Possible New Evidence Shows George Zimmerman's Bloodied Head

[Blue_Roses]

By MATT GUTMAN (@mattgutmanABC) and SENI TIENABESO (@senijr_abc)

April 20, 2012



A new photograph obtained exclusively by ABC News showing the bloodied back of George Zimmerman's head, which was apparently taken three minutes after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, gives possible credence to his claim that Martin had bashed his head against the concrete as Zimmerman fought for his life.

Click here to view image. Warning: graphic content. http://abcnews.go.com/images/US/ht_georg..._wmain.jpg

The revelation comes as his attorney and prosecutors prepare for Zimmerman's bail hearing today, which could result in his being released from a Florida jail. Zimmerman, 28, is being held on charges of second-degree murder for the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, 17, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted.

The exclusive image shows blood trickling down the back of Zimmerman's head from two cuts. It also shows a possible contusion forming on the crown of his head. The original police report that night notes that the back of Zimmerman's head was wet, and that he was bleeding from the nose and head.

Zimmerman told police that night that he shot and killed the teenager in self-defense after Martin punched him and pounced on him. Zimmerman told police that Martin then bashed his head into the concrete sidewalk during the altercation that took place in the tidy middle-class development of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Fla.

--snip--

Zimmerman was treated at the scene by paramedics, then cuffed and driven in a police cruiser to the Sanford police station. He was questioned for hours and later released. In police surveillance video obtained last month by ABC News, Zimmerman's wounds are not apparent, and there were no bandages on his head.

Zimmerman was not admitted to a hospital or given stitches the night of the incident.

The person who took the photograph of a bloodied Zimmerman, asking not to be identified, told ABC News exclusively that they did not see the scuffle that night, but did hear it. The person recalled seeing Martin's prostrate body on the wet grass and said the gunpowder burns on Martin's gray hoodie were clearly visible.

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerma...d=16177849

________________________________________

Why is this just now coming out?

[Peacetrain]

Makes you want to go hmmmmmm..

[Brewman_Jax]

If Zimmerman was injured and treated, there should be a corraborating EMT and/or hospital record of that, not just some photo that has magically appeared for the defense. If he was injured that fateful night, Martin was exercising his SYG rights when Zimmerman shot him. Either way, Zimmerman's defense is far from certain. In fact, it may be another point for the prosecution.

If Zimmerman had done as directed by the 911 dispatcher...

[Peacetrain]

(04-20-2012 08:18 AM)Brewman_Jax Wrote:  If Zimmerman was injured and treated, there should be a corraborating EMT and/or hospital record of that, not just some photo that has magically appeared for the defense. If he was injured that fateful night, Martin was exercising his SYG rights when Zimmerman shot him. Either way, Zimmerman's defense is far from certain. In fact, it may be another point for the prosecution.

If Zimmerman had done as directed by the 911 dispatcher...

There is this whole thing about how big he was.. and we did not see him for months after he killed Trayvon...and suddenly he shows up 40 or 50 lbs lighter.. this does not add up.. (and to be truthful with you.. you can have the slightest cut on your scalp and it will bleed like a son of a gun..and there is nothing there to stitch. I thought my son had killed himself when he went through a glass door..wiped off the blood..and it was just a little scratch that did not even warrant one stitch..)

[Brewman_Jax]

(04-20-2012 08:22 AM)Peacetrain Wrote:  

(04-20-2012 08:18 AM)Brewman_Jax Wrote:  If Zimmerman was injured and treated, there should be a corraborating EMT and/or hospital record of that, not just some photo that has magically appeared for the defense. If he was injured that fateful night, Martin was exercising his SYG rights when Zimmerman shot him. Either way, Zimmerman's defense is far from certain. In fact, it may be another point for the prosecution.

If Zimmerman had done as directed by the 911 dispatcher...

