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Evidence details timeline in Trayvon Martin case

The public is getting its first look at potential evidence in the case against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February. The state attorney's office on Thursday released 183 pages of documents, plus photos of Zimmerman's injuries and weapon, as well as audio recordings of witness statements. Included in the document is a request by the Sanford Police Department for a "capias" – or arrest warrant – that would have charged Zimmerman with manslaughter. The investigator said the altercation could have been avoided if Zimmerman hadn't approached Martin. The investigator wrote, "Zimmerman can be heard in the background crying for help," and he said "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 the law enforcement." The investigator added that Zimmerman could have identified himself to Martin as a "concerned citizen." Photos of Zimmerman with visible injuries were also included in the release of information, showing what appears to be a broken nose and dried blood on his head. A paramedic report says Zimmerman also had a 1-inch laceration on his head and forehead abrasion. Witness audio statements were also included, with one of the most controversial from "witness 9" in an undated interview. "I just would hate to see that be the case here, because I know that about him. I don't know what happened. I don't know it all, who this kid was or anything else, but I know George," the witness said. "And I know that he does not like black people and he would start something. He's a very confrontational person. It's in his blood. Let's just say that -- and I don't want this poor kid and their family to just be overlooked." In another audio witness statement, Martin's girlfriend, who was on the phone with Martin, said she heard Trayvon Martin say, "Get off, get off," before the phone went dead. She also described him as sounding "scared" and told him to run. FBI audio specialists couldn't identify who was screaming in the background of one 911 call because of the quality of the audio. The audio analysts also couldn't conclude if Zimmerman said a racial slur or not. But Zimmerman's father, Robert, said that the voice calling for help was his son. "That is absolutely, positively George Zimmerman. Myself, my wife, family members and friends know that is George Zimmerman, there's no doubt who's yelling for help." An autopsy report shows Martin had THC in his system the night of the shooting. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The autopsy was conducted the day after the teenager was shot dead. Toxicology tests found elements of the drug in the teenager's chest blood -- 1.5 nanograms per milliliter of one type (THC), as well as 7.3 nanograms of another type (THC-COOH) -- according to the medical examiner's report. There was also a presumed positive test of cannabinoids in Martin's urine. It was not immediately clear how significant these amounts were. Martin had $40.15, Skittles, a red lighter, headphones and a photo pin in his pocket, according to the police report. He had been shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin was walking to his father's girlfriend's home from a 7-Eleven store in February when Zimmerman called police to report him as suspicious. A confrontation ensued, and Zimmerman fatally shot Martin in the gated community of townhomes in Sanford. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense and has entered a not guilty plea. The lack of an arrest in Martin's death for 44 days inspired protests nationwide. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 13:24:19 GMT

Witnesses shed light into Trayvon Martin death

Among the hours of witness statements to various law enforcement, one man saw the altercation between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman on the night of Feb. 26, and another witness said the neighborhood watch leader "does not like black people." The neighbor, listed as "witness 6," watched the two men wrestling on the ground behind his house, but as he continued to be interviewed by various investigators, his story changed. It's still unclear why prosecutors decided to charge Zimmerman with second-degree murder, but the statements from witness 6 appear to have changed as the weeks went on. In a statement to police the night of the shooting, witness 6 said he saw two men wrestling on the ground. He said he saw a man matching Martin's description on top, punching Zimmerman on the ground. "The one guy on top in the black hoodie was pretty much just throwing down blows on the guy kind of MMA-style," witness 6 told Sanford police within hours of the shooting. But in follow-up interviews with the state attorney's office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, his statement changed. In re-telling his story, he remained consistent by saying Martin was on top, in control, and had the advantage, but now, he wasn't sure if Martin was the aggressor. W6: Did not hear a punch sound. SAO: Did ever hear a sound like a head or another part of a body hitting concrete hard where it made a noise? W6: No, I did not. SAO: Did you hear it at all, like any...? W6: Just the struggle sound. Witness 6 went on to say, "I can't truly see how close they were to each other; if he was hitting him, or if he was trying to hold him down in that position until cops got there." Witness 6 did not see how the fight started or witness the gunshot, and while he gave a detailed account of what happened, other witnesses spoke to Zimmerman's character. Witness 9 made a bombshell accusation to Sanford police, "I know George, and I know that he does not like black people and he would start something. He's a very confrontational person." Not one person saw the whole altercation from beginning to end, except for Zimmerman, who has claimed self-defense, saying Martin attacked him when he stepped from his vehicle. Zimmerman's statements to law enforcement were not released Thursday because prosecutors consider them confessions, making them exempt from public release. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 13:03:55 GMT

