Trayvon Martin Autopsy Report Released
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Trayvon Martin (Sunset Parkerpix/Flickr)
The report revealed that Martin died as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest that was fired within 36 inches and hints of marijuana were found in his blood and urine.
The medical examiner found traces of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in Martin’s blood and a positive test of cannabinoids in his urine. Roughly 1.5 nanograms per milliliter of THC and 7.3 nanograms of another type of THC were found in his chest blood. However, CNN reported that it was not clear how significant these amounts were and that the precise levels in Martin’s urine was not released. According to CNN:
Dr. Michael Policastro, a toxicologist, cautioned against reading too much into the blood THC levels, adding that one cannot make a direct correlation between those findings and a level of intoxication. He also said that levels of THC, which can linger in a person's system for days, can spike after death in certain areas of the body because of redistribution.
Concentrations of THC routinely rise to 100 to 200 nanograms per milliliter after marijuana use, though it typically falls to below 5 ng/ml within three hours of it being smoked, according to information on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
The autopsy was conducted a day after the teenager was shot dead by suspect George Zimmerman on the night of February 26.
Other documents have also been released this week such as Zimmerman’s medical report which showed he had cuts to the back of his head, a fractured nose and two black eyes.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and said he shot the teenager in self-defense, but prosecutors are saying that Zimmerman killed the unarmed teenager after wrongly profiling him.
On the night of the shooting, Zimmerman reported Martin as a suspicious character in his neighborhood to the Sanford Police Department. The police dispatcher told Zimmerman to stop following Martin, but Zimmerman continued to follow the teenager from inside his car. The Los Angeles Times added that investigators found:
"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement," they wrote in a March 13 capias document, which authorizes an arrest. "Or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern."
Zimmerman is facing a second-degree murder charge.
A trial date has not been set.
Reach Executive Producer Subrina Hudson here.
Comments
There's one major missing piece in the article here that the author Sabrina Hudson seems to have overlooked and failed to report.
The official police report ALSO includes the following statements dated March 13, 2012 from the primary investigation officer Christopher Serino outlining probable cause in his request for capias (to arrest Zimmerman on a charge of Manslaughter):
Serino's first quote as follows:
"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern. There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter."
Also, Serino's additional quote as follows:
"Based upon the facts and circumstances outlined in this narrative, I believe there exists probable cause for issuance of a capias charging George Michael Zimmerman with Manslaughter, in violation of Ch. 783.07 FS."
As the general public should be aware, the writ for capias was initially denied and Zimmerman was set free.
Had the capias been approved and normal procedures been followed thereafter this whole sordid affair would not have made such a big splash on the national news scene.
The complete police report and discovery (with selected redactions) can be found at the following MSNBC pdf link: http://bit.ly/LcgE4B
What is ridiculous is that this has been made such a media circus. I doubt the public has heard all of the evidence/facts involved in this case but yet so many are so quick to jump on a ban wagon. Pathetic. So far, facts show that the 2 men fought which unfortunately ended in the death of one of them. It doesn't matter that marijuana was in his system or what freaking color his skin is. It is a life lost which is tragic, especially when it was completely unnecessary, no doubt. Why Jackson and Sharpton have stepped in and made it a race issue is beyond me and only fuels division and negativity in a society that has come so far over the last 50 years alone. If the facts that I heard today which were that Trayvon had no marks on his face or back of his head but did have skinned and bloodied knuckles. . . and given the medical evidence of the fractured nose, black eyes and cuts on the back of Zimmerman's head. . . can't an obvious conclusion be drawn here??? And if these are facts supported in court, I hope someone stands up on National T.V. and tells all the brainless followers including celebrities, professional sports teams and more that made a "statement" by wearing hoodies for Trayvon Martin - what an absolute bunch of morons they are and that THEY were the ones making it a racial issue. Let Zimmerman stand trial, let the facts be heard, and justice be done. Just as it happens with thousands of other cases every day in the U.S. There is nothing so special here that needs to divide our country and set us back many ages.
Zimmerman is guilty and he should pay the price....
self defense is not murder
self defense is not murder
Who cares that he had marijuana in his system? Does this make Zimmerman any less guilty for murdering trayvon? I think the focus that are media is putting on this new found information is completely ridiculous, insulting and irrelevant to the disturbing issues of this case. How dare the news and Zimmerman's defense try to make Trayvon look like a bad kid because he had some weed in this system. Come on.