Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, has written an open letter to Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tom Durden demanding justice for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February.
UPDATE: A father and son have now been arrested and charged in the US state of Georgia for the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. Gregory McMichael, aged 64, and Travis McMichael, aged 34, were detained on Thursday by the state bureau of investigation
Durden has been appointed to examine the case, which saw the unarmed black man pursued and shot after a confrontation with two white men, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael, while he was jogging in the street in Brunswick, in Georgia’s Glynn County.
Durden issued a statement recommending that the case should be presented to the grand jury of Glynn County.
“After careful review of the evidence,” wrote Durden in a statement. “I am of the opinion that the case should be presented to the grand jury of Glynn County for consideration of criminal charges.”
No arrests have been made in the case, in spite of the release of footage that purports to show the entire incident, with widespread condemnation subsequently coming from as high up as Joe Biden, who, writing in a tweet, said: “The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood.”
Biden added: “My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder.”
“We ask you to ensure that justice is carried out in the name of Ahmaud Arbery and that Gregory and Travis McMichael be charged with his murder without further delay.”
Merck Mercuriadis
Now, Mercuriadis has weighed in, writing in an open letter posted to Instagram that Hipgnosis has invested over “$100 million in Georgia in the last 21 months”.
He added: “I represent some of the biggest songwriters in the world many of whom reside in Georgia.
“We ask you to ensure that justice is carried out in the name of Ahmaud Arbery and that Gregory and Travis McMichael be charged with his murder without further delay.”Read Mercuriadis’s letter in full below:
Dear Mr Durden,
My name is Merck Mercuriadis and my company – [Hipgnosis Songs Fund] – and I have invested over $100 million in Georgia in the last 21 months. I represent some of the biggest songwriters in the world many of whom reside in Georgia.
They are contributors of tens of millions of dollars to the local Georgia economy and are on copy. They have sold over 1 billion albums worldwide collectively with artists such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Madonna, Zac Brown, Justin Bieber, Jay Z, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Kanye West. They have a very loud voice.
We ask you to ensure that justice is carried out in the name of Ahmaud Arbery and that Gregory and Travis McMichael be charged with his murder without further delay.
Sincerely,
Merck Mercuriadis
Johnta Austin
Bryan Michael Cox
Sean Garrett
Chris Hicks
Mark Stewart
Tricky Stewart
Poo Bear
The-DreamMusic Business Worldwide
