Family: 911 tapes confirm Trayvon Martin was murdered
SANFORD --
The family of Trayvon Martin is renewing its call for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the man who killed the teen in what he called an act of self-defense, after listening to 911 calls related to the teen's death last month.
The family arrived at Sanford City Hall Friday evening to hear the tapes. They were expected to speak afterward, but the family's attorneys say the parents were so overcome with grief after what they heard on the tapes, they could not speak.
"It is shocking when you hear these 911 tapes," said attorney Ben Crump. "It was far worse than they thought it was going to be."
Zimmerman is a neighborhood watch volunteer who was on patrol when he encountered Trayvon. Zimmerman admitted to the shooting.
The attorney says in at least one 911 call two shots are heard -- a shot is heard, and then a cry for help, and then a second, louder shot is heard, then the cries stop. Attorney Natalie Jackson says it is clear that Zimmerman fired a warning shot, then a kill shot.
"This is an insult to this family," Jackson said. "This was not self-defense, this was not manslaughter, this was murder."
The family's attorneys say the family no longer trusts the Sanford Police, and want the US Justice Department to take over the case.
This meeting is happening on the same day Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee met with Congresswoman Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, and Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett Friday. They said Lee told them he welcomed a federal investigation by the U.S. attorney general and US Dept. of Justice.
"I at this point don't trust and I need an independent," Brown said. "I feel that the United States Justice Department is independent because I think some things should have been done, didn't happen. So we need to make sure it happens.”
Three witnesses, including two women, have come forward, claiming they witnessed the deadly shooting.
Mary Cutcher and her roommate said they heard the 17-year-old crying and pleading for his life.
Then, they said they heard the gunshot that killed him. Cutcher and her roommate said they rushed outside to see Zimmerman standing over Trayvon's body.
Standing with the teen's family and their attorneys Friday morning, the two witnesses said they believe Zimmerman murdered the boy, and believe police have not done enough in their investigation.
Sanford police, however, said Cutcher told a different story to the media than what she told them.
In a statement released Thursday, Sanford police public information officer Sgt. David Morgenstern said:
"According to investigators notes she was called on February 29th, March 1st, and on March 2nd when she and her roommate finally came in to be interviewed. The information she provided in her sworn statements regarding the actions of Zimmerman were consistent with the information Zimmerman provided."
"I have no reason to lie," said Cutcher. "I don't know this family. I'm only trying to help, and I think that they are trying to cover up something -- that they made a mistake -- and honestly, I feel like their taking the light off of them and trying to discredit my statements."
"Just to know that regardless of what happens, there's still good people in this world," said Trayvon's mother, Sybria Fulton, regarding Cutcher. "I'm so very hurt by this whole situation. It's a nightmare, and I don't understand why this man has not been arrested, at least charged, and let a judge and a jury decide if he's guilty."
Trayvon's parents said their son was unarmed when Zimmerman confronted him, because he thought the teen was suspicious. They said Trayvon was returning to a relative's home from the store with a bag of Skittles.
As of noon Friday, more than 240,000 people have signed a petition calling for Zimmerman's arrest.
The State Attorney's Office is reviewing the case.
