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Subscribe to RSSMartin Bashir leads a discussion with The Grio.com's Joy-ann Reid and Georgetown University's Michael Eric Dyson about how race – and some in the media – are playing a role in shaping Americans perception of the Trayvon Martin case and George Zimmerman's defense.
SANFORD, Fla. -- FBI agents on Monday were questioning potential witnesses in the Trayvon Martin shooting, confirming to NBC News that the agency had begun a "parallel investigation" that focuses on whether the teen's civil rights were violated.
Agents are seeking information on George Zimmerman's background and whether he was racially motivated when he pursued Martin after calling a 911 police dispatcher about his presence in the community, an FBI official told NBC.
The agents were at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, where Martin was shot dead by Zimmerman, the gated community's neighborhood watch captain.
The state of Florida is conducting its own investigation in the shooting and that one is being overseen by a special prosecutor.
Although the Justice Department two weeks ago publicly announced it would examine potential civil rights violations, the arrival of bureau agents represents a new phase in inquiries into the case.
A senior law enforcement official confirmed that one potential piece of evidence is records of Zimmerman's prior 911 calls to police dispatchers.
The call sheets show that five of seven phone calls Zimmerman had made since last August involved what he viewed as suspicious activity by young men identified as "black males." But the call sheets do not indicate whether Zimmerman was asked about the race of the suspects or volunteered that information.
Zimmerman, who has not come forward to talk about the shooting, acknowledged to police that he shot Martin but insists it was self-defense.
The incident has sparked outrage in many quarters because Martin, who was black, was unarmed.
Craig Sonner, Zimmerman's lawyer, has insisted that his client, who has a white father and Hispanic mother, is not racist. "This was not a case of racial profiling," he told NBC News on Sunday. "George Zimmerman is not a racist."
Sonner told Reuters on Monday that Zimmerman would turn himself in to police should he be charged.
Lawyers for the family of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin say they will ask the Department of Justice to investigate the handling of the investigation into the 17-year-old's death. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.
Also Monday, lawyer's for Martin's parents said they would ask the Justice Department to investigate the local prosecutor's interactions with police handling the probe into their son's death.
The Justice Department initiated a query on March 19, but the family wants them to look into possible interference by State Attorney Norm Wolfinger's office with the Sanford police investigation of Martin’s Feb. 26 death, NBCMiami.com reported.
The Sanford Police Department requested an arrest warrant from Wolfinger’s office in the shooting, but the state attorney's office held off until the case could be reviewed further, according to NBCMiami.com.
Experts: Screams on 911 call not Zimmerman
Video shows Zimmerman after shooting
Two audio experts who have analyzed the 911 tapes from the fatal evening have determined that Zimmerman was not the person heard crying for help.
"The tests concluded that it's not the voice of Mr. Zimmerman," said Tom Owen, of Owen Forensic Services LLC and chair emeritus for the American Board of Recorded Evidence.
Asked if he thought such tests would be admissible in court, Owen said "yes" and noted he had recently used similar testing in testimony at a Connecticut murder case that involved a 911 call.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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What a waste of everyone's time. This is a mess for sure but the FBI? come on. It is time ti either file charges or let's get on with life. What is going to happen if Zimmerman goes on trial and is acquitted or gets a very light sentence. Are we going to have race riots then. It would sure fit the profile of these angry black people. Do these people realize that Zimmerman is not Caucasian.?
If Zimmerman gets murdered out of revenge for this can NBC be sued as an accessory for deliberately spreading false reports? What if they start a race riot?
And just how is it that Zimmie is not caucasian? Gee some of these posts are stupid.
alsophia - Is the President a Caucasian? After all, he is in the same category as Zimmerman, i.e. one white and one minority parent. In virtually every case up until this one he would have been referred to as Hispanic, but because they started their reporting as this being a "white" guy gunning down a black kid, they have had to back track. Unfortunately, they refuse to actually accept that he isn't white and so now call him "white-Hispanic".
Who cares what color he is. If that was your kid would you feel the same way. You people always play the race card. We don't care if he is striped with every color of the rainbow. He killed this young man for no reason what so ever and he needs to be tried for murder. You idiot.
ihateliberals
"do these people" "angry black people"
guess that is all we need to know about you.....shouldn't you add "ihateblacks" to your handle as well
blackpearl - Who cares if he was black? Well, let's start with the media. Do you think this story made national headlines because it was a grown man shooting a 17 year old? Or was it because it was a Neighborhood Watch person shot a football player? NO! The only reason the media hyped this case onto the national stage above all the other teenagers who were killed in the last month is because they thought they had a white vs black crime they could turn into a frenzy - and they did.
