Cross posted from Frederick Leatherman Law Blog.
I apologize for the length of this article, but there is a lot of information to cover. Includes lots of new information that came out this week.
Many lawyers, including myself, have focused the discussion in the George Zimmerman case on who initiated aggressive physical contact, because there is no law that prohibits a person from approaching another person and asking them what they are doing.
Nevertheless, as I also have pointed out, Zimmerman’s intent when approaching Martin is relevant regarding who threw the first punch.
Keep in mind that it is after dark and raining.
What Was Zimmerman’s Intent?
As Zimmerman sat in his vehicle talking to the dispatcher, we know he was suspicious about Martin’s presence and intentions.
When he called the non-emergency number for the Sanford Police Department seven minutes before he shot and killed an unarmed teenager named Trayvon Martin, he said,
7:09:00: Zimmerman: Hey we’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there’s a real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.
7:09:25: Dispatcher: OK, and this guy is he white, black, or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
Dispatcher: Did you see what he was wearing?
Zimmerman: Yeah. A dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie, and either jeans or sweatpants and white tennis shoes. He’s [unintelligible], he was just staring…
7:09:42: Dispatcher: OK, he’s just walking around the area…
Zimmerman: …looking at all the houses.Dispatcher: OK…
Zimmerman: Now he’s just staring at me.
He also was concerned about Martin approaching him and possibly being armed.
Zimmerman: Yeah, now he’s coming towards me.
Dispatcher: OK.
Zimmerman: He’s got his hand in his waistband. And he’s a black male.
7:10:03: Dispatcher: How old would you say he looks?
Zimmerman: He’s got button on his shirt, late teens.
Dispatcher: Late teens ok.
Zimmerman: Somethings wrong with him. Yup, he’s coming to check me out, he’s got something in his hands, I don’t know what his deal is.
7:10:20: Dispatcher: Just let me know if he does anything ok
Zimmerman: How long until you get an officer over here?
Dispatcher: Yeah we’ve got someone on the way, just let me know if this guy does anything else.
Martin, evidently, walks past him without stopping or speaking.
As Zimmerman identifies himself to the dispatcher and provides directions to his location , he expresses frustration three times that Martin will get away before the police officer arrives [See italicized material below -- the bracketed descriptions of background sounds within the quoted material were provided by Wikipedia]. He gets out of his vehicle, follows Martin and acknowledges the dispatcher’s instruction not to do that with a simple “OK.”
Yet, he appears to continue looking for Martin, instead of returning to his vehicle. When the dispatcher asks him where his vehicle is parked, he says he cannot because it is parked in front of a “cut-through” or pedestrian walkway “between buildings” (townhomes). He does not appear to be in or near his vehicle because he neither provides any addresses to be used as landmarks near his vehicle, nor does he describe his vehicle or provide explicit directions to find it. Instead, he tells the dispatcher to instruct the officer en route to call him on his cell phone after he arrives in the neighborhood.
Zimmerman: Okay. These assholes they always get away. When you come to the clubhouse you come straight in and make a left. Actually you would go past the clubhouse.
7:10:39 Dispatcher: So it’s on the lefthand side from the clubhouse?
Zimmerman: No you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left…uh you go straight in, don’t turn, and make a left. Shit he’s running.
7:11:08: Dispatcher: He’s running? Which way is he running?
[Ambient sounds are heard which may be Zimmerman unbuckling his seat belt and his vehicle's "open door" chime sounding. The change in his voice and the sound of wind against his cell phone mic indicate that he has left his vehicle and is now walking. The dispatcher seems to pick up on these changes and sounds concerned when he later asks Zimmerman if he is following Martin.]
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he’s heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance…fucking [disputed/unintelligible]
[This section of the recording has been the subject of much speculation. Some suggest that Zimmerman has just made a racial slur, but the audio is not clear.]
7:11:22: Dispatcher: Are you following him?
7:11:25: Zimmerman: Yeah
7:11:26: Dispatcher: Ok, we don’t need you to do that.
7:11:28 Zimmerman: Ok
Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?
Zimmerman: George…He ran.
Dispatcher: Alright George what’s your last name?
[A clicking or knocking sound can be heard here]
Zimmerman: Zimmerman
Dispatcher: And George what’s the phone number you’re calling from?
[Clicking or knocking sound is heard again]
Zimmerman: [phone number redacted]
Dispatcher: Alright George we do have them on the way, do you want to meet with the officer when they get out there?
