The chasing him in the truck is definitely what got them. If they simply confronted him in the home and the same events occurred, they'd be not guilty.
IANAL but I read a lot today, and I still don't understand what principle of jewstice these convictions were based upon. As near as I can tell, it's because they were committing a felony when the jogger was killed, thus the charges of felony murder. However, even if it were at the scene, the prosecution could have said they were in the process of illegally detaining the nog. The thing that would seem to exonerate them is if they had witnessed him committing a felony. Burglary seems to qualify.
Citizen's arrest seems like a trap. In theory, the citizen is empowered, however if all turns out to be not as it seems, the arrestor is guilty of a felony himself.
There's a lot of weird shit that goes on, mang. For instance, Arbery would have been guilty of felony burglary if he had entered the empty home with the intent to commit a felony theft. Well, I don't know how the fuck anyone is supposed to go through a nog's head. Odds are pretty good if they wander into your home, they're not returning shit to ya!
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