Autopsy: Drug THC found in Trayvon Martin's system

Trayvon Martin had drugs in his system when he was fatally shot earlier this year by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, according to autopsy results released Thursday. Martin's blood contained THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, according to an autopsy conducted February 27 -- the day after the teenager was shot dead. Toxicology tests found elements of the drug in the teenager's chest blood -- 1.5 nanograms per milliliter of one type (THC), as well as 7.3 nanograms of another type (THC-COOH) -- according to the medical examiner's report. There was also a presumed positive test of cannabinoids in Martin's urine. It was not immediately clear how significant these amounts were. Concentrations of THC routinely rise to 100 to 200 ng/ml 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. While some states have zero-tolerance policies for any drug traces for driving while impaired, others set certain benchmarks, the website of California's Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs notes. In Nevada, that equates to 2 ng/ml for THC and 5 ng/ml for THC-COOH -- also known as marijuana metabolite. The cutoff level in Ohio is 2 ng/ml for THC and 50 ng/ml for THC-COOH. Martin died from a gunshot wounded to chest fired from "intermediate range," according to the medical examiner's report, which was one of several documents on the case released Thursday by the office of special prosecutor Angela Corey. The autopsy report lists the manner of death as a homicide. Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder for killing Martin in the Sanford neighborhood where the African-American teen was staying. A police report, released earlier, had noted that Zimmerman claimed he'd been "assaulted (by Martin) and his head was struck on the pavement." According a report from the Sanford Fire Department, released Thursday, Zimmerman had "abrasions to his forehead," "bleeding/tenderness to his nose," and a "small laceration to the back of his head" when he was treated at the scene. Prosecutors have said Zimmerman, who is a white Hispanic, killed the unarmed teenager unjustly after profiling him. Zimmerman, who has pleaded not guilty, has said that he shot Martin in self-defense. The start of the trial hasn't been set. The case put a spotlight on race relations, spurring protests nationwide and drawing prominent civil rights leaders to central Florida denouncing the actions of Sanford police and calling for Zimmerman's arrest. Special prosecutor Angela Corey announced he'd been charged on April 11, weeks after Sanford police initially declined to do so. It also raised questions about gun laws, as well as the merits of the "Stand Your Ground" law in Florida, and similar laws in other states that allow people to use deadly force anywhere they feel a reasonable threat of serious injury or death.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 10:01:35 GMT

DCF: Past cases don't show why woman killed children, herself

The Department of Children and Families on Friday released reports that document some past problems involving a Port St. John woman who fatally shot her four children and killed herself, but they don't shed any light into why the shootings occurred. Tonya Thomas shot her two daughters, 17-year-old Pebbles Johnson and 13-year-old Jazzlyn Johnson, and her two sons, 15-year-old Jaxs Johnson and 12-year-old Joel Johnson, Tuesday morning at their home on Bright Avenue. Brevard County sheriff's officials said the motive for the shooting is unknown. "I don't believe the information in these files gives us the answer as to why (the shootings occurred), which is what so many of us are asking right now," said DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner. The DCF first became involved with Thomas in 2000 after a report of domestic violence dispute between her and the father of her children, Joe Johnson. Two days later, the children were removed from their home for a month. "That decision was made after a domestic violence incident between the mother and the father, and the mother had actually gone back into the home in violation of an injunction against that father," Hoeppner said. In 2007, allegations were made that Thomas' oldest daughter forced other children to kiss her in a bathroom at school. Other students complained that she bullied them, so she was moved to a different classroom, officials said. In April, Jaxs Johnson was not picked up from a detention center after being arrested on a charge of battering his mother. The case was closed by the DCF five days before the shootings. The DCF said Thomas was in the process of getting counseling for her family and looking into other options, such as finding a mentor for Jaxs Johnson. The investigator who worked the case took several days off after the deaths because he was so distraught, the DCF said.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 17:26:34 GMT

Facebook: Now worth more than...

