Greg and Travis McMichael:   
Hear Their Side

The Trial


If you’re new to the website, I urge you to consider checking out  https://www.mcmichaeltrial.com/narratives/default.html and https://www.mcmichaeltrial.com/politics/default.html before continuing here.  These pages may be helpful in explaining what led to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of Greg and Travis.

On another note, Greg and Travis’ state trial lawyers fought with every ounce of their being.  Unfortunately, efforts to raise funds to aid in the defense were shuddered by most platforms, including Go Fund Me and Facebook.  These platforms viewed raising money to defend Greg, Travis, and Roddy as “too controversial” and shut down our efforts. 


While I was forced to cash in my retirement account, deplete my savings, ask for help from friends and family, and receive contributions from strangers who believe Greg and Travis are innocent, the amount raised while much appreciated was woefully inadequate.  Especially when you consider the fact that Ahmaud’s mother, Wanda Jones, received at least TWO MILLION DOLLARS within five months of Greg and Travis’ arrest as a result of at least one fundraising effort. I strongly believe there was much more raised and given to the Arbery family, but I will share with you a screenshot from a Facebook post that initially appeared on a website called the “2:23 Foundation” and posted to Facebook on September 6, 2020.   


2:23 Foundation posting


I admit that I had never heard of Give Send Go [GSG] until after the state and federal trials ended. GSG doesn’t discriminate against any person or cause, and the following is copied directly from their website: “The most valuable currency is God’s love. Only God can meet the deepest needs of each heart. That’s why we’re grateful to have individuals and organizations dedicated to praying over our campaigns. We pray for eternal results because those are ultimately the only outcomes that matter. The God we serve will ALWAYS be bigger than money.”

GSG is my only hope at present of acquiring the money needed to fully pay the remaining expenses of just under $70,000 from the state trial and to obtain seasoned appellant lawyers to fight to overturn the unjust verdicts in this case.  I ask anyone who is able to please consider donating to this cause.  Simply go to https://www.givesendgo.com/McMichaeldefense  to contribute.


While this page is titled “The Trial,” my intent is to provide the reader with information supporting the biased and unfairness of the events and atmosphere before, during, and after the trial. I plan to share actions, events, behavior, and court rulings that I now know were designed to make my husband and son political throw-aways in what has become a never-ending endeavor by extremists to divide this once great country. 

No, I don’t believe the McMichael family was targeted as part of some grand conspiracy.  I do believe, however, that Greg and Travis and, to a lesser extent, my daughter and myself were victims of a social movement that may have once had righteous intent, but quickly unraveled with the aid of unscrupulous politicians, radical groups, and even to many formerly decent and fine Americans who were once committed to the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   

Unfortunately, many of these people who came from differing social and economic backgrounds and of every race imaginable have often cowered away from doing the right thing.  Instead, most people today live in fear of being viewed as a racist if they have an opinion that differs from the radical left. 

Who among us doesn’t know someone that has been criticized, threatened, shamed, or “cancelled” for the crime of having an opinion.  Once a First Amendment  right, now a non-conforming opinion will almost surely subject you to ridicule, harassment, threats, and all manner of vitriolic conduct by people hiding behind anonymous social media profiles.  The threat of physical violence by cowards sitting at a computer keyboard has led lifelong friends and loved ones to shun my family since the day the shooting video was aired.  I wish I had a nickel for every time that a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or even a family member has privately offered support, only to follow up the offer with the single word: “but. . .”  They then tell me of their fear of being ostracized if anyone found out they were friends or acquaintances of the McMichael family. 

Many of the readers here may understand when I bring up the downward spiral this country has experienced since the love, unity, patriotism, and resolve that nearly all shared after the attack on September 11, 2001. Think about it: how low we’ve gone since the unity this great country found in the days, weeks, and years after the deadliest attack ever on American soil.  Today, 21 years later, Americans are more divided than ever before. 

I watched firsthand as good and honest men were labeled overnight as racist murderers and tried and convicted in the court of public opinion.  Greg, Travis, and Roddy were found guilty in Glynn County Superior Court on November 24, 2021, but the truth is these men had already been convicted by the media when Greg and Travis were arrested with great fanfare at our home on May 7, 2020.  Roddy’s arrest would follow a few days later, but he was also declared guilty at the time of the arrest of my husband and son.   

