Trayvon Martin was on top of him when Zimmerman fired the shot that
claimed Trayvon's life, a forensic pathologist testified Tuesday at
Zimmerman's murder trial.
"The medical evidence is consistent with Mr. Zimmerman's statement,"
said Vincent Di Maio, an expert witness for the defense. The
pathologist also found that Trayvon lived no more than three minutes
after the shooting and probably was conscious for at least 10 to15
seconds.
Di Maio also testified that Zimmerman's head injuries could have been
caused by coming into contact with concrete and that such injuries can
be very dangerous. That testimony supported Zimmerman's claim that
Trayvon was slamming his head into a sidewalk.
Zimmerman, 29, is charged with second-degree murder in the February
2012 shooting. The neighborhood watch volunteer says he acted in
self-defense when he shot and killed Trayvon, 17, minutes after
calling police to report that he was following a suspicious person in
the gated community.
Speculation that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, profiled, followed and
murdered the black teen sparked racial controversy and protests around
the country last year. Zimmerman, who faces life in prison if
convicted, has maintained that race did not factor into his actions.
Before the jury entered the courtroom Tuesday, Judge Debra Nelson held
a hearing to determine whether jurors will see a computer animation
created by a defense witness. She issued no ruling.
Mark O'Mara says the animation presents the fact that Trayvon Martin
was shot at a 90-degree angle and supports the way the defense
believes the shooting happened.
"We know animations are very admissible and often used," O'Mara said.
Daniel Schumaker, who created the animation, testified that he has
worked on scores of criminal cases, often creating animated crime
scene reconstructions using photographs, measurements and motion
capture suits.
Schumaker got involved in the Zimmerman case in April 2012 after a
meeting with defense attorneys. Soon after, he visited the community
where the shooting occurred, looked at crime scene photos and used
police measurements from that night, he testified. He also got witness
statements, 911 calls and diagrams drawn by residents who saw parts of
the struggle before the shooting.
"I believe I had everything I needed to create the scene," Schumaker said.
Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei argued that the animation does
not "represent a complete or accurate record of the evidence." Mantei
wrote in court papers that the state thinks the animation is
"speculative and irrelevant." It also doesn't accurately depict the
lighting on the night of the shooting, "deliberately fails to show or
even symbolize the murder weapon," and relies on Zimmerman's version
of events for the positioning of bodies during the struggle, Mantei
said.
The state prosecutor argued the animation, if admitted, would be
"prejudicial and confusing to the jury."
The defense also could present witnesses to discuss the level of
marijuana found in Trayvon's system at the time of his death. Nelson
ruled Monday that the jury will learn about a toxicology report. State
attorneys had tried to keep the information out of trial, arguing that
the amount of marijuana was minimal and would prejudice the jury.
However, Zimmerman's attorneys succeeded in arguing that the report
was important and would give the jury insight into the night of the
shooting.
Shiping Bao, the medical examiner who did the autopsy of Trayvon, said
he believes the marijuana may have had some effect on the teen. He
initially thought the amount of drugs didn't have an impact but later
changed his opinion and now believes the drugs had an effect. Now,
Bao, who testified for the state last week, may be called to testify
for the defense.
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