Zimmerman defense focuses on 911 recording

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A 911 call made just before Trayvon Martin was killed was played repeatedly in court Monday as defense witnesses took the witness stand to say they recognize George Zimmerman yelling for help in the background.

Martin’s mother and brother testified on Friday, just before the prosecution rested, that it’s the slain teen who was screaming on the tape.

Later that day, when the defense began its case, Zimmerman’s mother and uncle testified that the screams came from the former neighborhood watch volunteer. Friends and co-workers said the same as they were called on Monday.

The dueling identifications are important because both sides are expected to argue that the person pleading for help is the person being attacked during the Feb. 26, 2012, confrontation in a gated community of Sanford, Fla.

The judge has ruled that audio experts cannot testify during the trial about who they think is screaming because the voice-recognition technology they used is not reliable enough — but that people who personally knew Zimmerman or Martin could weigh in.

Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and says that he shot Martin after being viciously attacked. Prosecutors contend Zimmerman profiled and followed the unarmed teen before shooting him dead.

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