Prosecution Rests in Zimmerman Trial
As the prosecution came to the end of its presentation, Trayvon Martin's mother and brother testified Friday morning that the screams on the 911 tape were from Trayvon and not George Zimmerman, Trayvon's killer.
As one of the 911 calls were played for Sybrina Fulton, she looked straight ahead and displayed no emotion.
"Who do you recognize that to be?" asked prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda.
"Trayvon Benjamin Martin," replied Fulton.
The screams on the tape have been disputed because George Zimmerman's father claims it is his son screaming.
Fulton’s testimony followed questioning of a medical examiner, who performed the autopsy on Trayvon's body a day following his death. Shiping Bao, the examiner, said that the teenager died from a 9-millimeter gunshot wound to the heart.
"My belief he was still alive, he was still in pain, he was still suffering,'' Bao said, referring to the moments after Trayvon was shot.
At the conclusion of Bao's testimony, Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s defense attorney, asked to have the case thrown out for lack of evidence and his client acquitted. "There's enormous evidence that my client acted in self-defense,'' O'Mara said. "There is no other reasonable hypothesis."
Prosecutor Richard Mantei objected, saying: "There are two people involved here. One of them is dead, and one of them is a liar."
Judge Debra S. Nelson denied O'Mara's request.
Fulton tweeted Friday, saying "I pray that God give me the strength to properly represent my angel Trayvon."
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark O'Mara, Fulton denied that her response was influenced by others who had listened to the 911 call.
O'Mara asked Trayvon's mother if she hoped Martin didn't do anything that led to his death.
"I heard my son screaming," she said. "I would hope for this to never have happened and he would still be here."
Jahvaris Fulton also testified the screaming voice on the call was Trayvon's.
The lawyers for Zimmerman started their presentation with Gladys Zimmerman, the mother of the man being charged with second-degree murder in the death of the unarmed 17-year-old Miami resident.
Gladys Zimmerman testified that the voice heard on 911 recordings in the seconds leading to the death of Trayvon Martin was that of her son. “That’s George’s voice,” she said.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot 17-year-old Trayvon in self-defense.
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(Photo: Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)