JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The father and son convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery who are now involved in a federal hate crimes case has withdrawn their guilty pleas.
Father, Gregory McMichael withdrew his guilty plea Thursday and son, Travis McMichael, withdrew his Friday. The federal hate crimes case stems from their roles in Arbery death.
The plea was part of an agreement with two out of the three men involved that the judge denied on Monday.
This means the men will have a federal trial starting Monday
The judge rejected the terms of Greg and Travis McMichaels' deal after hearing four family members' impassioned pleas to reject the deal they said they disagree with.
The deal would have permitted father and son to serve the first 30 years of their life sentences in a federal facility, instead of a Georgia prison, in exchange for a guilty plea.
A family attorney said they were “vehemently objected” to the deal.
The McMichaels were convicted along with their former neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan of first-degree murder in the 2020 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man they chased through their South Georgia neighborhood and shot to death.
They were all sentenced to life in state prison.