Zimmerman: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?
[For the remainder of the recording, Zimmerman sounds distracted. The knocking sound occurs several times during the final exchange with the dispatcher]
Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they go past the mailboxes, that’s my truck…[unintelligible]
7:12:10: Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?
Zimmerman: I don’t know, it’s a cut through so I don’t know the address.
Dispatcher: Okay do you live in the area?
Zimmerman: Yeah, I…[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What’s your apartment number?
Zimmerman: It’s a home it’s 1950, oh crap I don’t want to give it all out, I don’t know where this kid is.
7:12:40 Dispatcher: Okay do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes then?
7:11:42 Zimmerman: Yeah that’s fine.
7:12:43: Dispatcher: Alright George, I’ll let them know to meet you around there okay?
Zimmerman: Actually could you have them call me and I’ll tell them where I’m at?
7:12:49: Dispatcher: Okay, yeah that’s no problem.
Zimmerman: Should I give you my number or you got it?
Dispatcher: Yeah I got it [redacted]
Zimmerman: Yeah you got it.
Dispatcher: Okay no problem, I’ll let them know to call you when you’re in the area.
7:13:02 Zimmerman: Thanks.
Dispatcher: You’re welcome. – Call Ends 7:13:07
The Critical Three Minutes
Zimmerman shoots and kills Martin three minutes after the phone call ends.
How do we know that?
All 911 calls are timed and this is how we know that Zimmerman’s call ended at 7:13 pm. During another timed 911 call from the resident of a townhouse reporting a fight between two individuals in the yard behind the townhouse, a shot abruptly punctuates a terrified scream for help at 7:16 pm.
Martin’s girlfriend calls him at 7:12 pm, which has been verified by cellular phone records for both phones.
Through counsel for Martin’s parents, she provided a statement in which she said Trayvon expressed concern about a man following him. She told him to run. Then she heard Martin say,
What are you following me for?
This was followed by a man’s voice responding,
What are you doing here?
She said that she heard the sound of pushing and then Trayvon said,
Get off me, get off me.
Martin’s headset suddenly went silent. She attempted to call him back immediately, but was unable to reach him.
That call ended at 7:16 pm.
What Happened Next
Officer Timothy Smith of the Sanford Police Department was the first to arrive at the scene of the shooting at 7:17 pm.
Police recovered Martin’s cellphone from the wet grass near his body. The Arizona Iced Tea and Skittles were found inside the pouch pocket of his hoodie.
The Autopsy Report
According to the autopsy report, the fatal shot was fired straight-on from an intermediate distance and entered Trayvon’s chest 1 inch to the left of the midline and 1/2 inch below his left nipple. It perforated the right ventricle of his heart and perforated his left lung, collapsing both lungs. There was no exit wound. The trajectory of the shot was front to back, neither up nor down, neither to the left nor to the right.
Based on the 2 inch X 2 inch smoke ring with stippling around the 3/8 inch entry wound, Dr. Vincent J.D. di Maio, the former Medical Examiner for Bexar County (San Antonio) estimated that the muzzle of the gun was 2 to 4 inches from Trayvon’s chest when Zimmerman fired the fatal shot.
The Assistant Medical Examiner who performed the autopsy also reported that Martin had severe global edema (i.e., swelling) to both hemispheres of his brain.
Zimmerman’s Statement
Zimmerman claims he followed the dispatcher’s advice and was returning to his vehicle when Martin approached him from behind his left shoulder and asked him,
Why are you following me?
[Note the use of the present tense, which suggests he has not given up looking for Martin, is not returning to his vehicle, and is not approached from behind (h/t KrisAinTX)]
Martin’s girlfriend corroborates Martin’s question and use of the present tense, if not the context in which Zimmerman claims it was asked.
Zimmerman claims he then asked Martin,
What are you doing here?
Martin’s girlfriend corroborates Zimmerman’s response.
Zimmerman’s Arrest
When Officer Smith arrived at the scene at 7:17 pm, a minute after the shooting, he saw Martin lying face down in the grass and Zimmerman standing nearby.
Zimmerman was not attempting to aid or provide CPR to Martin and there is no reference in Smith’s report to Zimmerman being upset or crying.
After retrieving Zimmerman’s gun and holster from inside his waistband, he arrested and handcuffed him with his hands behind his back and placed him in the back seat of his patrol vehicle.
