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hedgehog

(36,286 posts)
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 01:55 PM Mar 2012

Did the Sanford police actually collect evidence the night Trayvon Martin was killed?

If there was no arrest, that suggests no crime. That suggests to me that none of the normal procedures were followed, and/or any evidence collected was discarded. This case may ride entirely on time stamps on various video cameras and 911 calls plus the autopsy.

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Did the Sanford police actually collect evidence the night Trayvon Martin was killed? (Original Post) hedgehog Mar 2012 OP
From what I understand SteveABG Mar 2012 #1
Do they have the gun, or did they return it that evening? hedgehog Mar 2012 #3
Mother Jones confirmed SteveABG Mar 2012 #5
Why would they keep his firearm? He was never arrested. Rex Mar 2012 #4
Well SteveABG Mar 2012 #7
Good. Rex Mar 2012 #10
I think about the only evidence they collected... Kalidurga Mar 2012 #2
The current state attorney assigned to the case said they did ProgressiveProfessor Mar 2012 #6
That one investigator filed an affidavit in favor of charging him EFerrari Mar 2012 #8
What I fear is that the evidence was collected, then discarded hedgehog Mar 2012 #9
Many of my questions are answered here: hedgehog Mar 2012 #11
Aside from the gun. No they did not. vaberella Mar 2012 #12
They appear to have collected other evidence too. savalez Mar 2012 #13
When he reached the police station he was in handcuffs malaise Mar 2012 #14

SteveABG

(134 posts)
1. From what I understand
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 01:56 PM
Mar 2012

They still have Zimmerman's gun, so I would think they still have evidence.

Whether they properly collected all the evidence they should have, that's another question.

SteveABG

(134 posts)
5. Mother Jones confirmed
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:04 PM
Mar 2012
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/george-zimmerman-gun-trayvon-martin-police-evidence

George Zimmerman is free to walk the streets of Sanford, Florida. But the gun he used to shoot and kill 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is in police hands, Mother Jones has confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the city of Sanford says that the Sanford Police Department took into evidence the gun that Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, fired at Martin on February 26. That was the day that Zimmerman had called 911 to report "a real suspicious guy" clad in a hoodie, who turned out to be a kid walking home from a nearby 7-Eleven with a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. Zimmerman's pursuit of Martin led to a physical altercation between the two, wherein Zimmerman shot and killed Martin.
 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
10. Good.
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:12 PM
Mar 2012

I doubt after all this time, they would find it if it was needed as evidence. Glad they at least held on to the gun.

Kalidurga

(14,177 posts)
2. I think about the only evidence they collected...
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 01:59 PM
Mar 2012

was their time stamped video. I think even that would have been destroyed if they would have known this was going to get national attention. That would have gone down the rabbit hole as it completely contradicts, the police report. Unless the injury they talk about was so small they failed to put gloves on to treat it.

ProgressiveProfessor

(22,144 posts)
6. The current state attorney assigned to the case said they did
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:05 PM
Mar 2012

She is not the one who decided to cut him loose the evening of the shooting. According to her in an interview they have his clothes, gun, and other forensic evidence. She declined to elaborate.

He clearly was in custody and was being detained and questioned. It is one step short of arrest...which still has not happened

EFerrari

(163,986 posts)
8. That one investigator filed an affidavit in favor of charging him
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:08 PM
Mar 2012

and that affidavit had to be based on something, so yes, there was some kind of evaluation of evidence that day.

hedgehog

(36,286 posts)
9. What I fear is that the evidence was collected, then discarded
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:10 PM
Mar 2012

once the State Attorney made his ruling that night.

vaberella

(24,634 posts)
12. Aside from the gun. No they did not.
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 02:22 PM
Mar 2012

For instance...Zimmerman's clothing would be considered evidence. Blood splatter from either him or Trayvon could be there, the grass stains from when he apparently said he was getting beat up by Trayvon is another, not to mention gun powder residue...He apparently did not take a breathalizer test or drug test himself by the police which would have noted his state of mind. Evidence at the scene itself was trampled. The Kids body was in the morgue for 3 days and we don't know what evidence was lost there---we just know they did do a drug test on him and he was clear.

If you look at the videotape of Zimmerman at the police station. Zimmerman was allowed to walk in and out fully dressed in the same clothing which was just screaming evidence. Just by that alone you can see this station didn't do it's job and unfortunately they helped destroy vital information.

That alone makes the Police station an accessory to this crime.

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