Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee’s Statement on the Guilty Verdicts in the Killing of Ahmaud Arbery
Houston, Texas (November 24, 2021) – Today, three white men were found guilty of felony murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was jogging in their neighborhood in Georgia when the defendants confronted him last year. The defendants now face up to life in prison.
“I’m glad justice was served today and a jury found Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers guilty,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. “But let’s not forget the institutional failures this case revealed in our justice system when white men killed a Black man on camera. A local police department that didn’t make any make arrests. Local prosecutors refusing to move on the case.”
“A guilty verdict is just one piece of ‘justice for all.’ True justice is a system that doesn’t require a viral video and protesting to trigger the arrest and prosecution of murders of an unarmed, Black jogger.”
About the Harris County Attorney’s Office
Christian D. Menefee serves as the elected, top civil lawyer for Texas’ largest county. The Harris County Attorney’s Office represents the county in all civil matters including lawsuits. Menefee leads an office of 250 attorneys and staff members. He entered office at 32 years old, making him the youngest person and first African American elected as the Harris County Attorney.