One suspect in the Ahmaud Arbery murder case is now the subject of a sex-crime investigation in Georgia, according to an NBC News report.
Both local and state police are involved in the probe of William “Roddie” Bryan, Jr. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation in a tweet Friday confirmed that its investigators are engaged in the inquiry by request of the Glynn County Police Department.
“On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, the Glynn County Police Department requested that the GBI initiate a sex crimes investigation based on allegations made against William ‘Roddie’ Bryan, Jr. The investigation is active and ongoing,” the agency said.
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Although no details of the specific crimes or other parties involved have been disclosed at this time, the GBI has stated that the alleged crimes occurred in Camden County, Ga., which neighbors Glynn County to the south. The two counties are situated in the southeastern part of the state. Camden County borders the state of Florida.
The Camden Couty Sheriff‘s department stated their agency is not part of the investigation, which is being run by state police.
During Bryan’s bail hearing, the sex-crimes investigation was mentioned by a prosecutor, but only in passing. Bryan’s defense attorney did not make mention of it during the hearing.
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Bryan is one of three suspects in the shooting death of Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was confronted by two white men while jogging. Bryan is the man who recorded Arbery’s fatal shooting on cell phone.
Video footage shows Travis McMichael and his father Gregory accosting Arbery near their pick-up truck before Arbery was shot.
The shooting took place on February 23 in Glynn County, but the duo was not charged until May 7 after Gregory McMichael leaked the video to a local radio station, causing the footage to go viral.
Bryan was later arrested on May 21. All three are charged with felony murder. According to USA Today, Bryan is also charged with criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
The McMichaels are also each charged with aggravated assault.
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