'I should have stopped them': Unsigned note raises more questions over Ahmaud Abery's death

The family is calling for the note's author to come forward and offer up any details they have on the slaying of Mr Arbery

A cryptic, unsigned note was left on a card at the memorial for Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was killed while jogging by a white father and son who attempted to stop him at gunpoint.

Local news station WJXT first reported on the anonymous note, which reads "Ahmaud - I am so sorry. I should have stopped them. I am so sorry."

S. Lee Merrit, the family's attorney, tweeted about the message, saying "we need to discover who left this note!"

The attorneys for Mr Arbery's family called for anyone who knows anything about the letter or the shooting to come forward and speak with them.

"The family of Ahmaud Arbery is very interested in reaching out to the individual who left the heartfelt note at the site of Ahmaud Arbery's death. They feel great sympathy for the person who wrote that note and would like to speak with them to determine what they knew or what they saw. If that person would like to confidentially come forward and communicate with the family, they can contact the legal team or reach out directly to Mr Arbery's family," the statement said.

Mr Arbery was killed 23 February when Gregory McMichael and his 34-year-old son Travis McMichael, attempted to stop him, accusing him of burglarising homes in the neighborhood. A fight occurred and Travis McMichael shot Mr Arbery three times with a shotgun at close range.

Security footage from inside the construction site of a house that is being built in the neighbourhood appears to show Arbery entering the structure, but he does not appear to take anything or cause any damage.

The man who owns the property said even if Arbey had taken something, he wouldn't have wanted the man to lose his life as a result.

The McMichaels have been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. The elder McMichael was formerly a police officer and an investigator for the district attorney's office.

Local reporters learned that the elder McMichaels hasn't been certified to carry out arrests as a law enforcement officer since 2006 due to a lack of critical training. He was facing a suspension from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and had to turn in his badge, gun and keys and was not allowed to serve subpoenas or conduct any field work