There is this whole thing about how big he was.. and we did not see him for months after he killed Trayvon...and suddenly he shows up 40 or 50 lbs lighter.. this does not add up.. (and to be truthful with you.. you can have the slightest cut on your scalp and it will bleed like a son of a gun..and there is nothing there to stitch. I thought my son had killed himself when he went through a glass door..wiped off the blood..and it was just a little scratch that did not even warrant one stitch..)

So true. That photo of a much heavier Zimmerman was 5+ years old. Scratches on the head and face often bleed like fountains. Either way, the defense is missing some important corroborating evidence. The prognosis still isn't good for them.

[There Is No Spoon]

As I just posted on reddit:

TINS Wrote:It's a shame Trayvon wasn't able to do more than graze the head of his attacker with his best efforts. If you've ever been even nicked on your scalp, you know it bleeds like a mofo, but clearly later footage shows he was hardly injured.

[Born_A_Truman]

It didn't even need a butterfly bandage?

[JuniperLea]

Who took the picture and was he/she with Zimmerman? This just gets curiouser and curiouser. As he sat in court today, it was very clear that his nose had not been broken anytime this year. Same as head wounds bleeding profusely, the bruising and swelling of a broken nose takes months to go away completely.

All these things the defense comes up with only adds more questions to the pile!

[PoliticalTiger]

(04-20-2012 11:37 AM)JuniperLea Wrote:  Who took the picture and was he/she with Zimmerman? This just gets curiouser and curiouser. As he sat in court today, it was very clear that his nose had not been broken anytime this year. Same as head wounds bleeding profusely, the bruising and swelling of a broken nose takes months to go away completely.

All these things the defense comes up with only adds more questions to the pile!

Yes, that is very odd. Who took the picture and why does this person not want to be identified? Why would the police let a bystander get so close to a crime scene and let them take pictures of the alleged "victim?" Did they take pictures of Trayvon's body as well?

Did this anonymous person also take pictures of Zimmerman's nose and if not, why not?

[Blue_Roses]

(04-20-2012 11:37 AM)JuniperLea Wrote:  Who took the picture and was he/she with Zimmerman? This just gets curiouser and curiouser. As he sat in court today, it was very clear that his nose had not been broken anytime this year. Same as head wounds bleeding profusely, the bruising and swelling of a broken nose takes months to go away completely.

All these things the defense comes up with only adds more questions to the pile!

That was the first thing that came to my mind.

In this comment: " The photographer said that after the shooting, Zimmerman asked the photographer to call his wife. When the photographer asked him what to say, Zimmerman blurted out, "Man, just tell her I shot someone."
The way Zimmerman is talking to this person sounds like he may know them. Zimmerman says, "Call my wife." From this report there is no, "What's the number" or "Who the hell are you", comments from the guy who took the picture?

I told myself, since Zimmerman's arrest I would stop trying to "figure this out", but damn it's hard. We only get bits and pieces of evidence. It's like their dangling a carrot under our nose. Or the ongoing saga of a crime show: "now for scenes from next week's episode." Ugh.

[PoliticalTiger]

That picture is not consistent at all with what his supporters claim happened. According to Zimmerman's brother and father, Zimmerman was having his head repeatedly bashed against concrete to the point where he was within an inch of being brain dead. Common sense would dictate there would be a lot more blood, not to mention the fact that the tape of him arriving at the police station 35 minutes later show a man walking around fine.

There's no doubt there was a scuffle, but the problem I think Zimmerman faces is the fact that if you start a fight, and you get the worst of it, that's your problem.

[Fire1]

There's no doubt there was a scuffle, but the problem I think Zimmerman faces is the fact that if you start a fight, and you get the worst of it, that's your problem.
[/quote] True. If you get your ass kicked and gun somebody down in retaliation, I think that's premeditated.

[sandnsea]

(04-21-2012 03:09 PM)Fire1 Wrote:  There's no doubt there was a scuffle, but the problem I think Zimmerman faces is the fact that if you start a fight, and you get the worst of it, that's your problem.

