Speaking to the Sun, Lindsay, who is sister to Travis McMichael and daughter to former cop Gregory McMichael, explained to the British tabloid publication that she snapped a photo of Arbery’s blood-soaked body and later posted it on Snapchat because she is a “huge fan of true crime.”
“I had no nefarious or malicious intent when I posted that picture,” Lindsay told the outlet. “The thing is I’m a huge fan of true crime – I listen to four or five podcasts a week – I’m constantly watching that sort of thing.”
“It was more of a, ‘Holy s**t, I can’t believe this has happened,’” she added, before recognizing that her decision to take and share such a graphic photo “was absolutely poor judgement."
Lindsay’s admission comes only after the photo recently began to circulate widely among locals in the Brunswick, Georgia, area, which includes the Satilla Shores neighborhood in which Arbery lived with his family.
Warning: This image shows graphic content and may not be appropriate for some viewers.
The photo shows Arbery’s body lying on the ground as three first responders appear to be inspecting the body at the taped-off crime scene. Two other officials are seen standing off to the side, next to a stretcher.
Lee Merritt, the lawyer representing Arbery’s family, told the Sun that Lindsay’s decision to share the image on social media was “very disturbing to the family,” and that “it also highlights that there are probably more video and more images of before, during and after Ahmaud’s murder.”
“These images aren’t meant for public consumption in this way,” Merritt continued. “It actually fits in with the pattern of the McMichael family engaging in a weird, violent form of voyeurism.”
Prior to news emerging of Lindsay’s photo, reports previously revealed that it was Gregory, her father, who leaked the footage of the shooting to a local Georgia radio station before the recording began to gain nationwide attention. It was later reported that the former cop decided to release the video so that he could clear up rumors that were already starting to spread in the coastal Georgia community, local news outlet WSB-TV reported.
“It’s deeply disturbing behavior,” Merritt underscored, referring to the actions of both Lindsay and Gregory.
The latest development comes after new footage showing a November 2017 encounter between Arbery and Georgia police was published by the Guardian on Monday. The newly surfaced recording shows an officer attempting to use a department-issued stun gun on Arbery after he denies their request to search his car.
The Guardian reported that the incident unfolded after an officer spotted Arbery sitting inside his car in a park generally known for drug activity. The video initially shows Arbery explaining that he was simply relaxing on his day off and that he didn’t possess any illicit drugs; however, the encounter ultimately turned heated after he questioned why officers were zeroing in on him.
The video eventually cuts off with police allowing Arbery to leave the area without his car, as it was determined that his driver’s license was suspended.
In response to the video release, lawyers for the Arbery family issued a statement, noting that the camera footage provides “just a glimpse into the kind of scrutiny Ahmaud Arbery faced not only by this police department, but ultimately regular citizens like the McMichaels and their posse, pretending to be police officers.”
Although Arbery was killed on February 23, it wasn’t until early May, when footage of the deadly encounter was publicized, that the case began to gain nationwide attention. The McMichael father-son duo were not arrested until May 7. The pair have been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.