Several witnesses in the George Zimmerman trial have testified that screams for help captured by a call to police just as Trayvon Martin was shot and killed came from George Zimmerman.
The defense began calling witnesses on July 5 after the state rested its case, and so far seven have told the court that they hear Zimmerman’s voice screaming for help. These witnesses have included Zimmerman’s mother, who testified Friday, as well as other close friends and co-workers.
Today, defense attorney Mark O’Mara played the recording of the 911 call between one of Zimmerman’s neighbors and the police today and asked Leanne Benjamin, a business associate of Zimmerman’s, if she recognized the voice screaming for help.
“Yes I do,” said Benjamin, “[it’s] George Zimmerman’s voice.” She explained, “I know what his voice sounds like when he gets excited or loud” because of their experience working together on political campaigns. Benjamin is close friends with Zimmerman, and she and her husband have contributed $2,500 to him since the investigation began.
Last week the prosecution brought forth witnesses who testified that the screams belong to Trayvon Martin. Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, told jurors, “I heard my son screaming.”
Earlier, an FBI audio specialist testified that the call’s quality is too poor to definitively identify who is screaming. Zimmerman told police that he was pinned down by Martin and was calling out for help, a significant part of his self-defense narrative.
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