The trial of Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery are underway. The prosecution closed its arguments on Tuesday following the testimonies of 23 witnesses over the course of eight days.
Members of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took the stand on Tuesday including the lead investigator and GBI forensic pathologist Dr. Edmund Donoghue, who performed the autopsy on Arbery’s body. Dr. Donoghue provided scientific knowledge in debriefing the jury on the severity of the injuries.
Stephen B. Morton – Pool/Getty Images
Donoghue stated that he wasn’t able to provide an order of how the gunshot wounds struck Arbery when he initially conducted the autopsy. However, after reviewing footage of the tragic killing, he was able to form an educated opinion on the incident. He said the second shot missed Arbery while the first grazed his wrist and hit an artery and the third went through his center chest, causing axillary vein and axillary artery. Donoghue added that his wrist could’ve been medically treated but the third shot fatally killed Arbery.
During cross-examination, Donoghue told the defense that he saw Arbery’s hand on the barrel of the gun from the cell phone footage. He added that Arbery was able to hold the gun while hitting McMichael before he was struck.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on the trial.