# Why hasn't the Neighborhood Watch shooter been arrested? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504 "2012-03-12T00:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 99
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1961 "2012-03-26T22:38:03Z")
> [@OnePercent](#): > > Wow, this really changes things, does it not? > Read more here: [http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/2714778/thousands-expected-at-trayvon.html#storylink=cpy](http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/2714778/thousands-expected-at-trayvon.html#storylink=cpy) It doesn’t change a thing. I’d be curious to see how your logic follows that it does. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1962 "2012-03-26T22:39:59Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > I’m trying to make sense of what you’re saying and failing. > > So Zimmerman doesn’t chase Martin in your view. Okay. So how did Martin end being killed so close to his dad’s house? How did Zimmerman end up on the backyard walkway to begin with, if he didn’t follow or chase Martin over there? > > One minute he’s in his truck, on the main road. The next minute, he’s 100 feet from Martin’s house, shooting the kid in the chest behind some houses. Please explain this. Yes, Zimmerman got out of his car to see where Martin went. My point is that Martin stopped and decided to confront him. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1963 "2012-03-26T22:47:31Z")
I found this [interview with two of the neighbors](http://rolandmartinreports.com/blog/2012/03/neighbor-trayvon-martin-shooting-wasnt-self-defense/) interesting. It doesn’t prove anything one way or the other, but I am coming up with new theories every couple of minutes and I will never know which one is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Hmmmm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Hmmmm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hmmmm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1964 "2012-03-26T22:48:47Z")
[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/25/attorney-zimmerman-used-term-of-endearment-before-killing-trayvon-martin/](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/25/attorney-zimmerman-used-term-of-endearment-before-killing-trayvon-martin/) Wrong link ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1965 "2012-03-26T22:52:30Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > It doesn’t change a thing. I’d be curious to see how your logic follows that it does. Well, it’s absolute proof that Martin was a thief and a drug addict who obviously attacked Zimmerman for no reason and tried to kill him! Isn’t that obvious? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1966 "2012-03-26T22:56:48Z")
I’ve been playing around with Google Maps. Google sez it is .2 miles or 4 minutes by walking from the entrance of the subdivision to Martin’s house. Zimmerman’s call to the cops lasts that long. To walk from the entrance of the subdivision to where Martin was shot looks like 650-700 feet. So that should have taken no more than a couple or three minutes. Martin’s actions don’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, and it gives a lot of credence to the “this guys acting suspicious” report Zimmerman gave. ETA: I can’t get the link to show the map I made, but you can play along with it for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1967 "2012-03-26T22:58:40Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Trayvon collapses in some way. If he collapses directly forward, there’s no way Zimmerman doesn’t have some blood on his front Now you’re just playing junior CSI. Even I, who am pretty convinced Zimmerman’s at fault here, am smart enough to not play junior CSI. You don’t know how bullet wounds work and neither do I. Maybe he bled out immediately, and maybe not. Maybe the blood pooled in his shirt or hoodie. It’s not like movies or video games, where blood explodes everywhere when someone is shot. > [@](#): > > AND, if Zimmerman has to push him off, it’s more likely he’s going to land on his side or his back, especially if he was straddling Zimmerman. Again, this is just junior CSI stuff. We don’t know is Martin died instantly, too two seconds to die, had it in him to turn around before dying… you’re just assuming stuff you simply don’t know. We don’t know why Zimmerman was on top of Martin, and given that (a) he has exhibited other signs of being a clueless idiot, and (b) might have been dazed from a blow to the head, it’s hard to say for sure why he was doing that. I’d suggest leaving the CSI stuff to the professionals. > [@](#): > > Which brings me to another question we can’t answer right now: as part of the “investigation” that was done, did the CSI types come down and take pictures of Trayvon’s body before it was moved? You’d hope so, but the Sanford PD has not covered itself in glory here. Having said that, if they WANT to charge Zimmerman this is exactly the kidn of stuff they can’t release. Getting a suspect to tell a story inconsistent with the facts is pretty much The First Trick In The Book, and giving the suspect all the facts through the media is The First Rule About Not Screwing That Trick Up. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1968 "2012-03-26T23:01:45Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > It is going through a judicial process. Of course, Magiver, the only reason it is is that there was a public outcry. The authorities, prior to a few weeks ago, were happy to leave the case be. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1969 "2012-03-26T23:02:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You’d hope so, but the Sanford PD has not covered itself in glory here. What have they done wrong? ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1970 "2012-03-26T23:03:31Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > It doesn’t change a thing. I’d be curious to see how your logic follows that it does. I don’t know what onepercent is thinking, but it makes me reclassify Zimmerman’s story about Martin assaulting him from BS (see post 1881) to maybe. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1971 "2012-03-26T23:08:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You’d hope so, but the Sanford PD has not covered itself in glory here. > > Having said that, if they WANT to charge Zimmerman this is exactly the kidn of stuff they can’t release. Getting a suspect to tell a story inconsistent with the facts is pretty much The First Trick In The Book, and giving the suspect all the facts through the media is The First Rule About Not Screwing That Trick Up. Yes, _damn_ they have been stupid. Now all Zimmerman has to say is that he saw the kid trying windows, and it looks really good for him. I don’t think the kid was a burglar, but damn “_Martin replied it’s not mine. A friend gave it to me,” according to the report. Trayvon declined to name the friend.”_ Is so lame and so guilty-sounding that I am shaking my head in disbelief. as to "Of course, Magiver, the only reason it is is that there was a public outcry. The authorities, prior to a few weeks ago, were happy to leave the case be. " Actually Rickjay we don’t know what they were doing. Maybe the DA had been looking into it all along. I have my doubts, however. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1972 "2012-03-26T23:24:26Z")