Cool As A Cucumber
When an EMT checked Zimmerman in the patrol vehicle at 7:41 pm his pulse, blood pressure, and all of his vital signs were normal. Here is his report:
Assessment 1941 [7:41 pm]
Patient Conscious
Breathing Quality Adult Normal 12-20 [which is normal, not panting or out of breath]No External Hemorrhage noted; Mucuous Membrane Normal
Central Body Color Normal
Extremities Normal
Within Normal Limits (Airway, Breathing Quality, Accessory Muscle Use, Chest Rise, Radial Pulse, Skin Temp, Skin Moisture [not sweating], Skin Turgor [not showing signs of dehydration], Cap Refill [blood circulation is normal], Pupil Size and Reaction.
[Or as Crane Station, a former RN says, He's cool as a cucumber, which seems unusual for a person who minutes earlier killed someone and is now under arrest while sitting in the rear seat of a police vehicle with his hands handcuffed behind his back ]
Cause of Injury [to Zimmerman]: Struck by blunt/thrown object. (9640) [Emphasis supplied]
Mechanism of Injury: Blunt
Patient says he was assaulted and his head was struck on the pavement.
Pt’s GCS = 15 [Glascow Coma Scale, which is a level of consciousness scale and 15 is normal] and he is warm and dry with normal skin color. Pt has abrasions to his forehead + bleeding/tenderness to his nose and a small laceration to the back of his head. All injuries have minor bleeding. Pt also denies LOC [loss of consciousness], neck/back pain, and he has + PMS [pulse motor sensory function] X 4 [in all extremeties] with – paresthesia [no tingling]
[That means his pulse, motor, and sensory functions were all okay and functioning normally]
Crane-Station’s Take
Crane-Station put it best,
How could a guy be talking to his girlfriend and killing somebody at the same time?
Who Screamed For Help?
The FBI Digital Examination Laboratory has reported that identification of the person screaming for help during the 911 call is not possible due to the poor quality of the original recording.
Zimmerman, backed by his father and unidentified family members, claims he is the person screaming for help. A neighbor named John claims he saw Zimmerman calling for help.
Martin’s mother claims Trayvon is the person screaming for help. Two audiologists working independently of each other using different methodologies to clean up background noise and focus on clarifying the scream have excluded Zimmerman as the source of the scream to a reasonable scientific certainty.
The Witness Named John
Claims that he saw Martin on top of John beating him about the head and heard Zimmerman calling for help. He shut and locked his sliding glass door and went upstairs to call 911. He heard the shot as he was going up the stairs. When he looked out a bedroom window, he saw Martin lying face down in the grass, apparently dead, and Zimmerman standing next to him.
He did not see the beginning or the end of the fight and that also appears to be the case with the other witnesses.
Other Witnesses
Other witnesses reported bits and pieces of this tragic event. I am still reviewing their statement but have nothing definitive or new to report yet.
Conclusion
Given Zimmerman’s state of mind and intent, I believe he was the aggressor and did not act in self-defense. I also believe he attacked Martin while Martin was talking to his girlfriend and Martin may have struck him with the cell phone several times in self-defense causing the injuries treated by the EMT.
I tried to post this on FDL, but it didn’t get published. I think it’s important:
One more time…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/evidence-trayvon-martin_n_1525285.html
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, I am familiar with both of those drugs, but unless he was vastly exceeding the daily prescription amount, I doubt those drugs would have affected his judgment and behavior. At the low prescribed dosages, they are designed to help people manage and cope with ADHD and anxiety disorders.
Unfortunately, he was not asked to provide a urine or blood sample, so we will never know for certain.
We do know all of his vital signs were normal when the EMT checked him at 7:41 pm. The EMT’s report is my article.
Sorry about the trouble posting your comment at the Lake. I have no idea why that happened. Ubetchaiam had the same problem yesterday. Did you see his reply to your message?
I saw a reply from Crane-Station yesterday, and now I do see the reply from Ubetchaiam. I was trying different ways to post the comment, thinking that perhaps some filter was blocking something, like maybe the HuffPo link.
Yes, it is too bad, and probably by design that only Martin’s blood was tested, and not the shooter’s. The fact that they found a trace – a very INSIGNIFICANT amount of THC in Martin’s blood will probably be used by the defense as an after the fact validation of the suspicions expressed by Zimmerman to the police that tragic night – that [Trayvon] ‘looked like he was on drugs or something’ and a further attempt to vilify the victim.
