In the coming days, a trial will begin to determine whether the fatal shooting of Amaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, by two armed white men is considered murder under Georgia state law. Today, we explore why that may be a difficult case for prosecutors to make.

Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta who writes about the American South.

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Background reading: 

• Here’s a look at the major moments between Mr. Arbery’s killing in a Georgia suburb and the trial of three men charged with murder.
• A year after his killing in Georgia, Mr. Arbery’s death has sparked a bipartisan effort to remake the state’s 158-year-old citizen’s arrest law. But a potentially divisive trial awaits.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.