Gunshot Wound Expert Contradicts State’s Medical Examiners

A forensic pathologist testifying Tuesday for the defense said, George Zimmerman was likely struck at least six times by Trayvon Martin.

Dr. Vincent Di Maio, who has some 9000 autopsies under his belt and is an expert in gunshot wounds, told jurors Zimmerman’s head injuries could have been caused by his coming into contact with concrete.  He also said that a person could have severe head trauma without any marks on the head.

Di Maio’s testimony directly contradicts that of Dr. Valerie Rao, Jacksonville’s Medical Examiner who, testifying last week for the prosecution said, Zimmerman’s injuries were “very insignificant” and “non-life threatening.”

Di Maio also told jurors that Zimmerman’s gun was about two to four inches from Martin’s body when he fired the fatal shot, indicating that the teen was leaning forward at the time he was killed.

“If you’re lying on your back, the clothing is going to be against your chest,” Di Maio explained. “My opinion is that that muzzle of the gun was two to four inches away from the skin.”

He said too, that this would be consistent with Zimmerman’s version of events that Martin was leaning over him.  

Di Maio also said that Martin could have lived for up to three minutes after he was shot, again contradicting Dr. Shiping Bao, the Medical Examiner who performed the teen’s autopsy and who said he could have been alive for up to ten minutes.

Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda on cross-examination did get Di Maio to concede that the gunshot could be consistent with Martin pulling away from Zimmerman.

De la Rionda also got Di Maio to admit that he could not tell whether it was Martin or Zimmerman who threw the first punch in the tussle that the two had.

Eloise Dilligard, a former neighbor of Zimmerman also testified for the defense via video conference.  She testified as to the location of Zimmerman’s truck on the night of the fatal shooting, seeing Zimmerman’s bloody nose and the voice on the infamous 911 ‘Lauer’ tape.

Dilligard described Zimmerman’s nose as “look[ing] out of place and it was bloody.”

She said she believed that the voice on the 911 “Lauer” tape, which she has listened to about 2-3 times, was Zimmerman’s.

“Based on the fact that I have only heard George’s voice, I believe it was George Zimmerman,” she testified.

“It was a light male voice,” Dilligard added.   She did say however, she had never heard Zimmerman yell or scream.

De la Rionda queried of Dilligard whether or not she had ever heard Martin’s voice.

“You had never heard Trayvon Martin’s voice, correct?,” prosecutor De la Rionda asked.

“That’s correct,” she said.

Today, several hours were spent outside the presence of the jurors where defense attorneys argued before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson that an animation of the shooting should be presented to the jury.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara argued that the animation supports the defense theory on the angle of the shooting and that Martin was on top of Zimmerman.

Prosecutors say, the animation should not be allowed in as it’s not an accurate depiction of how the shooting occurred and it “artificially depicts lighting conditions,” among other objections.

Judge Nelson has not yet ruled on the matter.  

Court watchers believe that the defense could rest tomorrow, following which closing arguments will begin.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Martin.  He has pleaded not guilty and said, he shot the teen in self-defense.

Prosecutors say, Zimmerman followed and profiled Martin, before fatally shooting the teen in February 2012.