Transcripts of Conversations Between Zimmermans are Released: Made Joke about Trayvon's Hoodie

Read or listen here From [HERE] In recorded conversations from jail, George Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, discussed how to move tens of thousands of dollars from the money that flowed into an online defense fund he set up to credit union accounts under her name and into his sister’s account, according to audio recordings of their conversations and court documents released in Florida on Monday.

Mr. Zimmerman, 28, who was arrested on second-degree murder charges in April in the death of Trayvon Martin, also instructed his wife to use the money he raised on the Web site to “pay the bills,” including their credit-card bills and her monthly tuition payment for nursing school.

Ms. Zimmerman denied knowing how much money the Web site had raised when she testified at her husband’s April 20 bond hearing. After prosecutors said that she and her husband deceived the court, Mr. Zimmerman’s bail was revoked on June 1 and his wife was arrested last Tuesday on perjury charges for testifying the couple did not have significant financial resources to help cover his bail costs. She was released after her arrest on a $1,000 bond.

In the transcripts and audio recordings of six telephone conversations between the couple, the Zimmermans frequently express concern and affection for each other. They also discuss how they are grateful that so many people delivered financial and words of support to the Web site, which has since been closed down. In their conversations, Mr. Zimmerman also expresses concern for his wife’s safety, urging her to get a bullet-proof vest. At one point, Mr. Zimmerman made a reference to a “hoodie” in what appears to be a joke about the case as they discuss whether to get S.U.V.’s with tinted windows.

“Well, I have my hoodie,” he said, in what is a possible reference to the hooded sweatshirt that Mr. Martin was wearing on the night he was killed while walking to a family friend’s home in the Sanford, Florida, condominium development, when he was followed by Mr. Zimmerman. In discussing the Web site that raised $200,000 before it was closed, Mr. Zimmerman says he is grateful “there are people in America that care.”

“Yeah, they do,” Ms. Zimmerman responded. “Trust me, and boy, after what happened yesterday, so many people … your Web site kept crashing.”

“Wow,” he said.

“People are trying to give you words of support and kindness,” she said.

Mr. Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch leader, was jailed on second-degree murder charges in the shooting of Mr. Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, in Sanford, Fla. He was released on a $150,000 bond after a hearing on April 20.

But Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester revoked the bond for Mr. Zimmerman on June 1 and returned him to jail once prosecutors accused Mr. and Ms. Zimmerman of lying about their assets in court.

According to the transcripts of the telephone calls, Mr. Zimmerman was using coded language when he made a reference on April 15 to his wife taking out “$10 and keep it with you in cash, right?”

“Yeah, like $9,” Ms. Zimmerman responded.

“Let’s just say about $10.” he said. “I’m wondering you have more than $10, right?”

“Not with me,” she said.

“You don’t have access to more than $10?” he asked.

“I do. I have access, to yeah.”

“In your account?”

“Yeah.”

In another call on April 16, Ms. Zimmerman is with Mr. Zimmerman’s sister, Grace, at a credit union discussing the transferring of money from his account.

Mr. Zimmerman asks, “In my account, do I have at least $100?”

“No,” Ms. Zimmerman replied.

“How close am I?”

“There’s like $8. $8.60″

“So total everything how much are we looking at?”

“Um, like $155.”

Prosecutors obtained official copies of the credit union records of Mr. Zimmerman, his wife and his sister. The records show that Ms. Zimmerman transferred more than $74,000 to her account from her husband’s account from April 16 to April 19. Four days after her husband was released on bond, Ms. Zimmerman transferred more than $85,500 into his account from her account.

Mark O’Mara, Mr. Zimmerman’s lawyer, objected to the release of all 151 recorded telephone conversations, but did not oppose the release of the conversations discussing the finances.