A “star witness” in George Zimmerman’s trial today will testify for the prosecution, potentially providing revealing new evidence into what has emerged largely as an unconfirmed narrative in the media due to the circumstances of Trayvon Martin’s killing.
When police arrived, George Zimmerman was waiting and Martin lay dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. While neighbors had been aware of a confrontation, no direct witnesses had thus far provided accounts of the events leading up to the shooting.
However, it soon emerged that the teen was on the phone with a female friend (possibly a girlfriend) for much of the time he had been pursued by Zimmerman.
Identified by her first name, Rachel, in court papers, the girl has given an initial count of Trayvon Martin’s last moments. Reuters reports :
“In previous written testimony, Rachel described Martin as scared and trying to get away from the man. She was urging him to run. She last heard Martin say, ‘why are you following me’ after which she said she heard what sounded like Martin falling. Then the phone line went dead.”
George Zimmerman’s trial kicked off Monday and immediately had some strange moments — defense attorney Don West told an off-color joke to the jury about their selection, later blaming the delivery and not the fact that he joked about a trial predicated on the death of a 17-year-old for its poor reception.
Prosecutor John Guy also used strong language in his opening statements, making reference to Zimmerman’s own words as he pursued the unarmed teen through Sanford’s gated community.
Quoting George Zimmerman as complaining about “f***ing punks” and saying “these a**holes always get away,” Guy added :
“Those were the words in that grown man’s mouth as he followed, in the dark, a 17-year-old boy who he didn’t know. And excuse my language, but those were his words, not mine.”
George Zimmerman faces life in prison on charges of second-degree murder.