Questions about whether or not racism played a role in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery continues to surround the case. Now, prosecutors have unveiled text messages and social media posts where Travis McMichael, the man who fatally shot Arbery, had previously used racial slurs.
34-year-old Travis and his father, Gregory McMichael, have been jailed since their arrests in May for chasing down and shooting 25-year-old Arbery, who was jogging in their neighborhood just outside the port city of Brunswick.
A third defendant who recorded the cellphone video of the murder revealed to authorities that he heard Travis use a racial slur after shooting Arbery three times with a shotgun.
On Thursday, Zachary Langford, a friend of Travis, tried to defend him in court, saying that his friend was only joking with the racial slurs and that the man had at least one African-American friend. Langford initially denied receiving the message before reviewing a transcript of the messages where Travis used a racial slur when referring to a “crackhead … with gold teeth.” Langford said his friend was “referring to a raccoon, I believe.”
Prosecutor Jesse Evans also referred to a photo that Langford posted to his Facebook page last year to which Travis replied, “Sayonara,” along with an offensive term for Asians. Langford denied any knowledge of the picture.
The McMichaels have maintained that they only followed Arbery after suspecting that he was a burglar, not because he was Black.
“We have substantial evidence that, on the day in question, Mr. Arbery was not a jogger,” said Robert Rubin, one of Travis McMichael’s attorneys. “He was there for nefarious purposes.”
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, said that the men do not feel remorseful about brutally murdering her son.
“These men are proud of what they have done,” Jones told the judge as she asked him to deny them bond. “They want to go home because they think in their selfish minds that they are the good guys.”
Travis’s wife, Ashley Langford, insisted that her husband was indeed remorseful after killing Arbery.
“He told me he wished it never happened like that,” she said. “He prayed for Ahmaud’s mother and his family daily.”
Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley has not yet ruled on a bond for the men. The hearing will continue on Friday.
