The following is a timeline of the events surrounding the death of teenager Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman during a physical altercation.[4][5] Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in April 2012, and found not guilty on July 13, 2013.[3]
Trayvon Martin and his father Tracy travel to Sanford, Florida from Miami where they stay with Tracy Martin's fiancée. She rents a townhome in the Retreat at Twin Lakes development.[6]
At an unverified time, Martin walks from the home where he is staying to a nearby 7-Eleven.[7]
6:24:18 PM – As shown by a store CCTV, Martin purchases a bag of Skittles and an AriZona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail (often described in media and at protests as AriZona iced tea.)[8][9][10][11][12]
6:54 – 7:12 – Martin has an 18-minute cell phone call with a girl reported to be his girlfriend. The call gets disconnected.[11][13]
7:09:34 – 7:13:41 – George Zimmerman calls the Sanford Police Department (SPD) from his truck; total time of the call is 4 minutes 7 seconds.[14]
7:11:33 – Zimmerman tells the police dispatcher that Martin is running.
7:11:59 – In reply to the dispatcher's question, "Are you following him?" Zimmerman responds with, "Yes." Dispatcher: "OK, we don't need you to do that." Zimmerman: "OK."
7:12:00 – 7:12:59 – The girl calls Martin again at some point during this minute.[15]
7:13:10 – Zimmerman says he does not know Martin's location.
7:13:41 – The end of Zimmerman's call to Sanford police.[15]
7:16:00 – 7:16:59 – Martin's call from the girl goes dead during this minute.[15][16] [the precise time surfaced during the trial, the call ends at 7:15:43, 1 minute and 12 seconds before the shot.]
7:16:11 – First 9-1-1 call from witness about a fight, calls for help heard.[17]
7:17 – The first officer on the scene, Officer T. Smith arrives by squad car at Retreat View.[19]
7:17:40+ – Officer Smith arrives at the crime scene.[20]
7:19:07 – Photo taken of Zimmerman's head injuries by a civilian bystander.[21]
7:19:43 – Officer Smith takes Zimmerman into custody.[20]
7:25+ – Sanford police take a photo of George Zimmerman in a squad car.[22]
7:30 – Martin pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.[19]
7:40 – Sanford Fire Department treats Zimmerman for his injuries.[23]
7:52 – Zimmerman's arrival at police station recorded on video.
10:30 – Martin's father and his fiancée return to the townhome, realize he is missing, are concerned, but think he may be with a cousin.[24]
11:21 – Crime Scene Tech D. Smith photographs Zimmerman's injuries and hands; uses Gunshot Residue Kit to collect GSR. Zimmerman's clothing taken as evidence after wife arrives with a change of clothes.[25][26][27]
Bill Lee temporarily steps aside as Chief of Police.[40]
Wolfinger recuses himself from the case and Florida Gov. Rick Scott appoints Angela B. Corey, the state attorney for the Jacksonville area, to take over the case.[41]
Corey says she'll make an announcement about the case within 72 hours.[45]
At a news conference Zimmerman's attorneys, Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner, announce they are no longer representing him and that they never met him in person.[46]
At bail hearing lead investigator Dale Gilbreath states that they did not know who started the fight and have no evidence contradicting Zimmerman's statement that Martin attacked him first. Bail is set at $150,000.[48]
Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. revokes Zimmerman's bond due to concerns that the Zimmermans did not fully disclose their financial status, and orders him to the custody of the county sheriff within 48 hours.[52]
Zimmerman voluntarily complies with Judge Lester's order that he return to custody at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford, Florida to await a new June 29 bond hearing.[53]
Two 9-1-1 telephone calls are released that were placed by Tracy Martin, Martin's father, on the morning after the shooting.[56]
Mark O'Mara, Zimmerman's attorney, releases a round of discovery evidence on his client's web site. It includes audio, video and written statements that Zimmerman gave to police.[57][58][59]
Zimmerman's second bond hearing focuses on both the shooting case and his alleged misleading of the court at his first bond hearing. Judge Lester doesn't immediately rule on the bond matter.[60]
Zimmerman is released from jail one day after Judge Lester grants him bond again under stricter conditions. His bond was increased to $1 million and he must remain within Seminole County, Florida, while awaiting trial.[61]
Prosecutors release another round of discovery evidence. The nearly 300 pages of evidence include information from an FBI investigation of Zimmerman in which people involved in the case and family, friends and associates of Zimmerman were interviewed.[62]
Zimmerman's legal defense team files a motion to have Judge Kenneth Lester disqualified from the case. They argue that negative remarks the judge made about Zimmerman in his ruling on re-granting bond show bias and may affect Zimmerman's ability to get a fair trial in Lester's court.[63]
^"Documents in Trayvon Martin Case". News Documents. The New York Times. May 18, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012. (See Criminal Investigation Report, by Chris Serino, March 13, 2012, page 3 of 13)
^"Documents in Trayvon Martin Case". The New York Times. May 18, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2012. (See Report of Investigation by Chris Serino, page 2 of 7)