As Facebook stock hits the market, check out what huge companies this relative newcomer now dwarfs in value.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 15:27:58 GMT

Orlando-area mug shot hall of shame

UPDATED DAILY: Here's a look at some of the individuals who have been arrested recently in Central Florida.

Published: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:11:24 GMT

Half of Florida high school students fail FCAT

State education officials say about half of Florida's ninth and 10th grade students failed the reading portion of the new, more rigorous Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. High school students must pass the 10th grade FCAT 2.0 reading exam to graduate. Those who failed can retake it. Results released Friday show 52 percent of 9th graders and 50 percent of 10th graders were reading at or above grade level. The Department of Education also released writing scores showing about 80 percent of students passing, almost the same as last year. That's due to an emergency rule the State Board of Education approved this week to lower the passing score. The board acted after preliminary results showed that otherwise only about a third of the students would have passed the tougher test. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 15:27:43 GMT

SpaceX faces tricky test before docking with space station

This is no routine supply run. Set to rocket off early Saturday, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft faces a daunting series of systems tests and complicated maneuvers — something similar to an ultraserious shakedown cruise for a new-generation nuclear-powered submarine — before it will be given the green light to berth at the International Space Station. The bar is raised sky-high, and for SpaceX, the idea is to show the U.S. and its 15 international partners that the Dragon poses no threat to the station or the six people living and working aboard it. SpaceX must prove the Dragon won’t crash into the complex, destroying the outpost and killing all aboard, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported. Then, and only then, will the Dragon be given a “go” to enter the “Keep Out Sphere,” a 220-yard safety zone that surrounds the sprawling, million-pound outpost. After that, SpaceX will be allowed to attempt a feat only federal space agencies in the U.S., Russia, Europe and Japan have accomplished: an orbital rendezvous with the station. “This is pretty tricky. And also, for the public out there, they may not realize that the space station is zooming around Earth every 90 minutes, and it’s going 17,000 mph,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. “This is something that is going 12 times faster than a bullet from an assault rifle. So it’s hard.” The most ambitious mission ever launched in the history of commercial spaceflight is scheduled to get under way at 4:55 a.m. Saturday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch window is instantaneous. That means that 4:55 a.m. is the only time Saturday that the Falcon 9 rocket can put the cargo-carrying Dragon on course for the station while reserving enough propellant for all the required maneuvers on the crucial test flight. Musk, a billionaire Internet entrepreneur who also heads electric car and solar power companies, normally is buoyed by high confidence. But his outlook in this case is tempered by the difficulty of the mission at hand. The flight involves a challenging series of spacecraft maneuvers around the space station, an equally daunting berthing at the outpost, and something no other robotic space freighter can do: survive atmospheric re-entry with a return cargo, and then splashdown in the Pacific Ocean for recovery, refurbishment and re-flight. “I think we’ve got a pretty good shot,” Musk said. “But it’s worth emphasizing that there’s a lot that can go wrong on a mission like this. So if we don’t succeed in berthing on this mission, then we’ve got a couple of missions later this year, and I think we’ll succeed on one of those.” The plan calls for the SpaceX Dragon to fly within about 30 feet of the space station. Then, working at a control console inside the outpost’s Cupola observation deck, U.S. astronaut Don Pettit will grapple the cone-shaped spacecraft with the station’s 57.5-foot Canadian robotic arm. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency will take the controls at that point. He’ll use the arm to maneuver Dragon to a berthing port on the Earth-facing side of the U.S. Harmony module. Pettit will then securely latch the spacecraft to the port. But the orbital arrival won’t happen unless the Dragon successfully passes an extensive series of tests to prove its guidance and navigation, communications and other critical systems are operating properly. The tests are similar to those European and Japanese cargo carriers had to fly before their inaugural arrivals. “These are the requirements that must be achieved before the ‘go’ is given to do the final approach,” said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program. First, the Dragon must demonstrate it can: • Abort an approach to the station • Retreat from an approach — stop and back away • Stop and float freely, as it will have to when it’s grappled • Hold: Stop and maintain its position • Navigate: Confirm that guidance and navigation systems accurately show Dragon’s position, velocity and distance from the station • Communicate: Establish radio contact. Receive and execute commands issued by station astronauts. Maintain contact with the outpost and the ground through NASA communications satellites. All of this will start about 10 minutes after launch, when the Dragon spreads its solar power wings and begins a carefully choreographed series of engine firings to reach the station. Then the Dragon is supposed to do a “fly-under” of the space station early Monday, followed by a complicated loop around the outpost — first cruising 125 miles out in front of the complex before soaring an identical distance back behind it. If all goes well, the final approach and berthing operations would begin early Tuesday. Hatches between Dragon and the station would open the next day. Astronauts over the following two weeks will unload about 1,150 pounds of noncritical supplies, such as crew clothing. Noncritical in case the Dragon never makes it there. Then around June 6, the plan calls for the Dragon to depart the station, re-enter the atmosphere and splash down off the coast of southern California. SpaceX hopes to recover the craft and return it to their Hawthorne, Calif., manufacturing facility near Los Angeles International Airport. The mission is crucial for International Space Station operations. Assuming all goes well, SpaceX intends to launch its first, fully loaded cargo resupply mission to the station in mid-August. SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion contract to launch 12 cargo missions. Another company — Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va. — holds a $1.9 billion contract to launch its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft on eight cargo missions. Orbital plans to launch a test flight of its Antares rocket in July. Then in September, an Antares rocket is scheduled to launch a Cygnus cargo carrier on a demonstration mission to the ISS. The Virginia firm hopes to launch its first cargo resupply mission to the station in early 2013. With the U.S. shuttle fleet retired, the Dragon is the only means to return scientific experiments and equipment from the station. All other robotic cargo carriers servicing the station double as garbage trucks and burn up in the atmosphere. “Since we no longer fly shuttles, we can’t take anything sizeable back down from the space station,” Pettit said. “SpaceX will be our route to getting all these scientific samples and broken pieces of hardware that need to be refurbished (back) to the ground.” “This is absolutely critical to space station,” Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, added. “We really need this cargo capability to get to station, and the return capability that Dragon provides is truly unique.”