> [@treis](#): > > I’ve been playing around with Google Maps. Google sez it is .2 miles or 4 minutes by walking from the entrance of the subdivision to Martin’s house. Zimmerman’s call to the cops lasts that long. To walk from the entrance of the subdivision to where Martin was shot looks like 650-700 feet. So that should have taken no more than a couple or three minutes. > > Martin’s actions don’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, and it gives a lot of credence to the “this guys acting suspicious” report Zimmerman gave. > > ETA: I can’t get the link to show the map I made, but you can play along with it for yourself. Although we do know that Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend, so he may have been stopping, taking drinks from his soda, maybe waving his hands around and he also noticed Zimmerman watching him. Sure Google says it takes 4 minutes, but there is no law you have to keep walking without stopping. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1973 "2012-03-26T23:25:55Z")
> [@treis](#): > > I’ve been playing around with Google Maps. Google sez it is .2 miles or 4 minutes by walking from the entrance of the subdivision to Martin’s house. Zimmerman’s call to the cops lasts that long. To walk from the entrance of the subdivision to where Martin was shot looks like 650-700 feet. So that should have taken no more than a couple or three minutes. … Or, maybe, Zimmerman’s call to the cops was started while they both were on Oregon Av.? Zimmerman: … there’s a real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. … CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1974 "2012-03-26T23:34:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Of course, Magiver, the only reason it is is that there was a public outcry. The authorities, prior to a few weeks ago, were happy to leave the case be. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1975 "2012-03-26T23:39:30Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > It doesn’t change a thing. I’d be curious to see how your logic follows that it does. This news is legally irrelevant. Treyvon could have been Pablo Escobar and Ted Bundy rolled into one, and that doesn’t give Zimmerman any more or any less license to approach him. It might have relevance in the court of public opinion, but it seems to me we should be waiting for the investigation to conclude and its facts to be released instead of even caring about the court of public opinion. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1976 "2012-03-26T23:42:06Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Although we do know that Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend, so he may have been stopping, taking drinks from his soda, maybe waving his hands around and he also noticed Zimmerman watching him. Sure Google says it takes 4 minutes, but there is no law you have to keep walking without stopping. Well, I don’t see why I should engage in mental gymnastics to support preconceived notions that Zimmerman is a racist, and Martin completely innocent of everything but walking while black. > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Or, maybe, Zimmerman’s call to the cops was started while they both were on Oregon Av.? > Zimmerman: … there’s a real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. … Zimmerman says Martin was “near the clubhouse” about 1 min in to the recording. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1977 "2012-03-26T23:44:21Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Well, I don’t see why I should engage in mental gymnastics to support preconceived notions that Zimmerman is a racist, and Martin completely innocent of everything but walking while black. It doesn’t take mental gymnastics either to recognize that just because Google says it takes 4 minutes doesn’t mean Martin wasn’t taking his time and that there was nothing suspicious about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1978 "2012-03-26T23:44:48Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, _damn_ they have been stupid. Now all Zimmerman has to say is that he saw the kid trying windows, and it looks really good for him. I don’t think the kid was a burglar, but damn “_Martin replied it’s not mine. A friend gave it to me,” according to the report. Trayvon declined to name the friend.”_ Is so lame and so guilty-sounding that I am shaking my head in disbelief. It may look better in the public eye, but even if Martin had been trying windows, it is irrelevant; Zimmerman is a private citizen and doesn’t need probable cause to approach Martin nor is his legal status changed if Martin was or was not doing anything shady. (if Zimmerman witnessed a felony, this may not be true, but that too is sheer speculation.) ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1979 "2012-03-26T23:45:22Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Or, maybe, Zimmerman’s call to the cops was started while they both were on Oregon Av.? > Zimmerman: … there’s a real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. … > > CMC fnord! If I recall correctly, Zimmerman first said he saw Martin in front of the clubhouse. BTW, what kind of security theater is it when a gated community doesn’t have a wall around it? They want to make sure the burglars only steal what they can carry? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/1980 "2012-03-26T23:45:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Of course, Magiver, the only reason it is is that there was a public outcry. The authorities, prior to a few weeks ago, were happy to leave the case be. Let me play Bricker if I may. Bending to public opinion is nothing but caving to mob mentality. We don’t know what the police knew at the time. It sure sounds like they came to the conclusion that Zimmerman was defending himself. We have now heard from various witnesses and this information helps Zimmerman’s case. How much of this the police knew at the time we don’t know. If Martin did indeed start the confrontation and cold cocked Zimmerman then the metrics of blame in his death shift radically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504.md?page=98) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504.md?page=100)