Trayvon Martin Case: Unanswered Questions Add More Mystery To The Case
It's been more than a month since Florida teen Trayvon Martin was shot dead by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman.
On Feb. 26, the 28-year-old watch captain shot dead the 17-year-old black teen as he was walking through the gated community to buy candy and iced tea from a convenience store.
Zimmerman told the police that he had shot Martin in self-defense after the teen attacked him. According to Zimmerman, the teen punched him on his nose and repeatedly banged his head on the sidewalk.
But a surveillance video released by ABC News shows Zimmerman arriving at the police station few minutes after the shooting. The video footage shows a cleanly shaven man with no visible signs of injuries on his head or nose or any blood stains on his clothes.
As more leads in the case emerge, they raise more questions. Here are some of the unanswered questions in the case:
Who is John Doe and why did police initially tag Trayvon Martin's body as Doe?
According to the Washington Post, a police report that was completed at 3:07 a.m. lists Trayvon's full name, city of birth, address and phone number. But his body was tagged as John Doe. Even his father Tracy Martin was not informed about his son's death until he filed a missing person report on Feb. 27.
What was the alleged conflict of interest that forced prosecutor Norm Wolfinger to step down from the case?
Norm Wolfinger, the first state prosecutor on the Trayvon Martin case, stepped down from the case March 22. After meeting with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Wolfinger announced that he was stepping down from the case to preserve the integrity of this investigation and to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Who did reveal Trayvon Martin's school records and why?
Martin's case has gathered national attention and has sparked public outrage calling for the arrest of Zimmerman. With increasing outrage Zimmerman's supporters also launched a campaign against Martin, which also includes details of Martin's suspension from school for drug possession. Though the details have no particular relevance in the case, yet the question is - Was this an attempt by the prosecutor or the police department to defend their lack of action against Zimmerman?
When did the fight between Martin and Zimmerman actually happen?
Zimmerman claims that he shot Martin self-defense. Zimmerman told the police that he and Martin first had an argument following which Martin punched him on his nose and banged his head and after that Zimmerman gunned him down. Before Martin died, he spoke to his 16-year-old girlfriend for four minutes at 7:12 p.m. Feb. 26. According to Martin's family attorney Benjamin Crump, Martin made the call at 7:12 p.m. and police arrived at the scene at 7:17 p.m. So when did the argument and fight between Martin and Zimmerman take place?
Why haven't the police contacted Martin's girlfriend?
Martin's 16-year-old girlfriend, who was talking to him before he was shot to dead, had revealed some details about the initial confrontation between Martin and Zimmerman. The girl, who remained anonymous, said that Martin had become suspicious of Zimmerman while walking back from the store. So, did police try contacting Martin's girlfriend whose phone call served as one of the important evidence in the case?
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.