As far as the two meds that Zimmerman was (and probably still is) taking, even at the prescribed doses, they can have serious side effects on behavior, even if his vitals presented within the normal range.
But, as you said, “we will never know for certain”. We won’t know the levels of the meds that were in his system, or if there were other substances involved, or if alcohol might have played a roll in what seems to have been aggressive behavior by Zimmerman on that fateful, tragic night.
Sigh….it’s so, so sad.
Yes, extremely tragic.
And for a man who killed another person, while supposedly fighting for his life, Zimmerman did not break a sweat or appear the least bit upset about what happened, showing no concern for whether Martin might still be alive and in need of CPR or medical assistance.
Cold.
Thanks for posting this. I would appreciate your thoughts about a couple of issues.
I think I heard Zimmerman use his gear shift twice. Once at 1:09 and at 1:43 in audio. That last one after you hear him moving in his car seat, which makes me think he was backing out his car and began following him in his car. That would indicate he was following Martin twice before the final encounter. Could that behavior be used to back up the statement made by the girlfriend, that right before the encounter begins, Martin reports to his girlfriend ” he is following me again” ” he is right behind me”?
Zimmerman’s car keys and a small keychain flashlight, were found naar the T. Since Martin had reason to be on this path and Zimmerman didn’t, would this add to the credibility of the statements made by the girlfriend that Zimmerman was following Martin for a 3rd time? This time he is so close to Martin on this very dark pathway, that Martin was able to just turn around and address Zimmerman.
In her statements, the girlfriend says she could here Trayvon was pushed, because of the interruption in his speech pattern. I understand that to be that typical change of sound in voice, when flow of air from the lungs past the vocal chords gets interrupted when while speaking you beat your chest. That would show that the first physical contact was made by Zimmerman.
Another piece of physical evidence I find odd, is the soda can. There are conflicting reports where the can was found. It is placed with other items that were retrieved from Martin’s pockets. One officer writes in his report that when he was about to administer cpr, he found the can in the front pocket of Martin’s sweater. In the 711 video, you can see Martin leaving the store with the can of soda in a tan plastic bag. On the path close to were Martin was killed, a similar bag was found. If that is the same bag, I think it is strange that bag fell out of his pocket and not the can. I think that the injury to Zimmerman’s nose, may have been caused by Martin swinging with the bag while trying to get away from Zimmerman. I think that swinging movement is a typical defensive move that people make when trying to create a distance between themselves and somebody who they perceive as a threat.
One more question. Do you think it is possible that the prosecution may argue that the wound on the back of Zimmerman’s head, was self inflicted?
There are two witnesses that say that after Zimmerman stood up, he walked away from where the body was laying. One witness said
to near the tree, which would be close to the T. They both said, he put his hand on the back of his head.
A black utility flaslight was found on the scene, and at the bond hearing the prosecutor had the investigator confirm that the flashlight belonged to Zimmerman.
The flaslight was send to the lab for analysis of suspected blood. The lab report was not included in the document dump.
My appology for being so long winded, but it has been driving me crazy that media has been giving disproportianate attention and credence to information obviously leaked by the defence and did very little scrutiny of details that are part of the official documentation.
You raise some excellent questions.
I had not considered the possibility that Martin might have used the can of Arizona Iced Tea as a defensive weapon. You’ll see in my reply to your other comment that I was thinking that he used his cell phone defensively.
I also believe Zimmerman initiated physical contact by bull-rushing Martin.
Did you notice in the autopsy report that the Assistant Medical Examiner found severe edema (swelling) in both hemispheres of Martin’s brain?
From the reports that I’ve read, the police found the can of tea and the Skittles in the pouch pocket of Martin’s hoodie when they started to administer CPR. Didn’t know about the tan plastic bag.
I don’t have a TV and did not watch the bond hearing.
I also considered the possibility that the two cuts to the back of Zimmerman’s head might have been self-inflicted, but I am more inclined to think Martin may have used the cell phone to defend himself. Interesting that the lab report on the flashlight was not included in the document dump. Could they be holding it back? Possibly, or maybe they haven’t completed all of the testing. Don’t know.
I’ve been so busy writing articles about this case that I haven’t completed my review of the document dump.
No, I didn’t notice the severe edema part. Wouldn’t that be caused because his brain was deprived of oxygen?