Who else cares? Listen to Jackson and Sharpton and tell me they are involved for ANY other reason than race. That is the ONLY reason they are speaking up. How about the New Black Panthers? You think they put a bounty on Zimmerman's head because he shot a football player or because he shot a black kid?
The reality is that teenagers die every day in this country and they don't get anywhere near this kind of uproar unless the media plays up the race card.
To JJMurray Zimmerman was not arrested. He went home to his family while Travon was lying in the morgue. And for what? He did nothing wrong. If Mr. Sharpton and Mr. Jackson and the other demonstrators had not brought attention to it Zimmerman would still be walking around with no consequences for killing that young man. There are people out there like you who are the ones who bring up the race card. If a black man had killed him he would have been arrested that night. Let's not be foolish. Is Zimmerman's life so much more precious than Travon's life? Does Zimmerman's family love him any more than Travon's family love him? I think not. Zimmerman caused the death of Travon. And he should be held accountable. I am in security and I was told to observe and report. Never pursue, or engage anyone in physical combat because security officers and neighborhood watchers are not police officers. Period.
blackpearl
Unless George was justified. (self defense)
Except you have the right to defend your self if physically assaulted.
Taking out all hearsay or witnesses, we know...
1. Zimmerman followed Trayvon and disregarded the 911 operator.
And your point is what? So, Martin has a right to walk that street but not someone else and you can disregard the 911 operator because she doesn't have any authority to stop Zimmerman from walking down that street.
2. Trayvon was unarmed and had a right to be in the neighborhood.
Zimmerman was legally carrying his concealed weapon and had the same right to be there as Martin. Neither one was breaking the law, were they?
3. Zimmerman was not in compliance with the neighborhood watch rules.
Again so, he had every right to be there as Martin, didn't he?
4. Zimmerman received basic first aid and had simple abrasions, but did not appear to be unduly injured.
So you are admitting that Zimmerman was the injured party and not Martin. How can that be when everyone knows that Zimmerman was the aggressor who shot an unarmed non aggessive Martin? What injuries did Martin have beside the fatal shot?
5. Trayvon's body was found in a back yard, away from a road.
The confrontation occurred in a backyard, again so what?
Zimmerman ought to be thanking his lucky stars that Obama stepped into it. Now, when the Feds come up empty handed and Zimmerman is never arrested, who is the African American base going to blame? Obama.
NOWHERE does it say that Zimmerman found Trayvon doing ANYTHING but walking down the street MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS...so ALL what you said is baloney in defense of Zimmerman,
PLUS - there was NO DNA of Martin found on Zimmerman and NO DNA of Zimmerman found on Trayvon, which puts a LIE to the whole fight thing..Zimmerman most likely wounded HIMSELF so he coudl pretend that he was attacked by thsi scrawny teenager, but NO DNA is on either of the other...blows Zimmerman's innocence to hell and gone!!
dragy - Where is it reported that there was no DNA from Martin found anywhere on Zimmerman? Also, was there any DNA from Zimmerman found on Martin, i.e. under his fingernails, on his knuckles, etc.? Unless you have some report that the media has missed, we don't KNOW if any DNA was found on either of them.
As for walking down the street minding your own business, that's what a burglar will do plenty of times and that is why you have a neighborhood watch so that you can verify that the person in your neighborhood is there for reasons other than to case houses. Keep in mind this neighborhood had suffered multiple break ins recently and the police had no suspects and made no arrests.
JJMurray:
Zimmerman being a MURDERER also walked down the street waiting for an opportunity to KILL someone and get away with it...so you are right, criminals do walk down the street to case out their victims!!
That is the crux of it, for a SUPER NATIONAL case with so many people involved to investigate, why is there NO mention OF DNA evidence at all? especially since the police took care of Zimmerman!!
S.O.P for investigators responding to murder or death is to get FORENSICS involved IMMEDIATELY to gather samples, but the police did not do this, Where you KNOW there would have if Trayvon was the shooter.
remember Kobe and that fake rape charge, they took samples RIGHT AWAY for PROOF ..but not in a death????
draguy - Glad to see you're waiting for all the FACTS to come in and not just judging him a "murderer" based on emotions and news reports. I'll keep that in mind if you ever find yourself "accused" of a crime. I'll let the judge know you don't need the facts or a jury, just ask what a bunch of strangers think and then sentence you based on that.