Greg’s many recognized qualities of integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty, generosity, and kindness are well known to his friends and co-workers.  He spent 30 years serving his community with honor and distinction.  His personnel file spanning over 40 years of public service did not contain a single citizen complaint.  Yet, his entire life’s work and reputation would be destroyed and forgotten by the short video clip depicting him being led from our home in handcuffs. 

Likewise, Travis, a young father of a three-year-old son, had done remarkable things in his short life.  As a teenager working in the summer as a lifeguard, he had once rescued a drowning African-American child. Travis enjoyed an exemplary career serving in the U.S. Coast Guard where his military record is replete with awards, letters of recognition, and excellent evaluations.  After an honorable discharge, Travis earned a top-secret security clearance and began a career with a civilian contractor working at Kingsland Naval Base, one of the most secure naval facilities in the world.  Like my husband's, my son’s life and many good deeds were totally extinguished with his televised arrest, which was accompanied by a public narrative that remains the driving force behind keeping these fine men confined to solitary prison cells today. 

Today, my husband and son have been labeled racist murderers.  Both were arrested, tried, convicted, and given what is tantamount to a death sentence.  And for what?  All the lies and drama aside, these two men went out on February 23, 2020, with the sole intent of helping their neighbors, friends, and police learn the identity of a man who had repeatedly terrorized some of these same people in the days and months before that terrible afternoon. This is the absolute and complete truth, and I ask that you please consider it as you read forward.        

So that this trial page can flow in an order that minimizes reader confusion, I am going to lay out events in chronological order beginning with the arrest of Greg and Travis.  I apologize if some of the following is redundant or already known to the reader, but I’m trying to detail as much as possible to enlighten those who remain open minded and willing to listen to another side before rushing to judgment.

DISCOVERY

Before continuing with the trial timeline, I think it’s important to share with the reader a little information on the discovery process for criminal matters.  Discovery is generally defined as the exchange of information and evidence by the state and defense. The free exchange of information is supposed to help provide a fair trial to anyone charged with a crime. 

Georgia and Federal law mandate the prosecutor, or district attorney, voluntarily share evidence or results of their investigation with the defense following an indictment.Often called the "Brady rule,” this requirement originally came from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1963 decision in Brady v. Maryland. Later court cases have made the rule even stronger, requiring prosecutors to turn over evidence even if the defense hasn’t requested itand even if the prosecutors claim they didn’t know it was in their files.

A “Brady violation” is what happens when the prosecutors in a criminal case fail to perform their constitutional duty to turn over helpful evidence to the people they have charged with crimes.

Everyone has the right to due process and a fair trial. Because of that, when the government has evidence suggesting a person is either not guilty or deserves a lower sentence, the prosecutor has an obligation to disclose that evidence.

Please keep the Brady rule in mind as you read about the case going forward. In addition, all court filings related to the state case against Greg and Travis can be accessed at the Glynn County website:


State of Georgia vs. Travis McMichael

ARREST – MAY 7, 2020

Greg and Travis were arrested in a “staged media event” at our home on the evening of May 7, 2020. Greg was handcuffed and led away by none other than Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump.  GBI Agent Richard Dial cuffed and led Travis away.  Multiple news crews were on hand with more than twenty heavily armed law-enforcement officers from state, federal, and local agencies blocking the roadway and surrounding my home.  Each officer was clad from head-to-toe in tactical gear and armed with every type of firearm imaginable.  Greg and Travis offered no resistance, but their arrests would play out on television networks around the world from that day forward. Coincidentally, this would be the last moment that Greg and Travis were free men. 

Fig. 1. Greg and Travis arrested.

