The national outrage at his murder was sparked by cellphone video footage of the shooting that was released months later. It also revealed that the local authorities refused to arrest his accomplices.
Arbery was chased by the men who claimed he had committed a crime. They were also trying to make Arbery a citizen’s arrest. All three men were convicted of murder in state court and are now facing federal hate crimes charges.
WHO WAS AHMAUD ARABERY?
Ahmaud Marquez Archery was a Brunswick resident for over a century. His friends called him “Maud” and “Quez”. He was the son Marcus Arbery Sr., and Wanda Cooper Jones. His family stated that he had a large, easy smile and would run every day, unless it was raining.
Arbery worked hard at his father’s truck washing business and his father’s landscaping company. His neighbors would often see him lifting weights on his mother’s driveway, or playing basketball. He would often sing freestyle rap.
FOOTBALL DREAMS
Arbery was an ex-linebacker on his high school football team, The Brunswick Pirates. Although he didn’t have the usual heft of a linebacker but his speed and agility on field made him a local superstar. His family told him that he once dreamed of playing in the National Football League. However, at 5’10 (1.8m), he was not tall enough.
Arbery’s Brunswick High School coach, from whom he graduated in 2012, resigned his No. 21 football jersey. 21 in memory of the star player, at a ceremony to be held in 2020.
LEGAL TROUBLES
Arbery was known for having a few encounters with the law. However, his family believes he is now putting these incidents behind him.
He was a senior at high school when he returned to campus in 2013 to watch a basketball match. He was sentenced to five years probation.
He was arrested in 2017 for shoplifting a TV from a local Walmart. Court records show that he was serving his original probation when a judge extended it.
The defense attorneys tried to inform the jury about these incidents but the judge refused. He ruled that the defendants couldn’t have known anything about Arbery or his probation status.
FUTURE
Arbery had other football goals than he realized. His family told him that he wanted to be an electrician and follow in the footsteps three of his uncles.
After high school, he attended South Georgia Technical College about a year and a half. But he dropped out of college when the money was tight. According to Theawanza Brooks his aunt, Arbery had been saving money for the future.
