Two of the men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery used racist slurs in messages, a witness testifies at their federal hate crime trial
FBI analyst Amy Vaughn testified about several text messages between Travis McMichael — who fatally shot Arbery, a Black man, in February 2020 — and friends using offensive language and racist slurs.
The first text message introduced into evidence was between Travis McMichael and a friend, dated March 16, 2019, in which Vaughn said they were discussing Travis’ new job and why he liked that he didn’t work with Black people.
“They ruin everything. That’s why I love what I do now. Not a n****er in sight,” McMichael said in the message, according to Vaughan.
Vaughn also testified messages found in defendant William “Roddie” Bryan’s phone showed evidence of racial animus.
She found messages using the n-word as well and the word, “bootlip,” which she described as “Mr. Bryan’s word of choice.” She went on to explain that “bootlip” is a derogatory term for a Black person, referencing a stereotypical characterization of a Black person’s face, in her testimony.
When a prosecutor asked her if she found evidence of racial animus against African Americans during her investigation, Vaughn said she had.
Last year’s state murder trial avoided discussion of race. This federal hate crimes trial is more clearly focusing on race, as prosecutors must prove the men acted out of racial animus.
US District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood had warned jurors that they would hear evidence of racist statements made by the defendants.
“You may consider each statement against the defendant who made it,” the judge said, adding the jury may not consider the evidence to decide if the defendant engaged in the action or to judge the defendant’s character, but they may use it to determine whether the defendants acted because of race.
The jurors appeared to be very attentive, looking at their individual screens while the evidence was shown but didn’t appear to express any emotion.
Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery Sr. was in court on Wednesday. Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, was not present for the morning session.
Leigh McMichael, mother of Travis and wife of Gregory McMichael, appeared solemn, looking down at several points while Wednesday morning’s evidence was being presented. The defendants appeared stoic and emotionless during Vaughn’s testimony, looking at the screens in front of them where the evidence could be seen.
More messages from Travis McMichael
Vaughn testified Wednesday she reviewed the cell phones of Travis McMichael and Bryan; Instagram posts of Travis McMichael; Facebook files for all three defendants; and the Facebook account of the Satilla Shores neighborhood.
Vaughn said she had extracted the text messages from Travis McMichael’s phone the day Arbery was killed.
A text message dated January 21, 2019, referenced Travis McMichael meeting a friend at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant. Vaughn read the conversation aloud in court. The friend tells Travis, “This Cracker Barrel up here is full of some other kinds of people.” Travis’ reply used a racist slur about African Americans.
As this discussion was happening, Arbery’s father walked out of the courtroom shaking his head. He returned a short time later, still shaking his head as the testimony continued.
A Facebook message that Travis McMichael sent another friend, Vaughn testified, included a video with a Johnny Rebel song containing a racist slur. The video was played as part of the evidence in court.
The song had been edited onto another video showing a segment from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” with a young Black boy dancing. The actual video from the show does not use the offensive song.
Bryan used slurs against Black people in messages about Martin Luther King Jr. Day, witness testifies
Vaughn testified Bryan regularly used slurs against Black people in messages on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In what appeared to be a personal joke, Bryan was referred to as the “Grand Marshal” in message from a friend. Vaughn testified that this was a joke that referred to the idea that Bryan would be the grand marshal of an MLK Day parade.
“He would never do that, because he doesn’t particularly care for Black people or MLK Day,” Vaughn testified as she explained the joke.
Also introduced into evidence was a WhatsApp message dated January 20, 2020, from Bryan to friend, read aloud in court.
“Happy Bootlip Day,” Bryan wrote. Bryan went on to say, “I worked like a n***er today,” according to Vaughn.
Another set of WhatsApp messages discussed Bryan discovering that his daughter was dating a Black man. A message between Bryan and friend dated February 19, 2020 — four days before Arbery’s killing — had Bryan using a slur in reference to the boyfriend.
Vaughn said Bryan’s daughter’s relationship remained an ongoing theme in messages. A photo posted on Facebook of Bryan’s daughter and her Black boyfriend together was sent to Bryan in a WhatsApp message on April 8, 2020. Bryan responded that if his daughter did not care about herself, “Why should we?”
Prosecution argues defendants followed Arbery because of perceptions about Black people
The prosecution in the murder trial conceded surveillance videos did show Arbery at the construction site multiple times, including the day he was killed, but always without breaking in and without taking anything.
“At the end of the day, the evidence in this case will prove that if Ahmaud Arbery had been White, he would have gone for a jog, checked out a cool house under construction, and been home in time for Sunday supper,” Assistant US Attorney Barbara Bernstein told the jury Monday. “Instead, he went out for a jog and ended up running for his life.”
The defendants’ attorneys, speaking separately, acknowledged the men had used racist language — but said that their actions toward Arbery were not related to race.
CNN’s Kevin Conlon and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