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 15:15:37 GMT

FBI: Central Florida evangelist molested girls

An Ormond Beach minister who is called "Apostle Tito" by his followers has been arrested for sexually molesting several children who are members of his religious organization. Luis Morales is being held in federal custody without bond following an arraignment in federal court Thursday afternoon. According to federal prosecutors, Morales repeatedly had sex with a 12-year-old Florida girl in his Ormond Beach home and while on a trip with her to Connecticut in 2009. The government also claims Morales molested a 13-year-old girl from Arizona whom he took to the U.S. Virigin Islands. Morales founded a religious organization called "En Fuego For Jesus" in Ormond Beach in 2003. According to its website, the group began by ministering to homeless in Daytona Beach, and now ministers in churches throughout Central and South America. Morales's wife, who is known by followers as "Prophet Linda," was in court as a judge rejected her husband's request to be set free on bond while awaiting trial. Before the proceedings began, Linda Morales pointed to the parents of her husband's alleged victims sitting across the aisle from her and told them, "You need to repent. Get right with Jesus." Outside the courthouse after the arraignment, Linda Morales insisted that her husband was innocent. "Satan is the accuser of the brethren. So anybody that makes an accusation against a man or woman of God is on Satan's team," she said. Another member of Morales's ministry, Rebecca Rivera, has also been arrested on federal charges of trafficking a child for sex. Prosecutors say Morales has molested at least two other children inside the couple's Ormond Beach home but is not currently facing criminal charges for those alleged offenses. In the late 1980s, Morales served time in prison for a drug conviction, according to prosecutors. In 1998, he was arrested on suspicion of committing a sex offense against two other children, ages 8 and 11, but federal officials say state prosecutors dropped the charges.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 11:07:51 GMT

Famous TV talent show judges

Howard Stern is now a judge on "America's Got Talent" and Demi Lovato and Britney Spears recently signed a deal to be the new female judges on "The X Factor." See which other famous musicians, models and chefs have brought their famous faces to judging panels.

Published: Thu, 17 May 2012 20:37:42 GMT

Cameron Diaz through the years

Cameron Diaz stars in "What To Expect When You're Expecting," which hits theaters May 18. Take a look at her life and career in our slideshow.

Published: Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00:00 GMT

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