George Zimmerman Broken Nose Photo From Night of Attack Released
A photo of George Zimmerman showing his broken nose on the night he fatally shot Florida teen Trayvon Martin was released on Monday by his attorneys.
On the night of Feb. 26, Zimmerman alleges that he was attacked by 17-year-old Martin in Sanford, Fla., causing the fight which ended with the 28-yar-old volunteer community watchman shooting the teenager dead. Zimmerman was subsequently arrested, but he is arguing that he only used the gun to save his life, which is in accordance with Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law that allows for the use of lethal force in cases of self-defense.
Martin's parents have accused Zimmerman of murdering their son in cold blood and have asked that he be convicted of killing him, which could mean life in prison. The community watchman has insisted that he is innocent, however, and will be hoping the newly released photo goes some way toward helping his case.
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The defense team says they intend to publish the rest of the new evidence "as soon as we are sure it has been properly redacted," The Bradenton Herald reported.
The Washington Post noted, however, that questions about the case still remain, and Zimmerman may still be charged with second-degree murder if the evidence goes against him. The 28-year old man first claimed in a written statement that he pulled the dead teen's arms away from his body after shooting him, but the police report noted that the teenager's hands were beneath his body when they discovered him.
DNA testing also remains a factor in the case. Zimmerman claims he was punched by Martin so hard during the fight that he was bleeding from the back of his head, and other images released from the night of the attack seem to back that story. DNA testing of Martin's clothes, however, show little signs of Zimmerman's blood on them.
Judge Debra S. Nelson has set Zimmerman's trial date for June 10, 2013.