Probably not. Two theories are that his brain was injured in the struggle with Zimmerman due to being roughly thrown or taken to the ground, even though no evidence of injury to the scalp (which is quite possible) or circulatory collapse caused by the gunshot wound (which might be a way of saying the same thing you said, not sure)
Note also the moderate congestion of the leptomeninges.
I am beginning to suspect that the injuries Zimmerman claimed Martin gave to him (“shaken baby”/contrecoup damage) were actually given to Martin by Zimmerman.
Ah, s/b ‘role’ not roll. I guess I was on such a ‘roll’ typing that I got those homonyms mixed up.
Orlando Sentinal has reported that John recanted the portion of his testimony about Zimmerman being the one screaming for help. He said he couldn’t see the mouths and only presumed it was George yelling. He stands by his statement that Zimmerman was on the bottom.
Wow, that’s amazing. Thanks for the tip.
If he was on the bottom and on his back getting his head banged against the concrete, he didn’t stay that way very long because the blood runs toward his face and straight down. At some point he had to be face down.
Or standing up.
Thanks, that’s a good point that had not occurred to me.
Who had to be face down? the pictures were taken minutes after the shooting! so he could’ve been leaning forward or leaning over the body, and the blood would’ve still been running forward!
Mr. Leatherman,
You’re doing an outstanding job of keeping us who want to talk facts informed. I’ve avoided reading other blogs about this case because of the bigotry from both sides. Its really refreshing to read your take as an attorney.
Thank you so much. I’ll be back everyday.
Thanks, I’m trying to keep it objective and evidence based.
I agree with thejbmission! So happy to find this blog,
I know that I’m going to have a ton of questions. I have thought that when Traybon didn’t know what else to do that Zimmerman was getting closer so Trayvon did what I would have done at this point.
Zimmerman’s gotten close enough, after being told we don’t need you to follow him, of course Trayvon didn’t know that, so logically he would ask why are you following me?
Instead of being a “neighborhood watchman” he says what are you doing here? At this point Trayvon really felt more threatened, may have thrown the can at him, then Zimmerman shot him.
It says that the bullet went straight through, would that mean Trayvon was standing direct? Maybe he shot Trayvon, he was standing up and fell forward knocking Zimmerman down.
I’ve also heard the one with the white T-stirt was on top. Trayvon was wearing a dark hoodie and Zimmerman a red and brown jacket.
Just curious where the white t-shirt came frm.
Mr. Leathrman, I would also like to THANK YOU very much for this blog.
Trayvon did not throw the can of Arizona Tea at Zimmerman because the two cops who administered CPR to Trayvon, who was already dead, felt it in the front pouch pocket of his hoodie and removed it.
He also had his cell phone in his hand because he was talking to his girlfriend when Zimmerman confronted him. The phone was recovered in the grass close to where he was killed. Don’t know, but maybe he hit Zimmerman with it or threw it at him. Might explain the injuries to the back of Zimmerman’s head and he may have head-butted him and broken his nose when Zimmerman got him down on the ground and was on top of him.
Based on the witness statements (check my article today about witnesses changing statements) looks like Zimmerman was on top of Trayvon when he fired the fatal shot.
When attempting to figure out the relative positions of a shooter and his victim when the fatal shot is fired, you have to keep in mind that more than one scenario may explain the trajectory of the bullet through the body.
One scenario would be both of them standing. Another would have Trayvon on his back with Zimmerman on top, leaning forward, and firing the fatal shot.
I’m concerned about those pictures to Zimmerman’s head. At first there wasn’t any blood, at least not as much as they’ve shown this week Then there is another that was shown before this week that looked like someone shaved under it and oth of the last ones, don’t look likr that red stuff in the first picture.
I forgot about the tea being in Trayvons pocket.
Did Zimmerman have the flashlight?
Head wounds always bleed profusely and look worse than they are. His wounds are not serious. Look at the EMT’s report. It’s the two page report at the end of the document dump.
Don’t know about who owned each flashlight — there were two of them.
For Zimmerman to be in a fight for his rights his clothes was neat and tucked in how do you explained that. Plus I heard Trayvon was found face down with is hand tucked under body is it possible Zimmerman had him pinned to the ground.
I don’t believe there is any doubt that at one point Zimmerman was on the bottom lying on his back because the back of his jacket was wet and grassy, according to SPD Officer Timothy Smith.
Also Witness 6, the neighbor listed as John Doe who refused to provide a name, now claims he saw Martin on top attempting to pin his arms down, apparently to keep him from getting up.
