Sixteen phone calls were made between one of Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers and the local district attorney who was first assigned to the case in the days after the Black man was shot dead in the street, according to prosecutors.

Court documents, filed in Glynn County Superior Court last week, say that former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson spoke with Gregory McMichael multiple times in the weeks after the murder.

Between 23 February 2020 – the day McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and neighbour William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. chased Arbery through Satilla Shores in their trucks and shot him dead – and 5 May 2020, call logs reveal that the pair spoke at least 16 times.

The calls began almost immediately after Arbery’s murder, with McMichael calling Ms Johnson for “advice” in the aftermath of the shooting.

Cellphone records show that McMichael called Ms Johnson at 2.14pm that afternoon but the call was unanswered and he left a voicemail, the documents state.

“Jackie, this is Greg. Could you call me as soon as you possibly can? Um…we’re um…my son and I have been involved in a shooting and I need some advice right away,” he says in the voicemail.

“Could you please call me as soon as you possibly can? Thank you. Bye.”

The following day, a call between the two lasted nine minutes and 15 seconds, according to court documents.

At that time, Ms Johnson was still the DA presiding over the case.

The longest phone call between the two lasted 21 minutes and four seconds on 30 April, the log shows.

The former DA, who was voted out of office amid accusations of a cover-up over Arbery’s death, is now awaiting trial on charges that she abused her position of power to shield Arbery’s killers from prosecution.

Ms Johnson and McMichael had known each other for a long time, after the former Glynn County police officer worked as an investigator in the DA’s office for two decades before he retired.

The new court documents came in response to two motions filed by her legal team to have the criminal charges against her dismissed.

Prosecutors argue that the request should be denied as the legal challenge is untimely, the defence’s claim that there is no evidence supporting the charge is “entirely without merit” and that the oath administered to grand jury witnesses was sufficient.

The filing came just days before what would have been Arbery’s 28th birthday on Sunday.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump tweeted: “Happy heavenly birthday, Ahmaud Arbery!

“Today we remember and honor him on what would have been his 28th birthday, grateful that we were able to get justice and bring some measure of peace to his family.”

McMichael, 66, Travis McMichael, 36, and Bryan, 52, were all found guilty of Arbery’s murder at their state trial back in November.

The McMichaels were each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole while Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, making him eligible for release after 30 years in prison.

In February, the three killers were also found guilty of all charges in their federal hate crimes trial, which determined that the three white men had pursued and murdered the Black jogger because of his race.

They each face life in prison on those charges with their sentencing scheduled for August.

When Arbery was murdered, Ms Johnson was the first prosecutor on the case before recusing herself over McMichael’s ties to her office.

She handed the case to a second prosecutor George Barnhill who recommended no charges be brought over Arbery’s death and claimed the killers’ actions were “perfectly legal”, before also recusing himself.

As a result, the three murderers evaded justice for more than two months.

It was only when McMichael’s attorney leaked the footage online – believing it showed they had not committed any crime – that they were finally arrested and charged.

A grand jury indicted her a felony charge that she violated her oath of office and a misdemeanor charge of hindering a police investigation.

In September, Ms Johnson was indicted on charges of violating her oath as a public officer and obstructing a police officer.

Prosecutors said she prevented two Glynn County police officers from exercising their duties by directing them not to arrest Travis McMichael.

She then violated her oath by “showing favor and affection to Greg McMichael during the investigation,” prosecutors said.

Ms Johnson also also allegedly sought assistance from DA Barnhill in the case before recusing herself. She then recommended that he take over the case without disclosing his assistance.

Back on 23 February 2020, the three white men chased the unarmed Black jogger in their pickup trucks and shot him dead in the street in the Satilla Shores neighbourhood in Brunswick, Georgia.

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