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Juror B-29: "George Zimmerman Got Away With Murder"
Barely two weeks since George Zimmerman was acquitted in the death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, many supporters and opponents of the verdict are learning more details about what went on in the jury room.
Not long after Juror B37 and alternate Juror E54 broke their silence, another juror has now come forward to explain the verdict.
Juror B29 is showing her face as she talks with ABC News about the decision to acquit the former neighborhood watch volunteer.
"George Zimmerman got away with murder, but you can't get away from God," Juror B29 says.
“Anguished and apologetic, Juror B29–going by the name Maddy–told ABC's Robin Roberts that she favored convicting George Zimmerman of second degree murder,” reports CNN’s Pamela Brown.
"For myself, he's guilty,” she says, “…but as the law was read to me if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can't say he's guilty."
Maddy says that after more than 16 hours of deliberations, she struggled to find the proof to convict. "Maddy concedes she still struggles with the verdict and the public outcry that followed,” Brown reports.
“I literally fell on my knees and broke down,” she says. “I kept saying to myself, ‘I feel like I killed him.’”
She also says she owes Trayvon's parents an apology.
“I would like to apologize because I feel like I let them down.”
Trayvon martin's mother released this statement in response.
"This new information challenges our nation once again to do everything we can to make sure that this never happens to another child.”
A Tale of Two Jurors in Zimmerman Trial
Nearly a week after George Zimmerman was declared a free man, he is still not getting his gun back.
While Zimmerman was acquitted in the death on unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, the case isn’t over for him yet. The Justice Department is requesting a hold on evidence from his murder trial while it continues to investigate the case.
Meanwhile, two jurors from the trial are now speaking out. Juror B37 spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper, and Alternate Juror E54 spoke to TV station WOFL in Orlando, also requesting anonymity.
While they both arrived at the same verdict, their interviews reveal they have very different views of the defendant and what he did on that February night.
“Both think it was George Zimmerman's voice calling for help in that crucial 911 call, and they both believe Zimmerman didn't racially-profile Trayvon Martin,” CNN’s Brian Todd reports.
“But the two jurors have polar-opposite views on whether Zimmerman should've gotten out of his car and followed Martin that night.”
Jury expert and law professor Andrew Ferguson compares the two jurors through their interviews.
"That pressure of deciding and judging another human being is incredible, and here you have ordinary citizens wrestling with it,” Ferguson says. “They're wrestling with it at that moment about how we could do it, how do we process it, and did we do a good job?"
Ferguson explains that the fact that jurors are not trained for this task and given very little preparation for it, then told to make a decision, adds to that pressure. “And for many of them, they're given more power than they ever had,” Todd reports. “It adds up to enormous stress, he says, and that certainly played out in the Zimmerman trial.”
Fallout Over Zimmerman Verdict Continues
It’s been four days since a jury declared George Zimmerman a free man, but the calls to action continue.
The fallout is widespread with rallies and protests across major U.S. cities demanding a change after a jury acquitted the former neighborhood watch volunteer in the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
“'Justice for Trayvon rallies'” are scheduled in 100 cities Saturday, to urge civil rights charges against George Zimmerman,” reports CNN’s Victor Blackwell.
And just days after Anderson Cooper’s exclusive interview with one of the jurors in the Zimmerman trial first aired, we're learning more about how the Zimmerman jury spent their 22 days sequestered when they weren’t in court.
“The six female jurors occasionally left the hotel – with court approval – going bowling, shopping, and to the movies," Blackwell says. "Seminole County officials estimate sequestration cost the county $33 thousand, all to isolate them from the controversy surrounding the trial.”
Martin's family speaks out on verdict – John Zarrella reports
Demonstrators rallied across the country after former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted Saturday of murder, and manslaughter, in the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
Martin's relatives spoke out on the verdict as well, but their message was one of healing. CNN’s John Zarrella has more on their response.
“The message from Lesha Felton, Trayvon Martin's cousin was clear, direct,” Zarrella reports.
