Let’s Talk About The Mixture of DNA On Zimmerman’s Jacket

Watching George Zimmerman’s trial, I remembered the testimony of Anthony Gorgone of FDLE crime lab.  After the verdict and Juror B37 and her literary agent revealing that Zimmerman was found not guilty due to the manner in which he was charged, my attention was drawn to her AC360 interview.  Then there was the good news about Rachel Jeantel receiving a full-scholarship from Tom Joyner, and numerous interviews of others including Sybrina and Tracy.   However, the testimony of Anthony Gorgone stayed with me.

Anthony Gorgone with ASA John Guy at Zimmerman’s trial.

Mr. Gorgone testified that he took cuttings from George Zimmerman’s jacket and tested for the presence of blood.   The cuttings were labeled A through EE.  Some tested positive for the presence of blood with the sole contributor being Zimmerman. Some did not test positive for the presence of blood, and still others tested positive for the presence of blood that resulted in a mixture.  In some of the mixtures, Trayvon was included or excluded.  In some of the mixtures, the contributor could not be identified.

What makes this interesting for me is that Trayvon had one wound – the one in his chest.  Let us keep in mind that Zimmerman shot Trayvon in the heart and does not claim having any contact with the front of Trayvon’s body.   There is no logical reason for any of Trayvon’s blood to be on Zimmerman’s jacket  Yet, Trayvon’s blood was found on the front of Zimmerman’s jacket, as well as on the cuff of Zimmerman’s right-sleeve.

When I first saw the photos of Zimmerman’s head wounds, it raised considerations.  Concrete is flat.  Zimmerman’s head wounds were punctures and not cuts resulting from having his head deliberately picked up and bashed on concrete.   Rather than two small puncture wounds towards the top of his head, if his story is true, he should have had wide cuts in the center of the back of his head.

There were also these considerations;

1.  Based on the photos taken in the police station, those wounds appeared to have already scalped.
2. Based on the photo taken by Jonathan Manalo, the blood flow looks as if blood was applied with fingers.  The appearance of the blood trails on the left-side of the photo would be possible if reaching over with the right hand, then down.  Each wound has 4 to 5 streams like 5 fingers, and almost in length and width as fingers.  It leaves a pattern much like the way people apply hair products.
3. The EMTs reported that they used bottled water to wash blood off Zimmerman’s hands.  Officer Smith, who handcuffed Zimmerman, made no mention of there being blood on Zimmerman’s hands.   Therefore, any blood on Zimmerman’s hands was minimal, probably limited to his fingertips.
4. The EMT’s reported the blood on Zimmerman’s head was dry.  This became of further interest during trial as O’Mara and West argued that rain discriminates washing Zimmerman’s blood off Trayvon’s clothes and hands, but not washing Zimmerman’s blood off his own head.  That in fact, in spite of humidity and rain, the blood on Zimmerman’s head had dried in a matter of minutes.
5. The EMT’s did not retain any materials for testing the blood they cleaned off Zimmerman.
6. Zimmerman refused to go to the hospital where more than likely, (and among other things), hospital lighting would have given professional staff a better look at the head injuries to know whether they were fresh or more than several hours old.

Later, we learned that the head wounds were already scalping when the physician’s assistant saw Zimmerman the following day.  We also learned through Zimmerman’s statements that he allegedly spread Trayvon’s arms out away from his body.  We now know that Trayvon’s body was found with his hands underneath him and also that witnesses saw Zimmerman on Trayvon’s back.

My suspicion was that while on Trayvon’s back, Zimmerman reached around to the wound on Trayvon’s chest, got blood from the wound, and smeared that blood on his head.  Later at the police station, Zimmerman picked at the scalp of the smallest wound to cause it to bleed.  The police station photo shows there is no bleeding from the larger of the wounds.

Close-up of the two lacerations on George Zimmerman’s head taken at the police station. The larger of the two is not bleeding. It also appears to already have a scalp on it. The EMT’s reported that the blood on Zimmerman’s head was dry.

Photo taken by Jonathan Manalo before the police arrived. Zimmerman does not mention in any of his statements that a photo was taken by the “flashlight guy.”