FIRST APPEARANCE HEARING – MAY 8, 2020

Georgia law requires that someone accused of a felony appear before a judge within 72 hours of his arrest.  This is often called a “first appearance hearing,” and this hearing is almost always held by a judge in the venue where the crime(s) are alleged to have occurred.  Some larger jurisdictions have judges from other courts reside over first appearance hearings, but most Georgia venues, including Glynn County, let the duties fall upon the Magistrate Court.  Regardless, the judge presiding over the first hearing does most of the talking and is required to address each of the following:

  1. Explain the charge(s) against the accused, usually by reading  the actual warrant(s);
  2. Explain the accused’s constitutional rights, including right to a lawyer of his or her choosing;
  3. Detail the right to a court-appointed lawyer if the accused cannot afford to hire a lawyer and the procedure to follow if requesting the court appoint a lawyer;
  4. Make a judicial determination whether probable cause exists that a crime has been committed;
  5. If the court determines sufficient probable cause exists, the court may consider and determine a bond and other terms and conditions associated with releasing the accused while he or she awaits trial.

Some felony charges, murder being one such crime, preclude a judge at the first appearance hearing from setting a bond. In this case, the court did not consider bond, deferring instead to Superior County Judge Timothy Walmsley who would be assigned to the case after local judges recused themselves.

PRELIMINARY HEARING – JUNE 4, 2020

A preliminary hearing is often used by defendants and their attorneys to get a glimpse of the case and see what evidence may exist. The downside of a preliminary hearing is that the normal rules of evidence are essentially tossed out the window. For example, hearsay is admissible, and you’ll see below how extensively it was used against Greg and Travis.  Non-legal opinions are often tossed around, and the court’s sole objective is to decide if probable cause exists for the case to move forward to the Grand Jury.  Fairness has no part in a preliminary hearing, but the defense often asks for this hearing so they can see some of the evidence that the state claims supports the charges against their client.  Otherwise, defendants and their attorneys are often relegated to waiting for months until the case is brought before a grand jury and discovery is required pursuant to the Brady rule. 

The preliminary hearing was held in Glynn County and was the result of a request filed by counsel for Greg, Travis, and Roddy. This hearing was the first of what would become gavel-to-gavel televised coverage of the case going forward. Major television networks and their affiliate stations jockeyed for access to stream coverage in real time, while print reporters, freelance journalists, podcasters, and others rounded out the intense news coverage.  Every word uttered, every facial expression was cast out to the world in real time.  Social media sites lit up with hundreds, if not thousands, of opinions from armchair detectives, prosecutors without law degrees, and wannabe judges sitting in recliners at home and wearing bathrobes.  And nearly all carried with them the preconceived notion driven by the mainstream media: “Black Jogger murdered by white vigilante racists in a predominantly white neighborhood”. 

Greg and Travis sought their constitutional right under the 6th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution to be present during the hearing and to face their accusers. However, in what would be the first of several similar rulings, the judge ruled that COVID protocols trumped the rights of the accused, and they were relegated to watching the hearing via remote access from the Glynn County Jail.  Some might see this as a minor point not important to the outcome.  I beg to differ.  Can you imagine being charged with a crime that could and ultimately would sentence them to life in prison without parole, all while having to watch the case unfold on a TV monitor and with no means of communicating with your lawyers in real time?

In a surprise move, Roddy’s lawyer, Kevin Gough, announced at the outset of the hearing that Roddy was waiving his right to attend and would not be in the room at the jail watching and listening to the case unfold with Greg and Travis. I recall our defense investigator, Lee Wilson, leaning over and telling me that Roddy’s waiving his attendance didn’t make sense.  After all, Roddy, like Greg and Travis, was charged with murder, and you would think that he would demand to participate in every court event.  Moments later, Roddy’s reason for waiving his appearance would become abundantly clear.

Agent Dial was the state’s only witness at the preliminary hearing, and he let loose with all manner of personal opinions, countless statements of hearsay, and the most damning accusation of all: that Travis stood over Ahmaud in the seconds after the shooting and used the “N” word.  Agent Dial smirked as he testified that Roddy made this utterly false claim during his fourth and last interview. The hearing was live-streamed to audiences around the world, and Agent Dial’s unsubstantiated testimony was, in my opinion, the linchpin that sealed Travis and Greg’s fate from that point forward.  The clip of Agent Dial’s testimony can be viewed below.


Clip of Agent Dial’s testimony

When Dial repeated that claim, Travis and Greg sat stunned, and I was floored!  Why?  Because it NEVER HAPPENED.  It is important to note here that prosecutors are not required to comply with discovery until after the indictment of a case. For that reason, neither Greg nor Travis had any of the state’s evidence, including Roddy’s statements, when the preliminary hearing took place. 

