Phone Records May Help Zimmerman's Defense
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George Zimmerman (Creative Commons)
In the case that public opinion polls found has Americans divided by race, generation, politics and economic status, closer analysis of George Zimmerman's phone calls may prove he did not kill Trayvon Martin because of his race.
Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot Martin, 17, on February 26. The case triggered nationwide attention and debate after Zimmerman's phone call to 911 was interpreted to be racially motivated. Martin was unarmed, wearing a hoodie, and Zimmerman reportedly said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black," according to phone records.
As CNN reports, forensic audio expert Tom Owen, who analyzed the 911 recordings, agreed the garbled word that raised controversy was "punks," not a racial slur some people said they heard.
When Owen, chairman emeritus of the American Board of Recorded Evidence, used a computer application to remove cell phone interference, the word became clearer, he said. After discussions with linguists, he said he became convinced that Zimmerman said "punks."
He provided CNN with a copy of the newly processed audio.
CNN also enhanced the sound of the 911 call, and several members of CNN's editorial staff repeatedly reviewed the tape but could reach no consensus on whether Zimmerman used a slur.
According to NY Daily News, in the seven phone calls that Zimmerman made do the Sanford, Flo. non-emergency police line between August 2011 and February 2012, he never mentioned the race of the person he deemed suspicious before he was asked.
But this week, the network admitted it had accidentally edited out a key part of the conversation which actually went
Zimmerman: This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about."
Dispatcher: Okay, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
Owen and another audio expert, Ed Primeau, analyzed the recording and have stressed they cannot say who was screaming in phone call.
Reach Executive Producer Rosa Trieu here. Follow her on Twitter.
Comments
Awesome. I'm sure Trayvon will be relieved to know this.
I'm just an audio guy.. I make no claims to anything else.
I took the 911 call with the most audio informatiion regarding screams, pulled down some of the louder noises (the actual shot and a few times the woman caller gets a bit loud) so they don't hurt you while listening to the softer noises... Then ran it at a slower speed and pitch corrected it 100 percent true. Anyone with an ear for music can tell not a note has been changed.. Digital affords you this luxury. In the analog days we had to physically slow the tape/medium down and you lose pitch and clarity.
THIS AUDIO IS NOT ENHANCED per sey.. not like enhancing a photo.. the only enhancing has been to adust volume levels so you don’t hurt your ear listening to everything at relative volume levels.
There are a few swirling artifacts in this copy because I had to compres the wav file to a 128 kbps mp3 to fit on my page so you had a player to hear it on.. These artifacts are slight and will not distract.
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11548279
This exercise is just a way to access the call and hear things you would not of as easily (but every bit of audio information from the original is still there) just listening to the raw recording. Akin to slowing down video without the frame per second limitations.
Fools! Imbeciles! Its so easy to know who was on top beating who! If Trayvon HAS NO injuries to his head or body other than the gunshot as the coroner has already stated and if Zimmerman DOES have injuries to his nose and head, as his claim is, then its obvious Zimmerman was the one on the bottom getting a beaten! And who would be the one crying out for help? The one GIVING the beaten or the one RECEIVING the beaten? A no brainer! A mere child could understand that! Too many people are looking at this tragedy with tunnel vision. Race motivated? If Zimmerman called 911 and said there's a black man wearing a hood and looks suspicious then the Race card would be a legitimate call. But that's NOT what he said, is it?! He didn't even mention TM's race color or what TM was wearing until he (Zimmerman) was asked by the 911 dispatcher! All this BS going on in the media is a disgrace to truth and justice in this country! Only showing pics of Trayvon when he was a harmless 12 year old? Why not show his pic as a harmless 17 year old? I'll tell you why! Cold calculated deception! An agenda to stir people's emotions and convict Zimmerman in the media! That's it! No real concern for facts, truth or true justice! Most of you people should be ashamed of yourselves! If it were the other way around and it was Trayvon that shot Zimmerman would most people including Sharpton and Jackson be calling for Trayvon's arrest? NO!!! They would be saying the same thing as they said regarding O.J. NO RUSH TO JUDGMENT! That's what they would would say! You know it and anyone with half a brain knows it! If Zimmerman IS guilty of what he's been convicted of in the media and the court of public opinion, then let the evidence and facts convict him, not a mob from the old wild west!!! Fools! Imbeciles!