Another witness describes the heavily built man attempting to get up.
One witness has described the heavily built man straddling the boy, who was lying on his stomach, and running his hands down the boy’s back, as if feeling for a weapon. (That’s my interpretation of why he was running his hands down Trayvon’s back, not hers.)
According to two witnesses, when the fatal shot was fired, the heavily built man was on top. He stood up after the shot and slowly walked 10 to 20 feet away where he stopped and apparently waited for the police to arrive.
Frederick, one officer wrote grass STAINS on his report, but neither grass nor grass stains are visible in the evidence pictures of Zimmerman’s backside.
His outerwear looks brand-spanking new and clean.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Not sure what to make of that. The grass may have rubbed off on the back rest in the back of the police vehicle. There may not have been any stains. It was after dark with intermittent rain and some may have washed off.
Several witnesses have described the heavy set man (Zimmerman) on the bottom attempting to get up, which he eventually did.
The officer(s) who stated the back of Zimmerman’s coat was wet and had grass or grass stains on it didn’t mention wetness and grass or grass stains on the backside of his pants.
I don’t see how the back of his coat could be wet and have grass or grass stains if the backside of his pants didn’t have the same.
If Zimmerman was in a supine position, his rump would have had contact with the wet grass and so would his legs and ankles.
NO mention of wetness and grass or grass stains anywhere but on the back of his coat, but if the back of his coat was wet, the back of his pants should have also been wet.
The person(s) were first observed running 5 townhouses north of the location near the sidewalk T where Martin was killed.
If only the back of Zimmerman’s coat was wet and had grass or grass stains, then the reason may be that he made contact with the bushes at a townhouse at least 5 doors north of where Martin was killed.
Brandy Green lives at least 5 doors north of where Martin was killed.
The witness(s) who first observed person(s) running by (or one chasing another) saw the running 5 doors north of the homicide location.
That witness(s) did not see the beginning of the running by or beginning of one person chasing another.
Martin’s friend on the phone said that Martin told her that he was not running again because he was almost (to Brandy Green’s).
Therefore, I believe Zimmerman approached Martin near Brandy Green’s townhouse, which is at least 5 townhouses north of where Martin was killed. I believe that Zimmerman made contact with a bush at that location and that the running or chasing began at that location and continued to the location where Martin was killed.
Maybe you’re right and maybe you aren’t.
First, the witness who described one person chasing another, who was 10-12 feet ahead of him, has now changed her story. She says she only saw one person. She only managed a quick glance and she did not have her contacts in, so she cannot even provide a description.
Another witness has described a resident running up the sidewalk toward the T intersection that connects Twin Trees and Retreat View Circle. She said he was carrying a flashlight and arrived at the scene of the shooting right after it happened, exchanged a few words with Zimmerman, and then Officer Tim Smith arrived and placed Zimmerman under arrest.
Apparently, one of the flashlights found at the scene belongs to that person.
Your theory about rubbing against a bush is interesting, but no one has described that.
Have you heard of Occam’s Razor?
Basically, the rule says go with the simplest and most obvious explanation and you will be right most of the time.
It was very dark and raining with no lighting except for light that spilled out from inside residences and a couple of porches. Nobody could see much of anything.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think there is much doubt that Zimmerman was on his back in the grass at some point.
That does not mean he could kill Trayvon Martin in self-defense.
As a matter of fact, one witness heard bushes rustling and a commotion that he or she at first thought was more than one kid fighting with one kid.
The bushes rustling supports my contention that if only the back of Zimmerman’s coat was wet and had grass or grass stains on it, then Zimmerman’s contact with the bushes may be the reason for no remarks about the same on Zimmerman’s pants.
Yes, I recall a witness referred to bushes rustling and maybe you are right. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but bushes aren’t grass.
I am more interested in whether there was a chase and, since all of the addresses and names of the witnesses have been redacted, I cannot tell where these witnesses were that night. That frustrates me.
BTW, what do you think he was doing in the bushes?
why hasn’t Zimmerman’s clothes been submitted into evidence?
was the iced tea and cellphone traced for DNA?
why were their 2 flash lights?
the EMT stated that Zimmerman had 1 small.laceration but why does the photo show 2?
