The man who shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin will be released from jail. A Seminole County judge granted George Zimmerman bail in the amount of $150,000 today, after the Sanford man spent more than a week behind bars. From member station WMFE in Orlando, Nicole Creston reports the bond hearing brought new information and another strange twist to the case.
In a surprising move, 28-year-old George Zimmerman took the stand to apologize to the parents of Trayvon Martin, who were sitting in the courtroom.
Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton didn’t look at Zimmerman while he spoke. State prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda didn’t seem impressed with the apology.
The two-hour bond hearing Friday morning also yielded new information about the case against Zimmerman, who claims he was defending himself when he shot the unarmed teen in late February. Zimmerman was arrested on second-degree murder charges on April 11th. Dale Gilbreath, investigator for the state’s attorneys office, told Zimmerman attorney Mark O’Mara that Zimmerman’s account of the shooting did not add up.
Gilbreath did say the wounds on the back of Zimmerman’s head were consistent with a hit against concrete, or at least something heavy.
Zimmerman’s mother, father and wife also testified by phone, each promising to help him comply with conditions of bail. And there are conditions, said Judge Kenneth Lester. Zimmerman may not have contact with Trayvon Martin’s family and must wear a GPS tracking device. Fitting for that device and security issues delayed Zimmerman’s release until after Friday.