Greg, Travis, and their lawyers correctly surmised that Roddy recognized that his statement to Agent Dial would be put forth at the hearing, and he evidently decided it best he waive his presence.  Travis’ face told the story when he heard Dial testify to Roddy’s statement.  Knowing my son since birth, I saw surprise, shock, frustration, helplessness, and anger at the same instance.  In retrospect it was a brilliant move by Roddy and his attorney to waive his presence. While I find it despicable that Roddy would lie about my son to try to save himself, Travis would later be more charitable and forgive him as the case moved on. 

Today, we know that Roddy saw the handwriting on the wall during that final interview and must have done a “Hail Mary” in what would be a last-ditch effort to save himself. Roddy’s attempt at self-preservation failed, and he was arrested the day after his final statement to the GBI. 

For those who don’t recall the specific timeline of events, Ahmaud’s family and their team of lawyers turned their attention to demanding Roddy’s arrest and prosecution during the two weeks after Greg and Travis were jailed.  Roddy was arrested on May 21, 2020, the day after his desperate attempt to stave off an arrest.  Some will remember that Kevin Gough had previously declared Roddy a “star witness” for the state in the interviews Mr. Gough gave the media before Roddy was arrested. 


"Man who recorded the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery has been arrested, GBI says"

This unsupported and utterly false statement that Travis stood over Ahmaud and used a racial slur added high-grade fertilizer to the false narrative that Ahmaud was killed by white racists for simply being a Black man jogging in a white neighborhood.  The public belief that Travis committed what would have been a vile act if true is still in the forefront of why many believe my men are guilty. 

For example, our defense investigator, Lee Wilson, shared with me that he spoke to a member of the Georgia Republican party less than three weeks before the one-year anniversary of the Glynn County jury finding Greg, Travis, and Roddy guilty.  This official attributed the guilty verdicts to the widely shared belief that Travis stood over Ahmaud and spewed a racial epithet.  Lee explained to the man that this was another falsehood that has permeated the public’s belief since the early stages. Most concerning is the fact that in his role in the Republican party, the official has frequent interactions with Governor Brian Kemp. He told Lee that in the weeks following Greg and Travis’ arrest, Governor Kemp discussed the case and expressed his belief that Travis stood over Ahmaud and used the N word. There are countless other incidents where we’ve been questioned about Roddy’s statement to the GBI, and it is clear this belief is widely held. 

The logical question is how we can say with certainty that Travis DID NOT stand over Ahmaud and use the N word or any other racial epithet.  Well, besides the fact that Travis has vehemently denied doing so, below are a few of the facts and supportive evidence that prove Travis did not use a racial epithet or taunt Ahmaud in any way.

  1. Greg was on the phone with 911 at the time of the shooting, and the phone line remained open and recording for over 4 minutes after the shooting ended and long after the Glynn County PD arrived on the scene.  The phone remained on top of the toolbox in the bed of Travis’ truck during this time.  Roddy stopped his truck behind Travis’ truck, and Ahmaud came to rest in front of Travis’ truck. The following is a link to the 4 minute, 45 second, 911 call as described above.


    911 Call

  2. Law enforcement arranged to have the 911 call analyzed by audio experts with the GBI, FBI, and the Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC) for evidence that supported Roddy’s allegation. The best-trained audio experts in law enforcement with the aid of the most sophisticated audio-enhancing equipment and software could not substantiate Roddy’s statement to the GBI.

    Because the case remains under appeal, I cannot release the lab results from the audio enhancement, but I can tell you with complete certainty that the enhancement work failed to pick up any use of the N word by Travis or anyone else.

  3. Roddy’s truck windows were closed during the time he videotaped Ahmaud. Roddy would discuss in multiple interviews that Ahmaud tried to force his way into the driver’s door of Roddy’s truck, but the door was locked and the windows were closed.   

