Friday, June 22, 1:46 p.m. EDT: Trayvon's Parents staying focused on education and advocacy: While an avalanche of information was released by the lawyers for George Zimmerman, the parents of Trayvon Martin told BET.com that they remain fixed on their central goals: raising consciousness about racial profiling and combating "Stand your ground" laws that have been enacted throughout the country.
Friday, June 22. 10:15 a.m. EDT: The Martin family's lawyer reacts to Zimmerman video: CBS News reports that, in the audiotape of the police interview with George Zimmerman, lead investigator Chris Serino points out possible inconsistencies in Zimmerman's story. He asks Zimmerman, "So you basically jumped out of the car to see which way [Martin] was going?" Zimmerman replies, "Yes, sir." Attorney Ben Crump's take on the exchange: "Obviously, the lead detective did not believe Zimmerman; his credibility's a major issue. And yet remember, it is only his version."
Friday, June 22, 10:00 a.m. EDT: Zimmerman's lie detector test: Zimmerman passed a lie-detector test showing that he feared for his life when he killed Trayvon Martin, but he could not explain under repeated grilling why the teenager would attack him without provocation, the New York Daily News reports.
Thursday, June 21, 10:38 a.m. EDT: Sanford police chief fired: Saying he's lost the trust of officials, Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte fired police Chief Bill Lee, who was criticized for his agency's initial investigation of Trayvon Martin's shooting death at the hands of a neighborhood-watch volunteer, the Associated Press reports. "We need to move forward with a police chief that all the citizens of Sanford can support," Bonaparte said. "I have come to this decision in light of the escalating divisiveness that has taken hold of the city."
Thursday, June 21, 9:40 a.m. EDT: Video: Zimmerman re-enacts shooting, says Trayvon threatened his life: The latest and most detailed account yet of what happened in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26 comes from a voice stress test that Zimmerman passed, along with a video re-enactment, a handwritten statement and audio interviews conducted by investigators in the days after the shooting, ABC News reports. "He took my head and slammed it against the concrete several times, and each time I thought my head was going to explode and I thought I was going to lose consciousness," he told police the day after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin.
Wednesday, June 20 11:20 a.m EDT: Zimmerman's bank records suggest concealment: George Zimmerman's bank statements show that he and his wife actively sought to avoid government scrutiny of their financial assets as contributions poured into his legal defense fund, the Chicago Tribune reports. The bank records, from separate credit union accounts, reportedly show that the Zimmermans made dozens of transactions between April 11 and April 20 just under the $10,000 limit that triggers government scrutiny under federal anti-money-laundering laws. Some were overlapping, with George transferring a total of $74,000 to Shellie, and Shellie transferring more than $85,500 back to George. All were in amounts between $9,000 and $9,999.
Tuesday, June 19, 9:59 a.m. EDT: Jailhouse calls show the Zimmermans knew they'd raised $135,000 when pleading poverty: Back in April, George Zimmerman was released on $150,000 bond. At his bond hearing, his wife, Shellie, testified that she didn't know how much money had been raised from a website created for his legal defense and that the couple had virtually no money to pay Zimmerman's high bail. However, prosecutors say that jailhouse calls show George and Shellie Zimmerman knew that the site had raised roughly $135,000, CBS reports.
Monday, June 18, 6:15 p.m. EDT: Zimmerman jailhouse calls show that he told his wife to get a bulletproof vest: "As uncomfortable as it is, I want you wearing one," Zimmerman told his wife, Shellie, CBS News reports. The calls, released by prosecutors, also detail how Zimmerman instructed his wife to transfer money from bank accounts and could play a crucial role in his second bond hearing next week.
Monday, June 18, 10:48 a.m. EDT: Polls show shift in public opinion about Zimmerman: In late March, 33 percent of the country believed that George Zimmerman was guilty of Trayvon Martin's murder, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. The same poll showed that fewer than half that number — 15 percent — believed that Zimmerman had acted in self-defense. Two months later, however, those numbers look different, the Florida Times-Union reports. In a May 19-20 Rasmussen poll, 40 percent said they believed Zimmerman had acted in self-defense vs. 24 percent who called him a murderer.
Read last week's updates on the Trayvon Martin case here.
Read all of The Root's news and commentary about the Trayvon Martin case here.