As for gathering evidence, they DID gather evidence. They have the cloths both people wore, they have the gun that was used and I would bet the skittles and ice tea are still sitting in evidence right next to both of their cell phones. Just because the media hasn't told you exactly what is going on does not mean it isn't happening. You now have local, state and federal investigators looking into this and they all have incentive to find something wrong here. How about you wait until they do their JOBS before you throw the rope over the tree branch?
JJMurray after reading your comments I have come to the conclusion that you are an IDIOT.
Click on "Trayvon Martin Investigation"
zimmerman is going to jail. it is one thing to lie to reports and local police, but lie to a fbi agent -- the charge is interfering with a federal investigation. thank you god for the fbi and the justice department.
What will you say if they find he did not lie or do not prosecute him? Thank God for the justice system?
Good, maybe the Feds can get to the bottom of this.
Here they come, the Keystone Holder the Clown cops and their special laws for special people. Don't fool yourself. More political grandstanding. The State of Florida, the Special Florida State Prosecutor and the Florida State Grand Jury will take care of paranoid, gun toting, extreme busy buddy and cop wannabe Hispanic Zimmerman. He'll be indicted for manslaughter or negligent homicide. And all you anti 2nd amendment extremists the Florida Stand Your Ground Law doesn't apply in this case. Initiators and instigators of confrontation can't use this law as a defense.
The Senator who wrote "Stand Your Ground Law", stated it DOESNOT apply to this CASE!!!
Injuries that turn brown within 24 hours? . . . NOT!! They look old to me.
FACT - police dispatcher TOLD zimmerman NOt to follow
FACT - Martin was UNARMED AND minding his own business
FACT - Zimmerman was ARMED and he is BIGGER and an Adult than Martin
FACT - Zimmerman HAS a rap sheet (assualt on an officer in 2005, domestic violence charge on ex spouse)
FACT - Zimmerman HAS several DOZEN RECORDED 911 calls over the years to police about 'black males' just being in area, again, MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS!!!
FACT - Zimmerman has NO DNA of Martin on his body NOR does Martin been found with ANY of Zimmerman's DNA on HIM at all, which means there was NO FIGHT between them
FACT - Your facts are cherry picking your facts
Not a Drone:
these are not cherry picks, these are the FACTS. Please show me where Zimmerman said Trayvon was casing a house or bothering ANYONE else that entire time?
Please show me ANYWHERE where Travyon's DNA was on Zimmerman or vice versa.
Please show me where Zimmerman held his ground and did NOT follow Trayvon as SPECIFIED by the authorities, who were on their way?
Kind of a nice alibi for MURDER, to call 911 FIRST to say you are 'in danger', even though the kid was walkign away and then KILL him and say it was 'self defense'..I wonder how many people would believ TRAYVON if the roles were reversed!!! Plus Zimmerman HAS a rap sheetm, unlike Trayvon.
FACT: You're basing your info on admittedly false media reports. Did you even ready this story? What else is going to come out that was incorrectly reported as "fact"? Don't buy the media race baiting
UrDumberThanDirt:
I am basing that info on what has been reported BY Zimmerman, and CONFIRMED - he followed Trayvon after being told NOT too.
Confirmed fact - Zimmerman HAS a rap sheet
Confirmed Fact - Zimmerman himself has NOT said WHY he followed Trayvon besides him being Black
Confirmed Fact - Zimmerman has recorded multiple 911 calls about Black men being in the heighborhood, not that they were doing anything, but the fact that a black guy was around...PERIOD!
I am not race baiting, Zimmerman did that HIMSELF with his CONFIRMED recorded 911 calls, his actions on that night, etc....
Thank goodness.....at least we will have an unbiased investigation with the FBI involved...that is all I want...a fair investigation for both parties involved. How the Sanford P.D. could simply just listen to the shooters side of the story and say, "Ok your free to go" is beyond me. And how that boy's family was not notified for 3 days is very unsettling. Once again, I am not biased either way, but this is the strangest story I have ever heard....
Police 101: Trajectory Testing. Powder testing. Not done!
Racial profiling? How would you describe a missing child, if race could not be used? He/She had chocolate colored skin, pouty lips, & smoked cigarettes - describes too tanned John A. Boehner to a tea. Police always ask race when describing a subject of an investigation.
Screw the kid, he's dead, he lived like a punk he died like a punk. Get over it, this "no limit nigga" was clearly not the altar boy they would love to portray him as.
