Rachel Jeantel, Trayvon Martin Friend: Teen Was Trying To Escape George Zimmerman

Rachel Jeantel, the young women who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin the night he was shot, testified on Wednesday at George Zimmerman's trial that Martin was aware that he was being followed.

"A man was watching him ... He kept complaining the man was watching him," the 19-year-old told the prosecuting attorney, relating her conversation with Martin of the night of Feb. 26, 2012.

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Jeantel said Martin told her the man watching him was a "creepy-ass cracker." She recalled suggesting that the man might be a rapist. She went on to say that Martin told her he was going to try to elude the man, and that the teen left the area but that he was still being followed. Jeantel said she told him to run, but Martin replied that he was close to his father's fiance's house. Shortly after, Martin told Jeantel he would run home and then the phone went dead.

Later in her testimony, Jeantel said that when she called Martin back, he told her "the nigga is behind me." Jeantel said she heard a bump and then the sound of "wet grass." She said she heard Martin say "get off," the call was cut off and she never spoke to Martin again.

When asked whose voice was screaming for help on the 911 audio, Jeantel said she believes it was Martin.

Both Jeantel and Martin's father became emotional during the testimony, wiping their eyes with tissues. Jeantel became agitated when she described hearing about Martin's death and while discussing her decision not to attend his wake or his funeral.

Jeantel also grew visibly frustrated by defense attorney Don West's questions on cross-examination."I didn't want to see the body," she said.

Jeantel, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, admitted that she lied about her age, claiming to be a minor because she did not want to get involved.

Jeantel also insisted she declined to meet with Martin's mother because she did not want to "see somebody cry."

During a confrontational exchange with West, she dismissed apparent discrepancies in her previous statements to attorneys by saying that she was distraught during her interview with the Martin family lawyers and that it "didn't mean nothing to me."

She bristled when West asked why she didn't attend the services for Martin.

"You gotta understand," she told West. "I'm the last person -- you don't know how I felt. You think I really want to go see the body after I just talked to him?"

Trayvon Martin Crime Scene Photos Shown To George Zimmerman Jurors (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

Jurors in George Zimmerman's murder trial on Tuesday were shown graphic photos of Trayvon Martin's body while a police officer testified about trying to resuscitate the teen.

Sgt. Anthony E. Raimondo, who works for the Sanford Police Department, testified he was one of the first officers to respond to Martin's shooting on the night of Feb. 26, 2012.

Raimondo said Martin was face-down and unresponsive. He said he turned the teen over and began to give him CPR but heard air escaping "in a manner that it was not supposed to."

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The police officer said he determined the air was escaping from the gunshot wound to Martin's chest. He continued in his attempts to resuscitate the teen until paramedics arrived and pronounced Martin dead.

Assistant State Attorney John Guy displayed several graphic photos of Martin and his injuries during Raimondo's testimony. Defense attorney Mark O’Mara also displayed graphic photos of Martin's body during his cross-examination of the witness.

The photos had an obvious impact on those seated in the courtroom and were so disturbing to Martin's family members that his mother averted her eyes and his father left the courtroom.

Zimmerman, 29, shot and killed Martin as the unarmed teen was walking back to the home of his father's fiancee from a Sanford, Fla., convenience store with a bag of candy on the night of Feb. 26, 2012.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty in Martin's death. The defense team says Zimmerman was attacked by Martin and acted in self-defense. Prosecutors allege Zimmerman profiled Martin before killing the teen.

Zimmerman faces a possible sentence of life in prison if he is convicted.

George Zimmerman Trial Live Updates: Opening Statements In Murder Trial

More than a year after the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin sparked controversy across the country, prosecution and defense lawyers will finally get to outline their cases to a Florida jury.

Opening statements are set for Monday morning in George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial. The proceedings start following a marathon nine days of jury selection to find objective candidates who had not already formed an opinion about Zimmerman's guilt or innocence.