  4. Roddy acknowledged a hearing deficit resulting from years of listening to rock music at elevated decibels.

  5. GCPD Officer Minshew arrived on the scene less than 30 seconds after the final shot. The patrol car video of Minshew’s arrival does not show Roddy or his truck, but does depict Ahmaud, Greg, Travis, and Travis’ Ford truck in the background. Roddy’s truck is obscured by Travis’ truck. To be sure, Roddy was still seated in his truck with the windows closed.


    Fig. 2. Officer Minshew arrives.
  6. Travis and Greg’s defense team arranged to have a reconstruction expert determine the distance between Roddy’s truck and where Ahmaud fell, in the event that the state alleged at trial that Travis used a racial epithet. The 3D model video of the scene thus created showed that a distance of 91 feet separated Roddy from Ahmaud. It  can be viewed here:


    3D model video

Those who wish to read Agent Dial’s repulsive and false testimony as he regurgitated Roddy’s interview to the GBI can access the preliminary hearing transcript.


Preliminary hearing transcript

GLYNN COUNTY GRAND JURY – JUNE 24, 2020

In the height of the COVID pandemic when businesses were shuttered, courthouses locked, and the world was in a state of uncertainty, the Cobb County DA assigned to prosecute Greg, Travis, and Roddy found a way to bring the Glynn County Grand Jury together for the sole purpose of indicting these three men.  I am unaware of another case presented to a Grand Jury in Glynn County or throughout the State of Georgia during the summer of 2020.  Yet, this case was not only presented to a local Grand Jury, but on the same day, then-Cobb DA Joyette Holmes stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her assistants, GBI officials--including Agent Dial--and others to announce the indictment to the world during a prepared and televised media event. 


Indictment
Former DA Holmes’ announcement

BOND HEARING – NOVEMBER 6, 2020

I’m not going to belabor what took place at the bond hearing beyond noting that Greg and Travis met all the required elements to be considered for bond.  Remember, an accused is “innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”  Several friends and acquaintances testified at the hearing and offered to put up property as bond for Greg and Travis.  These same friends and acquaintances were attacked unmercifully on social media.  Some were threatened with bodily harm by the many cowards posting anonymously while the hearing unfolded. The likelihood of the accused re-offending if released on bond was nil.  Nothing in Greg's or Travis’ history gave any credence to this concern. 

Most disturbingly, the state again used Roddy’s statement alleging Travis stood over Ahmaud and uttered a racial epithet in support of their opposition to bond.  While one could argue that the state didn’t know that Roddy’s statement was false at the hearing on June 4, 2020, they didn’t have that luxury at the bond hearing.  By then, they knew the open audio line enhancement failed to support that allegation.  They had also taken their own measurements and knew, or should have known, that Roddy was seated in his truck with the windows rolled up, parked 91 feet away when he claimed to have heard Travis use the N word while standing over Ahmaud.

Judge Walmsley issued a factually flawed ruling denying Greg and Travis bond on December 11, 2020.


Bond denial order

In response, Frank Hogue, Greg’s lawyer, crafted a brilliant Motion to Appeal Bond and sent it to Judge Walmsley for his consideration.  Georgia judges have broad discretion in granting pre-trial appeals motions and not surprisingly, Judge Walmsley, sat on the Motion and never ruled.  Frank’s Motion is a great read, and you can see it here:


Motion to Appeal Bond

PRETRIAL MOTION HEARINGS

There were several pretrial hearings to address motions filed by the state and the defense in this case.  All of the pretrial motions, court rulings, post-trial filings, etc., can be accessed at the Glynn County Clerk of Court website.

I didn’t keep a tally of the win-loss ratio based on the court rulings, but I’m confident in saying that Judge Walmsley ruled against the defense in nearly every defense motion filed.  Here’s a sample of the evidence that Judge Walmsley ruled was inadmissible and could not be brought forth for the jury to consider:

