BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Medical examination performed autopsy About Ahmaud Arbery told jurors on Tuesday he was shot twice and may have grabbed the shotgun or pushed it away when he was killed in February 2020.
Prosecutors released graphic photos of Arbery’s autopsy when Edmund R. Donoghue, a forensic pathologist at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, testified Tuesday during the trial. trial of three white men accused of murder in the death of Arbery, the black man.
Donoghue concluded that Arbery died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, wrists, and armpits. The injuries can be fatal on their own, and there was nothing first responders could do to save Arbery’s life, he said.
Donoghue told prosecutors that he could not determine the order in which the shots were fired based solely on his autopsy. But after reviewing video of the murder, he said he believed Arbery’s hand was in front of his chest when the first shot grazed his wrist, into his chest and broke several ribs.
The next shot missed Arbery, but the third shot hit him near his armpit, paralyzing his left arm and breaking several bones.
The cell phone video, shot by defendant William “Roddie” Bryan, shows the struggle between Arbery and defendant Travis McMichael, who opened fire.
Donoghue told prosecutor Linda Dunikoski that the wound between Arbery’s thumb and little finger could be related to someone pushing the pistol away or grabbing it.
Before:The defense lawyer failed to expel the priest Jesse Jackson from the courtroom
Than:Rittenhouse case, Arbery death trial reflects deepening political and racial divisions
During questioning, defense attorney Bob Rubin asked Donoghue if Arbery could fight back after being shot in the wrist and chest. Donoghue agrees that trauma didn’t stop Arbery from hitting Travis McMichael, and that Arbery is likely to get adrenaline as part of the flight or fight response.
When Rubin asked Arbery what he might be afraid of, Donoghue replied, “Well, there was a man with a shotgun and men chasing him in a pickup truck.”
Prosecutors on Tuesday again showed jurors video of the shooting on a cell phone, and Donoghue said the blood spurts in the footage likely came from a wound to Arbery’s wrist.
Jurors also saw photos of scratches on Arbery’s face, arms and hands that Donoghue said were consistent with an “unprotected fall,” when a person loses consciousness and falls to the ground.
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, left the courtroom as autopsy photos were displayed. During the break, defense attorney Laura Hogue hugged Leigh McMichael, wife of Greg and mother of Travis, who appeared to be wiping away tears.
Prosecutors called about 20 witnesses to testify during the eight-day trial of father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael and their neighbor Bryan. These men were arrested and charged with murder and other crimes two months after Arbery was killed on February 23, 2020.
Defense attorneys say three men chased Arbery in a pickup to detain him for police and that Travis shot him in self-defense. Prosecutors say Arbery is being attacked by men with no way of knowing if he committed a crime.
Juries on Tuesday also heard from GBI agents David Bryan Smith and Richard Dial and crime scene expert Jessica Hamilton.
Smith digitally mapped the Satilla Shores and used drones to video and photograph the vicinity. Hamilton toured the surrounding areas after the shooting, transporting evidence and photographing the defendant’s vehicles.
Dial executed an arrest warrant for Greg and Travis McMichael after the GBI joined the investigation in May 2020. Prosecutors showed jurors a map of key locations in the case and their route. Arbery, Bryan and McMichaels on the day of the shooting as Dial testified about their role in the investigation.
The testimony came a day after the judge rejected a defense attorney’s recommendation to make a mistake about the presence of civil rights leaders including Jesse Jackson in the courtroom. latent print examiner Jesse Worley also testified second.
