, video of the shooting surfaced and caused the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to get involved and issue arrest warrants for Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael.
First Coast News has reached out to Cobb County DA’s office to confirm if Holmes has been assigned to the case and we are waiting to hear from them.
We have also reached out to DA Durden’s office for comment.
In a previous interview, attorney Merritt said he was not confident in Durden’s ability to prosecute the case.
The Department of Justice issued this statement Monday:
“The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been supporting and will continue fully to support and participate in the state investigation. We are assessing all of the evidence to determine whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate. In addition, we are considering the request of the Attorney General of Georgia and have asked that he forward to federal authorities any information that he has about the handling of the investigation. We will continue to assess all information, and we will take any appropriate action that is warranted by the facts and the law. – Department of Justice Spokesperson Kerri Kupec"