After more than six hours of deliberations on Tuesday, the jury was sent home for the night.

Judge Timothy Walmsley sent the panel home after questioning the jury foreperson about the jury's progress.

"We are in the process of working to reach a verdict," the jury foreperson told Walmsley.

When Walmsley asked if a verdict was imminent, the foreperson said, "At this moment, I think breaking for the day would be the best option."

The foreperson went back and conferred with the other jurors, who initially said they wanted to keep working. But minutes later, Walmsley called the jury into the courtroom and told the panel it was a good time to break for the day and sent them home.

Deliberations will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Judge Timothy Walmsley read the jury final instructions and explained the law and each charge to the jury before sending the panel off to deliberate their verdicts.

Walmsley told the jury that they must reach a unanimous verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, explaining that does not mean "beyond all doubt" or to a "mathematical certainty."

He reminded the jury that the defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and that the burden of proof is solely on the prosecution.

Walmsley said that lesser charges could only be considered against William "Roddie" Bryan. He said the lesser charges against Bryan are simple assault, reckless conduct and reckless driving.

"Each of you must decide this case for yourself," Walmsley said.

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski suggested to the jury that Travis and Greg McMichael became angry at Ahmaud Arbery after he ignored their calls to stop when they pulled up alongside him during the pursuit.

Dunikoski attacked the testimony of Travis McMichael, pointing out inconsistencies and claims she alleged were concocted for the trial.

Dunikoski said neither Travis McMichael nor his father told police on the day of the shooting that they were trying to place Arbery under criminal arrest because they believed he had committed a burglary at a home under construction in their neighborhood.

The prosecutor cited Travis McMichael's testimony that he thought his father had called 911 before they set out to chase Arbery.

"Does anybody believe that?" asked Dunikoski, suggesting that a dispatcher would have kept Greg McMichael on the line to get more information.

She scoffed at Travis McMichael's claim on the witness stand that he didn't know what his father yelled at Arbery as they chased him, including the alleged statement threatening to shoot Arbery.

She said Travis McMichael's testimony was full of "maybes" and assumptions, including that Arbery may have committed a crime, that maybe he was caught.

"These are all maybes. He doesn't know anything," Dunikoski said.

Dunikoski also poked holes in Travis McMichael's claim that he spoke to Arbery calmly during the pursuit, trying to get him to stop and answer questions about what he was doing in their neighborhood.

"Do you believe for a minute he was talking softly to Ahmaud Arbery?" Dunikoski asked the jury.

She played a 911 call Travis McMichael made after Arbery was cornered, and breathlessly reported his emergency that "A Black male was running down the street." In the background of the call, Greg McMichael was heard yelling at Arbery, "Stop. Goddammit. Stop."

The prosecutor wrapped up her rebuttal argument by telling the jury the defendants are all "parties to the crime" and asked the panel to convict them on all charges.

As prosecutor Linda Dunikoski continued her rebuttal argument, defense attorneys for Greg and Travis McMichael objected several times, accusing Dunikoski of misstating the law that pertains to citizen's arrest.

After one of the defense attorneys called for a mistrial in front of the jury, Judge Walmsley sent the panel out of the courtroom.

Walmsley appeared frustrated at all the interruptions to Dunikoski's rebuttal, saying, "I like to get the closing arguments done."

Walmsley denied the motion for a mistrial, telling the attorneys, "I indicated the law is going to be provided to the panel. I've indicated the court's position with respect to the law."

Defense attorney Jason Sheffield said that when Travis McMichael and his father got into their truck and chased Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020, they had probable cause that Arbery had committed a felony break-in based on the totality of evidence they had at the time.

The defense attorney cited the increase in crime in the Satilla Shores neighborhood, the confrontation Travis McMichael had with Arbery 12 days earlier at the unfinished home in which he believed Arbery was armed, that he had previously been shown security video of the young Black man in the home on several occasions and that suddenly there was a neighbor pointing in the direction the same man was running after he left the construction site.

"Travis believes he's committed the offense of burglary," Sheffield said.

Sheffield said that under the law, the McMichaels had the right to make a citizens' arrest and to be armed with firearms to make the arrests.

He said Travis McMichael was keeping an eye on Arbery to tell police the man's whereabouts when Arbery found himself between Bryan's pickup truck and the McMichaels' truck.

Sheffield said that as Arbery ran directly at Travis McMichael, he was told the stop and even turned around when Travis McMichael reached into his truck and pulled out his shotgun.

Sheffield said the second time Arbery allegedly charged at Travis McMichael, the defendant raised his weapon as a deterrent and that he was fearful Arbery had a gun and was just hoping he would keep running by.

The defense attorney then told the jury that when Arbery came around the front of Travis McMichael's truck and physically confronted the armed man and was using his fists as a weapon.

"Fists are that weapon," Sheffield said, adding that at that time, Travis McMichael fired three shots at Arbery he was afraid Arbery "would beat him with his fists," take his gun and kill him.

Playing a video Bryan took that partly showed the fatal struggle, Sheffield asked, "Is there any question that Ahmaud Arbery is assaulting Travis McMichael right before that third shot? Not one single bit of question."

"It is absolutely horrific and tragic that this has happened and this is where the law becomes intertwined with heartache and tragedy," Sheffield said. "You are allowed to defend yourself, you are allowed to use force that's likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if you believe it's necessary."

He asked the jury to acquit Travis McMichael on all charges.