  1. Ahmaud’s history of arrests and convictions, much of which we’ve detailed here.
  2. Ahmaud’s documented history of mental illness.  Ahmaud, as documented on the timeline page of this website, had been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder.  Furthermore, Ahmaud was not being treated for his mental illness on February 23, 2020, when he charged Travis and struggled for control of the shotgun.  The Judge’s decision to keep this out of the trial essentially meant that the jury could not hear medical evidence from a defense expert in the field of forensic psychiatry that Ahmaud’s actions in charging Travis and fighting for control of a shotgun would not be unexpected from someone suffering Schizoaffective Disorder.
  3. The Court ruled against the defense and would not allow us to present a firearms expert to explain Travis’ actions in handling the shotgun, weapon retention, etc., was consistent with his training and experience while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.
  4. The Court ruled that the defense could not present evidence to show that the Satilla Shores neighborhood and adjacent Royal Oaks neighborhood had lived under the perception of crime being out of control in the months before Ahmaud’s death. Police reports, 911 calls, social media posts, and the like supported the fact that neighborhood residents were in a constant state of fear, in part because of the videos of Ahmaud seen snooping around the English propertyRecords would show a dramatic drop in 911 calls for police services to these neighborhoods following the tragic events of February 23, 2020.

TRIAL – OCTOBER 18, 2021 – NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Jury selection began on Monday, October 18, 2021.  Prior to jury selection, the court had the Glynn County Clerk send out 1000 JURY SUMMONS to prospective jurors along with a court-approved questionnaire that each prospective juror was asked to complete and bring with him when they arrived for the selection process.


Juror questionnaire

It was our hope that out of 1000 prospective jurors, we could find 12 jurors and 4 alternates who would enter the trial with an open mind, listen to the testimony, and weigh the evidence before rendering a verdict.  While this is a grand premise, reality proved to be far different. 

Understandably, all the prospective jurors were referred to by numbers throughout the selection or “Voir Dire” process, and those selected to serve remained anonymous throughout the trial.  However, basic identification information of each juror was provided to the prosecutors and defense attorneys a few days before jury selection began.  The court provided clear instructions warning the parties not to identify the prospective jurors. The limited information allowed our small, underfunded defense team to do some preliminary vetting that would prove beneficial during selection. 

Many of the media reports on the jury selection process focused on the defense’s striking of African-Americans from the jury pool. Judge Walmsley even called out the defense as using race to strike jurors even though he would subsequently agree that we used race neutral reasons for every juror we struck from the panel. 

Let me tell you what was not mentioned by the media about the jury selection process.  First, Wanda Jones’ attorney, Lee Merritt, posted on one of social media accounts during jury selection to remember this phrase, “I can be fair.” 

Fig. 3. Lee Merritt to prospective jurors: Remember the phrase "I can be fair."


Lee Merritt appeared on TV networks nightly throughout the jury selection and stoked the flames by using race at every juncture. The fact that he admonished prospective jurors to keep in mind the phrase “I can be fair” is interesting.  Judge for yourself what Merritt’s intent was here.   

On another note, Merritt was caught taking photos of witnesses while they testified at pretrial hearings and relaying the witness pictures to his pal Shaun King. King, who has a radio show and a social media following, would then encourage his social media followers to harass and threaten the witnesses.  Unlike others who were publicly admonished by the judge for merely forgetting to silence their cell phones, Merritt was treated with kid gloves.  I’ve learned that a member of the sheriff’s staff spoke to Merritt privately and warned him not to photograph witnesses again.  Can you imagine the reaction if someone from the defense side were alleged to have done this? I will confidently state that such an infraction by anyone else would have resulted in serious and very public consequences. 

Besides Merritt’s efforts to influence the jury selection process, the prospective jurors freely came and went from the courthouse each day.  As such, they were exposed to protestors that lined the walkway entrance and exit to the courthouse. The media never reported on the juror who was dismissed after he was seen talking with and then hugging a person who was gathered with some of the protestors. 

The jurors were questioned about their knowledge of the case, media exposure, how many times they’d watched the video, if they supported any of the various causes, including “I run with Maud," etc.  Most admitted having seen the video, and most said they had seen it several times.  Several acknowledged attending events associated with the "I run with Maud" campaign.  However, a few jurors denied knowing anything about the case and some even denied having seen the shooting video.   

I mentioned above that the defense did its best to vet the prospective jurors, including a check of their social media pages.  Would you be surprised that the defense actually found several jurors who lied in their questionnaire and during Voir Dire?  Yes, the defense successfully identified several prospective jurors who scrubbed their social media pages sometime before appearing for jury selection.  Several jurors were questioned about any affiliation or support for any groups or organizations that raised money for Ahmaud’s family, and each denied taking a part.  Of course, we had screenshots from now-scrubbed social media pages that gave a different take on their involvement.  The defense would be forced to use one of our strikes to have the juror dismissed or risk having someone sitting on the jury that clearly had ulterior motives. 

