George Zimmerman’s DNA was the only one that could be identified on the grip of the gun used to fatally shoot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, according to forensic tests made public Wednesday.
The resuts rule out Martin’s DNA from being on the gun’s grip. Zimmerman’s DNA also was identified on the gun’s holster. The tests were inconclusive as to whether Martin’s DNA was on the gun’s holster.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Martin during a confrontation in a gated community in Sanford in February. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense.
Zimmerman says Martin was on top of him, slamming his head against the ground when he grabbed his gun from a holster before Martin could get it.
Other records being released today include a photo of Zimmerman’s head that was taken by a witness following a confrontation with Martin.
ABC News released a report to reputedly documenting George Zimmerman’s injuries. The problem with this as that the report was generated by a family physician the day AFTER the shooting. This means that the evidence was not checked or safeguarded by the Police, who could assure that the “injuries” suffered by Zimmerman were really as a result of the altercation – and not something generated to provide an alibi for his actions. There is no chain of evidence.
Truth here was the second victim, thrown under the bus by the local police not doing their jobs.
A medical report compiled by the family physician of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman and obtained exclusively by ABC News found that Zimmerman was diagnosed with a “closed fracture” of his nose, a pair of black eyes, two lacerations to the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he fatally shot Martin during an alleged altercation.
Zimmerman faces a second degree murder charge for the Feb. 26 shooting that left the unarmed 17-year-old high school junior dead. Zimmerman has claimed self defense in what he described as a life and death struggle that Martin initiated by accosting him, punching him in the face, then repeatedly bashing his head into the pavement.
Also today, a trove of documents are being examined by lawyers for both the defense and prosecution as part of discovery in Zimmerman’s trial — including 67 CDs worth of documents, video of Martin on the night of the shooting, his autopsy report and videos of Zimmerman’s questioning by police.
Zimmerman’s three-page medical report is included in those documents that the defense could use as evidence.
French Nazis aren’t any different than their American counterparts… Now unlike the US where drive-bys and school shootings enabled by our out of control gun culture are an everyday occurance – this level of violence is something drastic for France, as it is in most of the world.
Sarkozy: Gunman in French shootings driven by racism
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the same gunman who shot dead a teacher and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse on Monday was also responsible for the killing of three soldiers last week, apparently motivated by racism.
“We know that it is the same person and the same weapon that killed the soldiers, the children and the teacher,” Sarkozy said in a televised address, saying the terrorism alert level in France had been raised.
“This act is odious and cannot remain unpunished.”
Sarkozy also said he would suspend his campaign for France’s April-May presidential election until Wednesday.
French paper Le Point reported that French police are searching for three former paratroopers in connection with the Toulouse Jewish school shooting that left four dead.
According to the report, the paratroopers were dismissed over suspicion of being neo-Nazis in 2008. The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the report.
French police said earlier Monday that forensic evidence revealed the gun used to kill four people — a teacher, his two children and another child — at the Ozar Hatorah school was the same used to slay three French soldiers on two separate occasions nearby.
The victims in the shootings were all members of minority groups but the exact motivation of the killer is yet unknown.
The first murder linked to the gun took place on March 11. Police found the body of Imad Ibn-Ziaten, a 30-year-old staff sergeant of North African descent, dead behind a school in Toulouse. Investigators suspect the off duty serviceman was lured there by his murderer.
Last Thursday a gunman riding a scooter and wearing a black helmet opened fire on three French soldiers in uniform at a shopping mall in Montauban, a city 50 kilometers north of Toulouse. Abel Chennouf, 24, and Mohamed Legouad, 26, both of North African descent, were killed. Loic Liber, 28, of Afro-Caribbean descent, was left in a coma.
On Monday morning a motorcyclist similar in description to the gunman involved in the second attack drove up to the entrance of Ozar Hatorah in Toulouse and opened fire on a group of parents and children that gathered outside on the start of the school day.
Yonathan Sandler, a 30-year-old teacher from Jerusalem; his two children Aryeh, 6, and Gavriel, 3; and 8-year-old Miriam Monstango, the daughter of the school’s principal, died in the attack and several others were wounded.
“We are struck by the similarities between the modus operandi of today’s drama and those last week even if we have to wait to have more elements from the police to confirm this hypothesis,” said French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a press conference.
French police have launched a massive manhunt for the suspect while French Interior Minister Claude Gueant has ordered increased security at Jewish schools throughout the country.
Sarkozy, who is facing an election later this year, is personally overseeing the investigation in Toulouse. In a press conference, he vowed to find the perpetrator of the attacks…
Damn, this one gives me a lot of heartburn. I really question the need to kill the animals. First off, they list among the animal they “had to put down” 6 black bears. Black bears? They are native to North America – and I dare say that in a rural area like Zanesville there is a native population of black bears living in the woods. It also wouldn’t surprise me, that if you had someone who knew where (and how) to look – that there aren’t at least a few Mountain Lion…which the cops also killed. I’ve seen Mountain Lion in the mountains and forests of West Virginia and Kentucky, and a heck of a lot of black bear – one or two not very far from the big city. I’ve also seen wolves in Wyoming and Montana, along with Grizzly. And while it can be a heart thumping experience – I have never heard of wolves attacking humans except in adventure and horror stories – although a Grizzly does consider you a nice between meal snack if he is in the mood.
So I don’t see any need to have killed the black bear, mountain lion, or wolves as “threats to the population”. Wolves will kill sheep, I don’t know why, but sheep apparently look like filet mignon coming off the grill to a wolf. However, my family raised pedigree Boxer dogs – and one of the things you never wanted to do was get them in sight of a sheep. Apparently they share the same mental wiring as wolves. And for the truly stupid out there, yes wolves are gorgeous big cuddly looking dogs… And they can be successfully domesticated if you start from puppies…But sticking your hand out to pet a wild wolf is a really bad idea.
So…That leaves the Lions, Tigers, and Monkey. You can’t convince me that in an age of night vision goggles, thermal imagers, and helicopters that there was any threat of these animals going too far. Further, in 4 hours or less – that sheriff could have had a team of 50 or more Animal Welfare, and Zoo professionals onsite armed to the teeth with tranquilizer guns. The story about the guy with the tranquilizer gun having to get 10 feet away from the lion to zap it is utter bullshit.
So is the story about having to kill the animals. This was really an unnecessary, and tragic slaughter.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is condemning the Obama administration for killing an American born al-Qaida operative without a trial.
Paul, a Texas congressman known for libertarian views, says the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki on Yemeni soil amounts to an “assassination.” Paul warned the American people not to casually accept such violence against U.S. citizens, even those with strong ties to terrorism.
Anwar al-Awlaki was considered one of the most influential al-Qaida operatives wanted by the United States. U.S. and Yemen officials say he was killed in a U.S. air strike targeting his convoy Friday morning.
Paul made the comments to reporters after a campaign stop Friday at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. He said America’s leaders must think hard about “assassinating American citizens without charges.”
