Audio recordings from phone calls George Zimmerman made in jail in April were released on Monday by prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin case. The six conversations are part of the state’s evidence alleging that he and his wife, Shellie Zimmerman , misled the court during his April bond hearing. The former neighborhood watch volunteer is charged with killing 17-year-old Martin in February. Zimmerman said he shot Trayvon in self defense. George Zimmerman Jailhouse Calls A judge released him on $150,000 bond after the couple testified they had little money. But the calls recorded after his arrest tell a different story. Zimmerman is heard coaching his wife and sister on moving tens of thousands of dollars donated to his legal defense fund to another account. During one jailhouse conversation, George Zimmerman tells his wife how much it means to him that strangers were donating to his PayPal account. “Ah man, that feels good,” he said. Prosecutors say the phone calls are proof the Zimmermans had access to nearly $130,000 when he was freed. After his wife was able to transfer funds, Zimmerman told her to pay off nearly all their bills and to buy bulletproof vests for her, him and his attorney. “We need to get on it ASAP, cause you know … personally, I want you wearing one,” Zimmerman said from the Seminole County (Florida) Jail. “OK,” she replied. “As uncomfortable as it is, I want you wearing one,” he said. Zimmerman, who was wearing a vest back when he was released on bond, also discusses a possible escape route and renting two cars to throw off the media, possibly driving into a hotel with an attached garage or heading to an airport to fly to “heaven.” In one conversation as the two are planning a possible escape route, Zimmerman talks about going to a hotel like the Western he stayed at in Tampa, and that if he is in a car he could wear “his hoodie” and lie down as they are driving away. Zimmerman was ordered back to jail earlier in June when the judge learned of the money from the defense fund. His wife was arrested and charged with perjury related to her testimony about the family’s finances. Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara has said repeatedly that the couple was not deceptively trying to withhold information from the courts. They were merely concerned for their safety and unclear about whether he could even use the money yet, and thus whether to report it. The couple show their affection for each other throughout the calls, to be sure, as George Zimmerman warns his wife repeatedly to stay safe. He will seek to be re-released on bond , however unlikely that is.
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George Zimmerman Jailhouse Phone Calls Released; Wife Told to Move Money, Buy Bulletproof Vest