What about the dozens of blacks dead in Chicago evwery month from gandland violence, where is the outrage from Sharpton and Jackson. What freakin theater
Fed up with Crime- that was and idiot statement. Who kept you from marching for Nicole Simpson. White people always bring up Nicole Simpson. She should have married a White man and then if he killed her it would have been OK. Whites have been killing Blacks for hundreds of years. Go down below where you belong. Always playing the VICTIM CARD!!!
actually, it's PEOPLE have been killing PEOPLE for hundreds (thousands) of years. Skin color is only our way of generating additional statistics.
How much more evidence do the police need before they even question Zimmerman. Five out of seven of his 911 calls were about menacing black males? Hmm...gee, do you think that's telling?
How much more remedial reading comprehension classes will you have to take to know that Zimmerman was already questioned?
The burglaries in Zimmerman's neighborhood were committed by black men. Is he supposed to look for a suspicious Asian?
Not A Drone:
you are WRONG...as it was a GATED community with no black folks, they could not get in at all without them visiting someone living there.
here is a fact for you - in gated communities, it is your NEIGHBORS who are robbing YOU and NOT outsiders...your neighbors KNOW when you are home and when you are not, your neighbors are the ones who can CASE your house all day because you SEE them all the time and are thus invisible. You neighbors are IN your house and can SEE what you have directly!!!
YOU racists always try to blame black folks for stuff as a convenient excuse, but get ALL bent out of shape when YOU are vblamed for anything!!!
So, if there were no blacks in the gated community, why was TM even in there? Obviously, he lived there as he was walking to his home, so no blacks living in that community is untrue. If gated communities are "so secure' as to not have anyone in them other than residents, (non-black according to you) how did TM get in the neighborhood in the first place?
draggy your so full of yourself.
I f zimmerman was following after Trayvon, is it a possibility that he fell and caused his own injuries?! I think that this could be a distinct possibility! Trayvon was found face down, and also is it possible that he was shot in the back,and this is why there is no blood on zimmerman clothing?! There was also one 911 call where I heard more than one shot fired, as possibly Trayvon was actually running away from zimmerman!!! And I say that possibly zimmerman fell down because it was raining and the injuries to the back of head were caused by slipping in the wet grass, and even falling again and bumping his nose, and it pissed him off, and he snapped, and pulled his gun because Trayvon was getting away. "This @!$%#s, they always get away'!!!!
And it's also possible that Martin got pissed off and decided to teach this old guy a lesson so that he could post on his facebook page how he beat the old man. It's also possible that the situation happened just as Zimmerman said that it did. Lots of possibles, that is why Zimmerman will never be arrested or convicted but you can bet that Holder will try.
So, let me get this right. I'm driving at night in my car. I see someone in a hoodie who looks suspicious to me. I call 911 to report this suspicious person, and while I'm talking to them, I get out of my car and start walking faster to catch up with this suspicious person. When the 9-11 operator asks, "Are you following him.?", I reply, "Yes." The operator says, "We don't recommend that." But because I'm serious about making sure suspicious people in hoodies don't visit my neighborhood, I continue after the guy. I'm not too worried because I have a concealed carry permit. I then confront and corner a scared individual who doesn't know why I'm following him. He attacks me first, because he's in fear for his life. After a struggle, I shoot him, because he seems to be getting the upper hand on me. I stood my ground!? Absolutely NOT! Everything that happened that night was George Zimmerman's fault. It's his fault for following the individual after the 911 operator told him not to; it's his fault that he force Trayvon to fight for his life; it's his fault that when he was being bested in the fight HE picked to then shoot and kill an unarmed teen. If super wanna-be cop Zimmerman had only followed the neighborhood watch rules and the warning from the operator not to pursue, Trayvon would be alive today, and Zimmerman wouldn't be a cold-blooded murderer. Period! Arrest him and convict him.
Stop, you have NO IDEA what transpired, for all you know the punk assaulted Zimmerman. With a Tweeter account as "no limit nigga" this kid certainly was no choir boy.
Dam right wing crazies!
Your basing your conjecture on media reports that are admittedly false accounts. Did you even read the story? What else is going to come out this has been incorrectly reported?
Some of your specifics aren't apparent. Having said that you are basically correct. Manslaughter or negligent homicide. Hispanic Zimmerman is most likely an egotistical, paranoid, busy buddy, cop wannabe with a gun who instigated a confrontation that a reasonable person would't have.