True. If you get your ass kicked and gun somebody down in retaliation, I think that's premeditated.


[/quote]

And if you brandish a gun in a direct confrontation, you most certainly can't claim self defense when the victim fights back.

[Treestar]

Anyone who had a camera at the scene would have taken many more pictures. In fact the cops should have pictures of Trayvon and the scene and Zimmerman.

And none of those alleged wounds justify killing someone.

I'm still not sure how you accurately aim a gun while someone is bashing your head into the ground with deadly force. Or get the gun out.

If Zimmerman were telling the truth, he'd say it was an accident. If they struggled for the gun, that would be possibly, maybe believable.

[suzie]

(04-20-2012 05:34 PM)Treestar Wrote:  Anyone who had a camera at the scene would have taken many more pictures. In fact the cops should have pictures of Trayvon and the scene and Zimmerman.

And none of those alleged wounds justify killing someone.

I'm still not sure how you accurately aim a gun while someone is bashing your head into the ground with deadly force. Or get the gun out.

If Zimmerman were telling the truth, he'd say it was an accident. If they struggled for the gun, that would be possibly, maybe believable.

Why would Zimmerman not have been transported to the hospital with wounds like those?

I once had a small scalp wound from hitting a tree with my head and dripped a lot of blood and almost passed out. And the wound was just a fraction of those.

[Born_A_Truman]

I'd like to hear from a blood pattern expert on that. Just looks strange. Is he holding a phone to his right ear? Amazing just hours later no bandage, no blood. This was obviously taken before he was treated at the scene. Convenient to have a photographer there---did police allow that?

[sandnsea]

Is it okay now, that I thought we should wait for all the evidence? Or am I still a Zimmerman apologist?

This injury still doesn't matter if Zimmerman brandished a weapon at Trayvon. In Florida, SYG would give Trayvon wa right to defend himself since the presence of a gun would clearly mean your life is threatened.

[NJMaverick]

Doesn't show wounds just blood. Gravity around the head seems to defy physics as the blood trails head off in different directions. Like it was applied while he was standing with his face leaning forward. On top of that I find it doubtful the police would allow pictures

[OptimistesMaddie]

was taken that night? The police have proven that they mishandled everything from the start.

Again, Trayvon did not start the confrontation, it was clear Zimmerman followed him and chased him. Zimmerman caused this confrontation, everyone says oh Martin isn't an innocent kid, my response is he didn't start the contact it was Zimmerman and we only have to listen to the 911 call to determine that fact.

[suzie]

(04-21-2012 11:37 AM)OptimistesMaddie Wrote:  was taken that night? The police have proven that they mishandled everything from the start.

You're correct that we don't know anything about this photo except that someone claims that it is Zimmerman and that it was taken the night of the shooting.

We don't know who took it, when, if it has ever been altered, if it was ever in police custody.

As far as we know, it's some male with a red jacket and what appears to be blood drips on his head.

We know that the police video was from the Sanford Police Department. We assume they have methods of determining time, date on the video for evidence, just like the 911 calls. This is just some interesting thing for ABC to talk with the Defense Attorneys about.

[azmouse]

Seems like the only things we know for sure are that an unarmed 17 yo boy who was doing nothing more than walking home from buying candy and a drink is dead, and Zimmerman is the killer.

This is shaping up to be a nightmare of a case. I'm beginning to think Zimmerman is going to get away with murder.

[There Is No Spoon]

(04-21-2012 01:26 PM)azmouse Wrote:  ... I'm beginning to think Zimmerman is going to get away with murder.

I think Zimmerman may be safer in jail.

Either way, he won't be living in FL (unless he's in jail.)


Expect civil and/or a civil rights case whether he's acquitted or not.

[OptimistesMaddie]

is now saying he didn't know Trayvon DIDN'T have a gun?

WTF does that mean, so he "thought" Trayvon had a gun he followed him in the truck...I am surprised the defense lawyer had him say that.