Trayvon Martin Case: George Zimmerman and wife talk about transferring funds on newly released jailhouse calls
(CBS/AP) SANFORD, Fla. - The Florida State's Attorney office has released recordings of jailhouse phone calls between George Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, in the days following his April arrest for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
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On the calls, dated April 12, 15 and 16, Zimmerman and his wife discuss, among other things, transferring funds from a website created to collect donations for his defense into their bank accounts.
The prosecution alleges that Zimmerman and his wife are speaking in code when talking about the amounts:
On April 15, Zimmerman told his wife to "take your 10 our first, to keep in your pocket."
Shellie responded: "I thought you wanted me to take 10 out and keep it and then put 10 in the box."
And then Zimmerman said: "If you can, but, I'm-I'm thinking that they're not gonna let you do that."
The next day, Zimmerman asked his wife, "Oh, okay, so total, everything, how much are we looking at?"
"Um, like $155," said Shellie.
According to the prosecution, the couple is talking about sums in the thousands, which would contradict both of their testimony at Zimmerman's original bond hearing on April 20. At the hearing, Shellie Zimmerman testified by telephone that the couple had limited funds because Zimmerman wasn't working and she was a full-time nursing student.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester, Jr., granted Zimmerman a $150,000 bond.
But prosecutors say the couple had already raised about $135,000 from the defense website and on June 1, the state filed to have Zimmerman's bond revoked. Judge Lester ordered that Zimmerman turn himself in within 48 hours.
On June 12, Shellie Zimmerman was arrested on one count of perjury. She raised a $1,000 bond and was released the same day.
Zimmerman is expected to appear in court Friday at another bond hearing. Shellie Zimmerman is scheduled to be arraigned on July 31.
Complete coverage of the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case on Crimesider
