George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, has emerged for the first time since the shooting. Zimmerman left a voicemail on one of his major supporter’s cellphone. Zimmerman called Frank Taaffe to say sorry for the loss of his son and to thank him for all of his support. Taaffe has been Zimmerman’s most vocal supporter to date, well besides Geraldo Riveria. Zimmerman sounded calm and collective and only remorseful about Taaffe’s son. Listen below.
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George Zimmerman has remained completely silent as the controversy surrounding the Trayvon Martin killing continues. But the neighborhood watchman, who admitted to shooting and killing the teen, has finally resurfaced on the voicemail of a friend, The Grio reports.
Nearly a month after the night of his fatal confrontation with Martin, Zimmerman left a message to thank a man who has been one of his most vocal supporters to date, Frank Taaffe:
Hey Mr. Taaffe. This is George. Um, first and foremost, I wanted to say I am very sorry for the loss of your son, and, um, I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Um, secondly, I wanted to thank you for doing everything you’ve been doing. Um, I know you don’t have to, and I appreciate it, and you’re truly setting an example for me for the future of, uh, doing the right thing even when it’s tough, and, uh, I appreciate it. I’ll talk to you soon. Thanks. Bye.
Taaffe, a fellow neighborhood watchman and neighbor, has been very public about his support of Zimmerman. During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he said that problem could have been avoided if Martin had been “up front and truthful” with Zimmerman.
He also spoke with NBC Miami about how troubled he was by Zimmerman’s portrayal in the media.
“It’s really sad that he has already been convicted in the public media and has already been sentenced to the gas chamber,” he told the news outlet. “Let’s let justice do its job.”
Martin, who was black, was walking back to his father’s house after a trip to the convenience store in Sanford, Fla. on February 26. George Zimmerman, who was identified by his father as Hispanic, called 911 and told the dispatchers that the teen “looked suspicious.”
Despite being told by the dispatchers not to engage the teen, Zimmerman left his car and approached Martin. Neighbors called into 911 to report a scuffle, some cries for help, and gunshots. When police arrived, Zimmerman admitted to shooting Martin, who was unarmed, but claimed that he acted in self-defense. Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged.
The case has attracted national attention with professional athletes, celebrities, politicians and even President Obama himself speaking out about the incident.
Zimmerman, however, has remained quiet amidst the fallout.
As the national spotlight shines brighter on the incident, both Bill Lee Jr., the Sanford police chief, and Norman R. Wolfinger, the Seminole County state attorney have temporarily stepped down. Gov. Rick Scott appointed Angela B. Corey, the prosecutor in the Jacksonville area, to replace Wolfinger in the state attorney’s investigation.
