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Trayvon Martin Autopsy Report Released

Subrina Hudson |
May 18, 2012 | 10:28 a.m. PDT

Executive Producer

Trayvon Martin (Sunset Parkerpix/Flickr)
Trayvon Martin (Sunset Parkerpix/Flickr)
More details have been released in the Trayvon Martin shooting case as the autopsy report for Martin was released Thursday by Florida’s Office of the Medical Examiner.

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.



 

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