These are just some of the examples that took place during jury selection.  Little, if any, of these flagrant acts were reported by the mainstream media.  With this knowledge, how can anyone be confident that the 12 people who decided the case were truly neutral at the onset of the trial? 

It took well over two weeks to pick the 12 jurors and four alternates who would be the ultimate decision makers.  The defense team debated daily the merits of asking for a venue change, but we all held out hope that the citizens of Glynn County could be fair and impartial.  In retrospect, we were simply being optimistic in the midst of a tidal wave of evidence before our eyes that made a fair trial impossible. 

It's almost comical when you consider the long odds we faced here.  From the outset, everything favored the prosecutors: beginning with the circuslike climate that led off the trial and which transitioned into armed men patrolling the courthouse perimeter and using bull horns to chime their threats and messages of hate and destruction to the those in attendance, including the non-sequestered jury.  The prosecutors had the edge when it came to allocation of workspace outside the courtroom, arrangement of the tables in the courtroom, and more importantly the court rulings that came about during the trial. 

For example, while the state, led by lead prosecutor Linda Dunikoski, only required space for three prosecutors at the courtroom table,  the DA brought a team of at least eight support staff that had full use of a large conference room just across the hall from the rear entrance of the courtroom.  The defense team, which included six lawyers, a paralegal, and an investigator, enjoyed the use of an 8’ X 8’ conference room with a circular four-person conference table placed in the middle.  I don’t think anyone can truly comprehend unless you were present the sight of eight people taking breaks, preparing witnesses, and conducting a nearly six-week trial from a 64-square- foot room. 

Ah, the courtroom.  On Friday, October 15, 2021, everyone gathered in the courtroom to ready the area for jury selection on Monday, October 18.  COVID mandates were in place, and Judge Walmsley designated the left side of the gallery for certain parties, including Ahmaud’s family and lawyers, and the families of the defendants.  The defense table was on the left side of the courtroom and arranged in an “L” shape to provide for the six defense attorneys and three defendants.  The table for Ms. Dunikoski and the two assistants assigned to help prosecute the case was on the right side of the courtroom near the jury box but facing the Judge’s bench when we left the courthouse Friday afternoon. 

Surprise, surprise. Come Monday, the prosecution’s table had been moved from Friday’s position an estimated 120 degrees to the right, placing it at angle and putting the prosecutors facing most of the jurors seated in the jury box. In fact, the prosecutors were literally less than five feet from the entrance to and from the jury box and directly in eye contact with the jurors.  Some may fail to see the significance of this placement, but I don’t think you can overestimate the advantage this setup gave the prosecutors.   

The courtroom had heavy security, and bailiffs were very attentive to the jury.  However, no amount of attentiveness could keep the jury from being exposed to armed men patrolling the courthouse at times during the trial.  Some of the jurors were directly exposed to the protests despite the bailiffs' best efforts to shield them from the protests surrounding the courthouse.    

At one point, a tow truck with a black casket with the names of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and others inscribed drove around the courthouse before dropping the casket off at the courthouse entrance.  Groups of heavily armed men and women carrying flags that read “Black Panthers” used bull horns to taunt the police and people inside and outside the courthouse.  Threats “to burn it down” were repeated in unison in response to someone hollering for “justice.” 

See Fig. 4 for photos of the day's protestors, some of them armed.


Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 8 Photo 9 Photo 10 Photo 11 Photo 12 Photo 13 Photo 14 Photo 15 Photo 16 Photo 17 Photo 18 Photo 19 Photo 20 Photo 21 Photo 22 Photo 23 Photo 24 Photo 25 Photo 26 Photo 27 Photo 28 Photo 29 Photo 30 Photo 31 Photo 32 Photo 33 Fig. 4. Armed protestors, October 18, 2021. Click on any thumbnail to display the full-size photo.