"We don't want this to happen to anyone else again no reason this happens to any other families,” Felton said. “No one should have to go through this."
At Sunday’s service at the church where Martin’s family are members but were not in attendance, "there were certainly feelings of hurt, sadness, disappointment amongst the congregation, anger too,” Zarrella says. “But the bottom line, church members say everyone now must move on.”
Protests, calls for calm after Zimmerman acquitted – George Howell reports
The anger in the streets is ongoing in the wake of the not guilty verdict delivered in the George Zimmerman Trial.
The former neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted Saturday of murder, and manslaughter, in the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
Frustration over that decision brought thousands to rallies across the country.
CNN’s George Howell has more on the resounding messages of protest and calls for calm in reaction to the verdict.
Defense rests, prosecution set to offer closing arguments – George Howell reports
Today may mark the final chapter in one of the most watched cases in years.
Prosecutors in the George Zimmerman trial will make their final arguments to the jury why he should be found guilty of murder for killing unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
Meanwhile, the defense rested its case yesterday, without the jury hearing from the defendant. CNN’s George Howell has that report.
After a tense exchange between Judge Deborah Nelson and Zimmerman's Lawyers he had decided not to testify.
The drama of the trial then focused on a dummy.
“During one of the most surreal moments in court, both sides straddled a foam dummy, in attempts to illustrate the conflicting arguments as to what happened the night Trayvon Martin was killed,” Howell reports.
“Persecuting Attorney John Guy argued that it would have been difficult for Zimmerman to shoot at a 90 degree angle had Trayvon Martin been on top as presented by the defense…”Then Defense Attorney Mark O'Mara grabbed the dummy to support his argument.”
Now, the trial moves on to its final stages as Judge Nelson makes another important ruling today. She will decide whether or not to grant the prosecution's request to apply lesser charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault.
The jury will begin deliberations Friday afternoon.
Trayvon Martin's mother to take stand in Zimmerman trial
It could be one of the most emotional and important days yet at the George Zimmerman trial today.
Trayvon Martin’s mother is expected to take the stand and discuss a critical piece of evidence: Screams heard on the 911 audio tape.
Considered the cornerstone of the prosecution's case from the beginning, the tape is said to be evidence of who was the aggressor the night Martin was shot and killed.
The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case after that powerful testimony from Sybrina Fulton.
George Howell has more on the case.
“Both parents were seen crying during testimony, Martin’s mother here with her eyes closed, and looking away as the jurors were shown graphic pictures of her son's lifeless body,” Howell reports.
“The main focus of Fulton's testimony will no doubt be her account of whose faint cries for help she believes are on that tape.”
Past professors, ballistics & DNA experts testify in Zimmerman trial Wednesday
The George Zimmerman murder trial takes a break today for the July Fourth holiday.
But prosecutors are expected to wrap up their side of the case when court resumes on Friday.
They spent Wednesday trying to paint a picture of Zimmerman as a well-educated police officer wanna-be.
CNN's George Howell reports the details from Sanford, Florida.
“Zimmerman's past could haunt him if jurors are swayed by the picture prosecutors are trying to paint,” Howell reports, “a ‘wanna-be’ cop, who went too far, then less than forth-coming about how well he knew the law–-on national TV.”
Jury hears about Zimmerman's injuries – George Howell reports
The George Zimmerman trial resumes today with a focus on the former neighborhood watch volunteer’s past.
The judge will hear arguments over whether the jury should know Zimmerman took criminal justice courses and was turned down for a job as a police officer.
The jury has already heard about Zimmerman's injuries and what those injuries may indicate about what happened the night Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin.
George Howell has more on that.
Jury hears Zimmerman's statements to police – George Howell reports
The trial of George Zimmerman resumes today with the lead investigator back on the stand.
He and other officers have been testifying about what Zimmerman told police in the days after Trayvon Martin was killed.
The jury has also now heard Zimmerman's words for themselves. CNN’s George Howell has details.
