Trayvon Martin, question 2: Does George Zimmerman have a passport?

Listening to either Robert Zimmerman, on behalf of his son, or Robert Zimmerman, Jr., on behalf of his brother, one wonders what the point of these family interviews could be other than to buy time. They are too dubious to be very effective in generating sympathy for George Zimmerman, too full of inconsistencies and offer too little conciliation.

A Sanford City Commissioner has already expressed concern that George Zimmerman might leave the country. Given how little help his defenders have given him in their highly mixed interviews, it is hard not to suspect that he may already have left. Tonight on CNN with Piers Morgan, George Zimmerman’s brother volunteered the remark that “He speaks two languages thoroughly.”

Not that that was one of the more damaging statements. Robert Zimmerman, Jr., also tried to explain away his brother’s muttered epithet by saying “when someone is running . . .” His statement is that George Zimmerman did not utter any racial epithet: he was “not saying words” at all-because he was out of breath, running–presumably after Trayvon Martin, given the location of the scuffle between the two.

All of this is particularly questionable in light of the eyewitness interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN tonight. While candid on the difficulties of seeing in the dark, in a confused scuffle, the eyewitness did see and hear a fight, and saw George Zimmerman walking away from it less than a couple of seconds later. Unable to say categorically that Zimmerman was the man on top, the eyewitness did see one man on top of the other, and Zimmerman was the man seen walking away immediately afterward.

Robert Zimmerman, Jr., told Piers Morgan that he heard from his brother “within twenty-four hours” of the shooting. He did not say when he heard further from his brother but told Morgan that George Zimmerman “still has a broken nose” that is “still healing” but “not healed.” He also told Morgan that his brother has been “diagnosed with PTSD,” and that he is “disappointed at none of the neighbors coming out to help.”

Repeatedly expressing “respect” for “this country’s judicial system,” Robert Zimmerman, Jr., also said that his brother did not take out his gun and shoot anyone. He just kept someone else from taking his gun and shooting him with it. Zimmerman also said that “Trayvon Martin somehow snuck up on him.” The statements about George Zimmerman’s being out of breath, running, panting and therefore not uttering words came after that.

It is hard to imagine George Zimmerman waiting around for the results of forensic analysis, the autopsy, and subpoenas.