But what about the court rulings?  How did anything in the courtroom affect the outcome you might askFirst, Greg and Travis’ lawyers fashioned their defense on two things:

  1. Georgia’s citizen arrest law that was applicable on February 23, 2020.
  2. Travis’ right to defend himself when Ahmaud attacked and tried to wrestle the gun away.

After the defense concluded their case and the state rested, what is commonly called a "charge conference" was held. This took place on Friday, November 19, 2021, and should have been fairly routine according to Greg and Travis’ lawyers. A charge conference is a process where the judge lays out to the prosecution and defense the specific instructions (the “jury charge”) he’ll give the jury after closing arguments and before the jury retires to consider a verdict.  Frequently, the prosecutor and defense will make requests to the judge regarding language in a charge or jury instruction, but the judge is the ultimate decision-maker on the charge. In simpler terms, the judge is supposed to instruct the jury on the law and how the jury should apply the law when deciding the guilt or innocence of the accused. 

Instead of what is normally a mundane process, the jury charge conference began at 10:00 am and had not concluded when everyone left the courthouse around 7:00 pm that evening.  The discussion continued via email throughout the weekend, before Judge Walmsley arrived at his decision on how he planned to charge the jury in regard to the citizen’s arrest law.  Judge Walmsley’s charge was crippling to Greg and Travis’ defense.  In essence, Judge Walmsley instructed the jury that Greg and Travis must have had probable cause that Ahmaud had committed a crime that day, meaning February 23, 2020.  The jury was instructed that Greg and Travis’ knowledge of Ahmaud’s actions before February 23 could not be used as a means of performing a citizen’s arrest.  Why did this cripple the defense? Because Greg and Travis acted on the totality of what they knew about Ahmaud, and there was no evidence that either were aware of any crime Ahmaud may have committed on the day of the shooting.  This ruling had a domino effect in that Ms. Dunikoski was then given an open argument to the jury that Travis could not claim self defense in shooting Ahmaud even though Ahmaud attacked and punched Travis before the first shot was fired. The theory Ms. Dunikoski put to the jury is that without probable cause on that day, you can’t claim self-defense since Greg and Travis had no right to try and detain Ahmaud. 

The jury convicted Greg and Travis, and the jury instructions made most of the defense presentation an exercise in futility.  I’m hopeful the appellant court will rectify these terrible rulings and grant my husband and son a new trial.  Time will tell. 

One final thing that I want the entire world to know.  Much has been made about Roddy’s statement that Travis stood over Ahmaud and used the horrible “N” word.  In fact, I spent a great deal of time earlier explaining how we know this didn’t happen. But there is one other thing I hope the reader will consider that I think unequivocally supports that Travis never stood over Ahmaud and said what Roddy claimed.

Travis testified during the trial.  Ms. Dunikoski had him on cross examination, and she grilled him very hard.  She could have asked him anything she chose during cross examination.  Anyone watching the trial could see that she was skilled in her job, extremely well prepared, and had a clear grasp of the case facts.  After all, she and her colleagues used Roddy’s statement in the preliminary hearing and again in the bond hearing in what was a calculated move to make Travis out as a racist murderer in the hearts and minds of the millions of viewers.  Why didn’t she go for the jugular and call Travis out when he sat on the witness stand? 

The answer:

Linda Dunikoski and the entire prosecution team had known since early in this case that Roddy’s statement was false. They’d known the results of the audio enhancement test, they’d known Roddy had hearing problems, they’d known his truck window was rolled up and the door locked, and they’d known about the 91-foot distance that separated Roddy from Travis and Ahmaud’s body.

Even today, the prosecution has evidently never sought to correct this lie with Ahmaud’s family.  Ahmaud’s mother told the court at Travis’ sentencing that Travis used the N word standing over her son.   

In closing, I have no power to make the prosecutor do anything to correct the lie they intentionally placed before the world when Agent Dial testified on June 4, 2020. I can and do offer my apology to the Arbery family for the lie they were told and for the hurt this false allegation has caused. 


I will be adding more to the website when possible.   Until then, I ask that you please consider donating to the Greg and Travis McMichael Defense Fund found at  https://givesendgo.com/McMichaeldefense.

If you’d like more information, please email us at info@mcmichaeltrial.com