After being on trial for two weeks, George Zimmerman walked out of court an innocent man as a jury of six women cleared him of Trayvon Martin’s murder, drawing an end to one of recent history’s most divisive murder cases. In San Francisco, a third victim of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 plane crash died of her injuries, but there are questions surrounding her cause of death and whether or not it could have been prevented. Finally, more bodies were found following a train derailment and explosion in a Quebec town that has left residents horrified.
Welcome back to NEWSFLASH! Bringing you the week’s biggest news stories!
George Zimmerman ‘Not Guilty’ For Trayvon Martin’s Murder
After 16 hours of deliberation over two days, George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. In the two-week trial, Zimmerman’s defense team went head-to-head with Florida’s state prosecution to debate whether Zimmerman shot Martin in self-defense that Feb. 26, 2012 night. The former neighborhood watchman claimed that Martin had knocked him to the ground following a confrontation after Zimmerman trailed the teen in his car. Martin, according to Zimmerman, then proceeded to straddle him and slammed his head into the sidewalk multiple times.
The trial was fraught with disputed information, including whether or not the cry for help on the 911 call came from Martin or Zimmerman, and additional debate on the extent and severity of Zimmerman’s injuries. Key witnesses such as Martin’s friend Rachel Jeantel appeared on the witness stand to clarify the events of the night.
Shortly after 10PM EST on Saturday, the jury of six women delivered their verdict, acquitting Zimmerman on all charges. The verdict came after the jury requested a clearer legal definition of manslaughter, pointing to the possibility that the jury may have still considered charging Zimmerman. The not guilty ruling means that the jury confirmed Zimmerman’s story that he shot the teen in self-defense rather than in aggression.
The verdict has enraged Martin’s supporters as well as members of Congress, many of whom have used the trial result as a call to action. A petition has also been set up by the NAACP to take the case to the Department of Justice, which would call for a federal re-examination of the evidence and possibly even a re-trial if federal authorities deem it necessary.
Third Passenger Pronounced Dead Following Asiana Airplane Crash
The crash landing of an Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco last week has claimed a third victim.
Liu Yipeng, 16, died from her injuries Friday after being hospitalized following the plane crash. It has been reported that Liu was covered in flame-retardant foam as she lay on the runway following the landing, where she was run over by a vehicle as it sped to the scene. The details suggest that Liu could have possibly survived the landing itself, but then died in the aftermath as rescue crews rushed to put out fires.
Two other Chinese teenagers, Ye Meng Yuan and Wang Linjia, both 16, were also killed. It has been confirmed that Ye was hit by a fire truck as it hurtled down the runway towards the plane. Wang had been flung into a pile of rubble 2,000 feet away from the crash.
Asiana Airlines Flight 214 carried 291 passengers when its landing into San Francisco went terribly wrong. An analysis of the crash video shows that the plane was approaching the ground much too slowly for a complete landing, and the pilot tried to abort the landing before it could be made.
Death Toll From Canadian Train Explosion Mounts
As of Saturday, five more bodies were located at the scene of a train derailment and explosion in Lac-Megantic, a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. The discovery raises the death toll from the incident to 33, a number that is expected to mount as the search for missing people continues.
The freight train was carrying 72 tankers of crude oil from North Dakota when it derailed at the center of Lac-Megantic. The ensuing explosion rocked the town, flattening buildings and setting homes on fire.
Around two dozen people are still reported missing. It is believed that the explosion and the resulting fires may have also incinerated many of the bodies.