George Zimmerman Trial: Trayvon Martin Was Hovering Over Zimmerman, Says Expert
Forensic pathologist Dr. Vincent Di Maio testified on Tuesday during the George Zimmerman case that "medical evidence" supports Zimmerman's account of how he shot Trayvon Martin.
George Zimmerman has argued for more than a year that he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense. Forensic pathologist Dr. Vincent Di Maio upheld that argument on Tuesday stated during testimony for the defense that "medical evidence of the gunshot wound was consistent with [Zimmerman's] statement."
Dr. Di Maio based his testimony on the angle that the bullet entered both Martin's body and clothing. Medical evidence would suggest that Martin's clothing was two to four inches away from his body when the bullet wounded him. Such evidence would suggest that Martin may have been hovering over Zimmerman when the neighborhood watchman fired.
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"If you're lying on your back, the clothing is going to be against your chest," Di Maio testified. "So the fact that we know the clothing was two to four inches away is consistent with someone leaning over the person doing the shooting."
Di Maio agreed "100 percent" with the firearms examiner that gun used to kill Martin was fired against Martin's clothing.
"My opinion is that that muzzle of the gun was two to four inches away from the skin," Di Maio testified. "So, the barrel of the gun was against the clothing, but the clothing itself had to be two to four inches away from the body at the time Mr. Martin was shot."
The fact that Martin was carrying a bottle in the front pocket of his sweater would also help to prove that Martin was leaning over Zimmerman, forcing his clothing to fall off his body.
Di Maio is an expert on gunshot wounds. He has written and co-authored several articles and a book on the subject. The trial will continue Tuesday afternoon with the prosecution questioning Di Maio.
