After the arrest of George Zimmerman, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey stated that she had special evidence that promoted her to charge George Zimmerman with the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, but the prosecutor has remained mum on exactly what the boxes of evidence contain.
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The time will soon come when Corey is required by law to release the evidence, and it may quickly change the course of the George Zimmerman’s murder trial.
The Orlando Sentinel released an article today detailing how the mystery evidence, that is to be released within the next few days, will change the course of the trial.
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According to the article, the evidence released will fall into the following categories: crime-scene evidence, witness statements, Autopsy Reports and crime lab reports.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel:
Crime-scene evidence
That includes anything found at the scene where the two came into contact and the sidewalk where Zimmerman, a Sanford Neighborhood Watch volunteer, fatally shot the unarmed black teenager Feb. 26.
Local lawyers say some of the evidence they’re most eager to see are photos or anything else that documents Zimmerman’s injuries or their absence.
Sanford police took photos of the defendant that night. They should be in the evidence soon to be released.
A security-camera video, shot from long range at Sanford’s police headquarters, showed Zimmerman with no obvious signs of injury, but when ABC News enhanced it, there appeared to be a gash on the back of his head.
Other important pieces of evidence in this category include the bullet casing from the fatal shot and any markings from the grass or sidewalk that might hint at how violent the fight was and who had the upper hand.
Witness statements
The most important witness in the case may be Zimmerman. According to prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda, the defendant gave five statements to authorities. Police described one as a re-enactment.
“I want to know,” said former Seminole County prosecutor Donna Goerner, “exactly what did he say.”
“If his statements have a lot of inconsistencies in them,” said Orlando criminal-defense attorney David Fussell, “then that can be problematic for the defense.”
Autopsy results
Trayvon died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, but the results of his autopsy should reveal how close the gun was when it went off and the bullet’s trajectory, lawyers said.
Dale Gilbreath, a prosecution investigator, testified there was “stippling” around the entry wound, tiny gunpowder burns that Fussell said can be found only when the muzzle of a gun is close to the victim, usually an arm’s length or less.
By plotting the bullet’s trajectory, experts should be able to estimate the gun’s relative position when it was fired, he said.
More important, said Goerner, are other marks on Trayvon’s body, “signs of a struggle … signs of bruising.”
If Zimmerman is telling the truth and Trayvon had him pinned to the ground and was beating him, the teenager’s body should have cuts or bruises consistent with that, she said.
Crime-lab results
Police gathered Trayvon’s and Zimmerman’s clothes, and they have likely been analyzed for dirt, grass, blood and DNA by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The presence of any of those things would lend credence to Zimmerman’s account that there had been a fight and the pair wound up on the ground, said Pollack.
If Zimmerman told the truth and Trayvon was on top, there’s a strong likelihood that the teenager’s blood and DNA would be on Zimmerman’s clothes.
There is no telling what types of evidence can be brought out in the case against George Zimmerman, but prosecutors are legally required to first share evidence with the defense and then information becomes public.
SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel
