| June 2012 |
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Table of contents
I tend to go with the first. Remember that Martin wore a sweatshirt. In order for there to be stippling–unburned gunpowder imbedded in the skin–the gunpowder would have to make it through the sweatshirt. It is not likely this could have happened at 18 inches, but it would have likely happened at 2-3 inches. To firmly establish the likely distance the gun was from Martin’s chest, the defense needs to conduct ballistic tests with the gun, firing the same type of ammunition through a sweatshirt against a test surface to record the stippling pattern. This will also lend credibility to Zimmerman’s account of the incident.
The autopsy report indicates broken skin on one of the knuckles of Martin’s left hand. How did this occur? We may never know. Zimmerman said that he and Martin were struggling for the gun. If a struggle took place, surely Martin could have suffered this slight injury at that time. That raises a question. Was any gunshot residue testing done on Martin and Zimmerman? If so, what are the results? Gunshot residue testing to determine if a person fired a gun is a pretty inexact science, and has lost most of its credibility for court use. It can, however, be used as an investigative tool. If Martin was trying to disarm Zimmerman when the gun was fired, there is likely to be gunshot residue on Martin’s left hand. Crime scene photos reveal the overall conditions that night. It was dark and rainy. They clearly show where the incident occurred and show the sidewalk next to which Zimmerman was lying.  I want to know if any blood or skin was found and if samples were taken off the concrete. Were they matched to Zimmerman? If not, did the crime scene detectives screw it up? Remember in Network membership DVD#2 Handling the Immediate Aftermath of a Self-Defense Incident where we instruct members to make sure the police know of any evidence that is perishable or likely to disappear? This is a prime example. I understand that Zimmerman actually did a walk-through of the scene with the police shortly after the incident. I hope this was discussed and trace evidence collected. If not, it may not be too late for the defense team to collect this evidence. It might even make sense to take the part of the sidewalk Zimmerman’s head struck into court. (Just a suggestion). [Continued...] |