Zimmerman is a low acheiver, wanna be. He has no real accomplishments other than riding on his racist's father's coat tails. What is his High school and college records? I bet there is something in his records to prove that he is a Psycho. His parents know that their is something wrong with him. He is a loser. He is so stupid and ignorant. He want power and control, not realizing that he too is a minority. In Arizona, he would have been a victim.
I hope that he will be arrested and charged with first degree murder, racial profiling, impersonating a neighborhood watch official and obstruction of justice, filing a false report. His father should be charged for malfeance, using his influence and position to illicit and seek favor for his family.
What favors have Papa Zimmerman granted to Sanford for them to sweep this murder under the rug?
Wolfinger, Lee, brother Zimmerman, Sonner, Bonaparte should all go to jail with George leading the pack!!!!!!!
savannah rae
ignoring your description of George and his father. It's funny you call him a minority but treat this as if he is white. Pick one and stick with it already
You have gone from he will be to you hope for arrest and charges and have dropped the conviction? Manslaughter is the most you can HOPE for in Florida. First degree requires specific planning from what I have read in their statutes. No such crime as impersonating neighborhood. He never claimed to be any form of sworn peace officer. Obstruction is a maybe if you can prove the others.. false statement perhaps but not false report.. apparently there was someone (Trayvon) in the neighbor who George found suspicious. You are reaching on charging the father. Seems the decision to not charge was made in short order and doubtful Judge Zimmerman was in the loop until George gave him a call or visited in person. Phone records will be reviewed by FBI I am quite sure. Lacking charges they won't reveal who called when.
I think Barack should personally investigate this issue in between writing children's books and being a guest on the View.It's not like he has anything else to do.
well he doesn't need time to waste worrying about Romney......
The kid is dead because he lived like a punk. With a handle like "no limit nigga" I sure believe he was the altar boy the media wants to portray him as. He messed with the wrong person and he got dead. Its too bad but it happens every day in Chicago and Baltimore and Detroit. What makes this NIGGA special?
"What makes this NIGGA Special"?
Is there anyone monitoring the COH?
Make sure the FBI questions George Zimmerman father - I think he will make a perfect witness for the prosecution!
dragynwolfe
Thank You!!
Although, Wolfinger’s office told the police 'Not to Arrest', the police had Probable Cause at the SCENE to execute an arrest. Still the retired magistrate judge- daddy used his good ol' boy cards to have zman the he-man monster released.
BTW--Where is the coroner's report? The Special Prosecutor may need to call in an outside Forsensic Pathologist on this one!
This is a perfect example of why males, especially adult or almost adult males, should not put their hands on other adult males in anger. One never knows what will happen next.
If you punch someone, be prepared to die.
If you're on the bottom, and some guy is pounding you (if that was the case ... witness seems to confirm it) ... of course you're going to shoot the guy on top.
If sufficient evidence exists (as determined by a grand jury) ... then bring on a trial. But a trial just for the hell of it is an abuse of power.
If somebody starts crap with me and has a weapon and doesn't use it right away, I'm going to take it from them and hit them in the head with it for trying to kill me.
Most everyone has a prejudice that makes one version or other of the story easier for them to believe... either vigilante white / hispanic man shooting an innocent kid for just being black and wearing a hoodie or a teenage thug attacking a law abiding citizen. I have my own opinion that Zimmerman provoked the attack by his overzealous pursuit and then fired his gun when he thought he was in danger... but I'll be the first to admit I don't actually know what happened and I don't know what to believe from the media. I do believe with all the political pressure to arrest Zimmerman there must be some legal reason this has not yet happened. In any case, I caution anyone with a strong opinion to not go too far out on a limb because the facts may not end up supporting you.
I do believe that Martin case is a civil rights violation by both the Police Department and Zimmerman
I believe that Skittles attract bullets. So what? Beliefs mean jack @!$%# under the law.
Tape a Skittle to your head and see if it attract a bullet?
Maze,
If they do, I'll be sure to send you some.
I belive the media has violated our's and Zimmermans rights. They are instigating riots for media coverage.
Fortuantely I am safe in the fact that the neighborhoods experiencing the Riots and looting, will not be in my neighborhood.
We are actually normal people here.
Jez, leave the poor guy alone already. Hasn't he suffered enough???
He will be left alone in a prision cell.
I am so sick of hearing about it. There are so many things going on that the public cannot keep track of all of it and WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE TRUTH..Let it lie and quit calling racist. Everytime a black get killed or in the news and gets injured , they all yell and sue for racism..but when a white gets injured or killed nothing is done, by the people for the whites. Grow up, it's just life.
Me too, but I'm sick of everything else also. So here we are. Sound about right?