Recently released reports state that George Zimmerman - the Central Florida man accused of killing an unarmed teenager in an alleged act of self-defense - had serious injuries the night of the incident.
Medical records show that Zimmerman had sustained two black eyes, cuts to the back of his head, and a fractured nose.
These injuries will help support his claim of immunity under Florida's Stand Your Ground law as they help to bolster Zimmerman's claim that Trayvon Martin, the teenager he is accused of killing, was severely beating him prior to the shooting.
Zimmerman claims that he spotted Martin in his neighborhood and became suspicious of the way the teenager was acting. Zimmerman called police and against their advice, followed the young man. However, Zimmerman claims that he stopped following Martin and that on his way back to his car, Martin confronted him and punched him in the nose, resulting in the fracture. Zimmerman then alleges that Martin got on top of him and proceeded to strike Zimmerman's head against the pavement. Fearing for his life, Zimmerman pulled out his concealed firearm and shot Martin in the chest, killing him.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder. He faces life in prison if convicted.
These injuries either show that Zimmerman was, in fact, being beaten by Martin. Or on the other hand, they could support the state's theory that Martin had been detained by Zimmerman and that he was trying to escape. The injuries to Zimmerman could have been sustained as Martin attempted to flee.
However, from a defense perspective, Zimmerman may have an easier time meeting his burden of proof in a Stand Your Ground hearing due to the fact that medical evidence supports his claims of injury.