Hello. Thank you for your work… I Have few things to say. The very first pic of his injured head was taken by somebody before the first cop came right?? It was taken in color on cell phone.. Why no more pics, like his broken bloody nose, dirty wet back of his jacket… The front of his face is taken by cop, again with cell phone, is B&W…Hmmmm… Then the EMS takes care of his bloody head,clean him up, but no gauze or even band-aid on boo boo… Still no pics of that… Then he walks to the police station, like to a bar or least grocery store, just a casual walk, with no visible gush on the head or broken nose. Next we see the colored pics of his head with blood running again. And what’s interesting, the blood is running again in the same directions and same path, like the very first pic taken on the scene… Next… The police report shows that there was a set of car keys in the grass with key chain, what was a small flash light . But there’s not one pic of it on the scene… And there’s much more what is there to mention..So I will be back… Thank you for your time.
Frederick and Olivia,
In the 911 tape some have discribed the noise as different things. I think IMO, he was running after the 911 dispatcher told him we don’t need you to do that.
Zimmerman say’s OK, reluctantly and I think he kept following Trayvon in spite of it.
Olivia makes a good point abput the jeans not being wet, also there was a point where the 911 dispatcher asked Zimmerman his phone number and he said he didn’t want to give it because he didn’t want the kid, TRAYVON to hear it.
Did he at that point think that Trayvon might hear all of the 911 call. Why just his phone number. If there were bushes around, I do believe Zimmerman was running through them and knew where Trayvon was and Zimmerman was a lot closer to Trayvon than Trayvon knew.
It was shortly after that he was dead, with the police on their way.
Olivia said if he were on the ground, his jeans would also be wet. It was raining and inspite of it raining and being cold Zimmerman get’s out follows a kid because he looks suspicious and moments later Trayvon was dead.
I doubt seriously that Zimmerman was ever in danger, if so he put himself there.
There are bushes next to the buildings; in my opinion, the scrapes on Zimmerman’s head look like they could have come from falling back into the bushes during the scuffle.
Hi Mr. Leatherman,
Just here to check in for any updates. I see you mentioned you didn’t have a map of the witnesses. One of my astute readers posted this at my site so I thought I’d share.
I hope it’s okay.
http://bcclist.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-witness-map.jpg
Here’s another map of the area too. I hope it helps.
http://www.chicagomag.com/whet/trayvon-martin-map.jpg
Have a nice holiday! Very interesting comments too! I’ll be back.
Also another reader perhaps on a different thread, had noticed the same thing I did.
From the picture of his head, the blood from Zimmerman’s wound/s are streaming forward and is puddled behind his ears trailing along his jawline.. There’s no other staining of blood on the back of his head to indicate that it went any other direction.
Could this indicate Zimmerman was leaning forward at some point as in hovering over Martin?
Also I went back to listen to the bond hearing. As we know, the prosecutor practically tried the case right there. In any case, the prosecutor did get the investigator to say that there is no evidence that supports Zimmerman’s claim that his head was being bashed on the pavement.
Could I consider this as a fact since it was mentioned in court?
Since I haven’t seen any of Zimmerman’s 5 statements, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Thank you.
As I listened to the 911 tape could the clicking sound be Zimmerman locking and loading his gun. I’m not sure what it is. I just wondering why wasn’t Trayvon’s cell phone tested for DNA or fingerprints? If it’s true that he hit Zimmerman with his cell phone then that could explain his superficial head wounds. Also, go back and look at the photo of Zimmerman and look at the grass particles on the rim of his boots, to me that tells me Zimmerman was on top at some point. Thank you so much for your insightful information.
Has anyone been able to determine why Trayvon had the brain swelling? The lab results on Zimmermans boots have not been released. I also noticed him wiping off his boots in the police video. Is it possible he kicked Trayvon in the head?
Tavia, I noticed at 2;44 into Zimmermans 911 call there is what I thought was the gun cocking. What I think I am hearing is a common defect on the gun that he shot Trayvon with. The defect is in the mag release it sounds like he is loading and initiating the release. I know it sounds weird but this is a common problem with the gun he had. It also has a problem with the clip falling out completely after firing.
I also watched the ground and pound videos in all these videos the person on the bottom shields thei face with both fore arms. I went back to the Zimmerman pics I dont see bruising or redness on his forearms. Are we to believe that he defied all natural human reaction and didnt try to at the very least shield himself. He said he was trying to defend himself in the reenactment video. Why no defense wound?
Can someone explain to me how GZ is “cool as a cucumber” when he was supposedly screaming for help, fearing for his life?