The flow or trail of blood is straight down – very different from what we see in the photo taken by Jonathan Manalo.  Some people are of the opinion that the “U” shape bruise on Zimmerman’s head was caused by his gun, using the side to hit him across the head.   I don’t know, but to me, it looks more like the shape of a handle or hook used on a piece of gym equipment.   I suspect that Zimmerman was in a fight the Friday or Saturday before February 26, 2012.  He already had the head wounds, swelling, and scratches on his face and head.

On the evening of February 26, 2012, Zimmerman needed to make the head wounds appear fresh to support his story of Trayvon bashing his head on concrete.  After hearing Adam Pollock’s testimony that a trainer at Koppelli’s Gym described Zimmerman as “soft,” it is possible that description was given to Zimmerman after a fight in the gym.  It is a “fight” gym.

Zimmerman fired his gun with one hand.  His nose injury was most likely caused by the recoil.  That would also explain how gun-shot residue ended up on the back of his right sleeve.  The DOJ might be able to duplicate such as accident while the person wears gear to protect their face.

Selma Mora’s Testimony Agitated George Zimmerman

Selma Mora

Why was Zimmerman so agitated when Selma testified seeing him put his right hand to his head?   He had already given a reason for why he was on Trayvon’s back, and didn’t expect anyone to question that reason.  Zimmerman and his legal team believed they could explain why Trayvon’s body was found with his hands beneath him without being inconsistent with Zimmerman’s story.  Zimmerman and his legal defense team want the public to appreciate that Zimmerman tortured the dying 17 year-old by sitting his more than 200 lbs on Trayvon’s back as Trayvon struggled to breathe.  They would have us believe that after Zimmerman got up, Trayvon lived long enough, and had enough strength, to move his arms from spread-eagle to beneath his body.

However, that still does not explain how Zimmerman got Trayvon’s blood on his jacket when the only bleeding wound was in Trayvon’s chest.  Selma Mora’s testimony could connect those dots and that clearly agitated Zimmerman in the courtroom.

There was other testimony of Zimmerman having his hand to his head, but Selma’s testimony riled Zimmerman.  Maybe it was because Selma Mora testified that her view was of Zimmerman’s right side.  She also said that it looked to her as though Zimmerman was supporting or balancing his body with his right hand on Trayvon’s body.

There is no logical reason as to why Zimmerman lied about spreading Trayvon’s arms out to his side, unless he felt it necessary to cover-up what he was really doing on Trayvon’s back and the possibility of his own skin cells being found on Trayvon’s wrists.

The Mixtures

Stain E 

Gorgone testified that Stain E tested positive for blood with Zimmerman as the major contributor, and a minor contributor in which he could make no determination.  That stain was located on the back, right shoulder of Zimmerman’s jacket.

Stain I

Stain I tested positive for the presence of blood.  Zimmerman was the major contributor. Trayvon was excluded as a contributor.

Stain N

Stain N tested positive for the presence of blood with Zimmerman as the major contributor, and Trayvon the minor contributor.  Stain N was located on the front, right shoulder of Zimmerman’s jacket.

Stain U

Stain U tested positive for the presence of blood.  It was a mixture found on the cuff of the right sleeve of Zimmerman’s jacket.  Gorgone could not determine the major contributor. Trayvon was included as a contributor.

Stain BB

Stain BB tested positive for the presence of blood.  It was a mixture found on the back left shoulder of Zimmerman’s jacket. Zimmerman was included in the mixture. Gorgone could not include nor exclude Trayvon in the mixture.

The following video provides those portions of Gorgone’s and Mora’s testimony at trial in support of this article.   This is circumstantial evidence that the DOJ should consider.   The only logical reason for Trayvon’s blood being on the right-cuff of Zimmerman’s sleeve is because Zimmerman reached underneath Trayvon to get blood.

Someone else’s blood was also on Zimmerman’s jacket other than Trayvon’s.  Zimmerman had been in a fight, but it was not on the evening of February 26, 2012 with Trayvon Martin.