Case Against Zimmerman Collapsing

On Monday afternoon, the State of Florida's case against George Zimmerman all but collapsed when the defense put a lie to the State's claim that Trayvon Martin was the one whose voice was heard on the 9-1-1 tapes. A critical part of the evidence to support the second-degree murder affidavit against Zimmerman was the identification by Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, of her son's screaming voice on what the defense calls the "Lauer tape," the 9-1-1 call that recorded forty seconds of cries for help.

On Friday, July 5, the State closed its case by calling Fulton to the witness stand. As expected, and as highly anticipated by those wanting Zimmerman's head, Fulton claimed that it was her son's voice on the 9-1-1 tape. In cross examination, defense attorney Mark O'Mara asked Fulton two questions, the impact of which was understood only by those following the case closely -- namely did she anticipate what she was about to hear when she first heard the 9-1-1 tape and did she discuss the tape in advance with any member of the family. On late Friday and into Monday, the defense led its case with six friends or family members identifying the screaming voice as Zimmerman's, but it was two Sanford PD officers who brought the roof down on the prosecution's case. Under defense attorney Mark O'Mara's guidance, Chris Serino, the lead investigator in the case, told how he played the 9-1-1 tapes for Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, two days after the shooting. When Serino asked Martin if the screaming voice on the 9-1-1 tape was his son's, Martin said "no." Sanford PD officer Doris Singleton testified next. She witnessed the exchange and confirmed what Serino had said. "[Tracy Martin] was telling Chris it was not his son's voice," said Singleton. It is unlikely that the media will say so, but Fulton almost assuredly lied when she told the court she was unaware of the 9-1-1 call until she heard it in Tracy Martin's presence two weeks after he heard it. Could he really have failed to mention it? The report that Fulton had run crying from the room upon hearing the tape sparked the hysteria in March 2012. An unquestioning media have helped sustain it ever since. That much said, don't expect an apology for the misinformation any time soon -- or even a correction.