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Mother Of George Zimmerman Accuses Media Of 'False Narrative'

George Zimmerman at a court hearing in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 5.
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George Zimmerman at a court hearing in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 5.

The mother of George Zimmerman, who was arrested a year ago in connection with the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, has issued a letter proclaiming her son's innocence and decrying the media's "false narrative" about the fatal shooting.

Robert Zimmerman, the brother of the accused, released the letter from his mother, Gladys Zimmerman, through Twitter on Thursday. Zimmerman was arrested on April 12, 2012, six weeks after he shot the unarmed Martin during a struggle that Zimmerman maintains was self-defense. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Zimmerman's mother said her son was "an innocent man [who] was arrested for a crime he did not commit, solely to placate the masses."

"From the beginning, this case has been heavily publicized and a false narrative was developed surrounding a very real tragedy when there was little evidence available to the public. It is astounding that despite the vast amount of information and evidence now available that supports George's self-defense claim, the majority of the media avoids its publication," she wrote.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.