The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said earlier this week it had identified the person who wrote and left a note at the Ahmaud Arbery memorial that said "I should have stopped them," adding that the person was not connected with the murder. According to a new report from TMZ, however, attorneys for Arbery's family have gone to the authorities with new info that brings that conclusion into question.
Attorney Lee Merritt says in the new report that he and his investigative team have been given "a credible tip" claiming that the person responsible for the note has "ties" to Travis and Gregory McMichael, who were both arrested and charged in Arbery's murder, and/or William "Roddie" Bryan. The latter recorded footage of the shooting, which occurred in the Satilla Shores community in February.
The anonymous tip is said to have originated from Brunswick, with the person reportedly mentioning that the handwriting shown on the note caught their eye. The tip has been shared with both the GBI and the D.A.'s office.
"Ahmaud, I am so sorry," the note in question, which is not signed and carries no additional identifying marks, reads. "I should have stopped them. I am so sorry."
In a statement earlier this week released prior to the latest TMZ update, a GBI rep said the person was not connected to the murder investigation "in any way" and was instead "expressing their condolences."
Earlier this week, Ahmaud Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones said she "would totally agree with" a death sentence for all involved in the murder of her son.
