HLN has covered the George Zimmerman case for more than a year now, reviewing and reporting on evidence since the very beginning.
The following documents may provide critical evidence in Zimmerman’s trial, scheduled to begin June 10.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for shooting Trayvon Martin Feb. 26, 2012. He says he shot the teenager in self-defense.
The police report
The police report in the Trayvon Martin shooting details the frantic moments when authorities arrived at the scene.
When the first officer arrived at the scene of the shooting, Zimmerman was in possession of a 9 mm handgun, was covered in grass, and was bleeding from his nose and the back of his head, according to the report.
The officer radioed that he was holding Zimmerman at gun point and that Martin was on the ground and had been shot. The report says Martin was wearing “a gray sweater, blue jeans and white/red sneakers laying face down on the ground” and had his hands underneath his body.
The probable cause affidavit [Warning: Explicit language]
The probable cause affidavit is the document that served as the basis for Zimmerman’s arrest.
The document walks through Zimmerman’s actions the night of the shooting, and how Zimmerman allegedly pursued the teenager, according to investigators.
“Zimmerman confronted Martin and a struggle ensued,” reads the affidavit. “Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest. When police arrived Zimmerman admitted shooting Martin.”
The autopsy report
The autopsy report in the Trayvon Martin case says Martin died from a single gunshot wound to his chest. A toxicology report is also included in the autopsy, and it says Martin tested positive for the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, in his blood and urine.
Judge Debra Nelson has not ruled on whether evidence of Martin’s THC blood levels will be admissible.
The autopsy lists Martin’s manner of death as homicide and says that he was “shot by another person.” The bullet penetrated Martin’s chest half an inch below his nipple, and there was no exit wound. The bullet pierced his lung and lodged in his heart.
Martin’s hoodie
Investigators examined the clothes Martin was wearing the night of the shooting, including his much-publicized hoodie.
The evidence from his clothes show:
Martin was actually wearing two sweatshirts the night he died. He was wearing a Nike sweatshirt under his Fruit of the Loom hoodie. The gunshot put holes in both sweatshirts.
The area around the gunshot had gunpowder residue and damage that was consistent with a direct shot from a short distance.
Evidence photos
Investigators in the Zimmerman case shot a lot of photographs of the crime scene and of Zimmerman’s injuries, along with other evidence that could be critical to the trial.
https://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/06/05/case-file-5-must-read-george-zimmerman-documents?hpt=hp_t2Photo credit: Getty Images
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