The lead investigator on the Trayvon Martin case, unconvinced by George Zimmerman’s version of events the night he shot the teen, wanted him arrested, but the then State Attorney, held off.
According to news reports, Norm Wolfinger, who was the State Attorney at the time Martin was killed, didn’t believe there was enough evidence to lead to a conviction and rejected the manslaughter charges against Zimmerman recommended by Chris Serino, the lead investigator.
The fatal shooting of Martin, an unarmed black teen on February 26, by Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, and the lack of an arrest to date, has sparked outrage, as well as, nationwide rallies and marches.
Gov. Rick Scott, under pressure with increasing calls for justice in the Martin killing, last Thursday night announced the appointment of an outside prosecutor, Angela Corey, to investigate the case. Scott also requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to step in to assist with the investigation.
At the national level, the U.S. Department of Justice is also reviewing the case to determine whether or not a hate crime was committed. Among other things, Justice Department officials will comb through 911 calls made the night Martin was murdered to determine whether or not a racial slur was used by Zimmerman, a white Hispanic.
Zimmerman tells the 911 dispatcher on the night of the shooting, there is a “real suspicious guy” that “looks like he is up to no good,” describing Martin. The 911 dispatcher tells Zimmerman that, an officer is on his way to the location and that he shouldn’t follow Martin, but he does so anyway. Zimmerman states, “These ass holes…they always get away.”
Zimmerman has claimed self-defense and according to reports, has said that he was attacked first by Martin.
While many believe the investigation was botched by the Sanford Police Department, the application of the Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ law, which permits a person to use deadly force if an individual fears death or great bodily harm, was used as the basis for not arresting Zimmerman.
The Sanford Police Department said yesterday, it would no longer be conducting daily press conferences and “responding to investigative questions regarding the Trayvon Martin case.”
Leaks in the case have brought to light that Martin had been suspended three times from school – on one occasion for spraying graffiti, another for tardiness and truancy, and once for having an empty marijuana baggie.
Ben Crump, one of the attorneys representing Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, believes that these revelations have nothing to do with the teen’s killing. He continued to call for Zimmerman’s arrest and said the focus should be on the Sanford Police Department’s handling of the shooting.
“Simply arrest George Zimmerman,” Crump said. “He’ll have his day in court. It’s now more than 30 days and still no arrest.”
Meanwhile, Fulton and Martin went to Capitol Hill Tuesday, to participate in a House Judiciary Committee briefing on racial profiling and hate crimes Tuesday. The forum was aimed at assessing the role of the federal government regarding racial profiling and hate crime issues. They addressed the forum, both thanking the committee for their support.
“I’d like to say thank you,” Fulton said. “Thank you for the support. As I’ve said before and I’ll say again, Trayvon is our son, but Trayvon is your son. A lot of people can relate to our situation, and it breaks their heart like it does ours. Thank you for everything.”
Martin repeated his call for justice for his son, saying, “He’s sadly missed, and we’ll continue to fight for justice for him.”
Late Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Times reported that Corey could reach a decision in the case before the Seminole County Grand Jury convenes on April 10.
“It’s possible that we’ll just make a decision without the grand jury,” she said, latimes.com reports.
While mindful of the calls for answers, Corey pleaded for patience and asked that sufficient time be allowed for a thorough investigation to be conducted.
Corey and her team would get to decide whether Zimmerman would face charges and if race played a role in Martin’s fatal shooting.
[…] a grand jury is scheduled to convene on April 10, special prosecutor Angela Cory, appointed to investigate the Martin case, said earlier this week, a decision could be reached […]