Zimmerman, 29, shot and killed Martin as the unarmed teen was walking back to the home of his father's fiancee from a Sanford, Fla., convenience store with a bag of candy on the night of Feb. 26, 2012.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty in Martin's slaying.

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Jury selection in Zimmerman’s trial concluded Thursday, with a panel of six female jurors chosen to decide his fate. The jurors and four alternates were sequestered at an unknown location over the weekend in order to eliminate the possibility of their exposure to outside influences.

Monday's opening statements in Seminole County Circuit Court will preview the essence of the trial.

Defense attorneys Mark O'Mara and Don West are representing Zimmerman, and the lead prosecutor for the state of Florida is Bernie de la Rionda.

Zimmerman's attorneys claim he acted in self-defense when he was attacked by Martin while on a neighborhood watch patrol. The prosecution will likely suggest Zimmerman, who is Hispanic-American, profiled and murdered Martin.

The defense has not yet decided if Zimmerman will take the stand. That decision will likely be made after the prosecution presents its case.

The long-awaited proceedings have piqued the interest of the nation and fed a national debate about racism, self-defense laws and gun control.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CASE TIMELINE

The trial, before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson in Seminole County, is expected to last more than a month. During that time, both sides will try to convince the jury of their version of the events of Feb. 26, 2012.

If convicted, Zimmerman could face a possible sentence of life in prison.

Opening statements are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. EST.

George Zimmerman Jury Selected: All Women Jurors Chosen In Trial Of Trayvon Martin Killer

SANFORD, Fla. — A jury of six women, five of them white and the other a minority, was picked Thursday to decide the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who says he fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, in self-defense.

Prosecutors have said Zimmerman, 29, racially profiled the 17-year-old Martin as he walked back from a convenience store on a rainy night in February 2012 wearing a dark hooded shirt.

The race and ethnicity of the minority chosen for the jury was not immediately available. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Two of the jurors recently moved to the area – one from Iowa and one from Chicago – and two are involved with rescuing animals as their hobbies.

One juror had a prior arrest, but she said it was disposed of and she thought she was treated fairly. Two jurors have guns in their homes. All of their names have been kept confidential and the panel will be sequestered for the trial.

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday.

The central Florida community of Sanford is in Seminole County, which is 78.5 percent white and 16.5 percent black, roughly mirroring the jury's racial makeup.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys chose the panel of six jurors after almost two weeks of jury selection. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.

If convicted, Zimmerman could face a potential life sentence.

On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whom he did not recognize, walking in the gated townhome community where Zimmerman lived and the fiancee of Martin's father also resided. There had been a rash of recent break-ins at the Retreat, and Zimmerman was wary of strangers walking through the complex.

The two eventually got into a struggle and Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest with his 9mm handgun. He was charged 44 days after the shooting, only after a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case.

Martin's shooting death and the initial decision not to charge Zimmerman led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to thoroughly investigate the shooting.

The six jurors were culled from a pool of 40 candidates who made it into a second round of jury questioning. Two men and two women also were picked as alternate jurors.

Before selecting the jurors Thursday, defense attorney Mark O'Mara explored potential jurors' views on guns, self-defense and justifiable use of force.

Under Florida law, Zimmerman could shoot Martin in self-defense if it was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. O'Mara previously decided not to invoke a "stand your ground" hearing in which a judge alone would decide whether to dismiss the case or allow it to proceed to trial.

After the jury was picked, Judge Debra Nelson continued a hearing on whether to allow experts to testify about screams heard on 911 calls made during the struggle. Prosecutors want their expert to testify it was Martin screaming on the calls. An expert for Zimmerman's defense has said there is not enough audio to determine who the screams are coming from.

George Zimmerman Trial Live Updates: Jury Selection Reveals Interesting Cast Of Characters

Jury selection in George Zimmerman's murder trial resumes in Florida on Friday, following four days of interviews with an interesting mix of candidates. The potential jurors have varied in age, race and education, as well as in personal and religious beliefs. Court watchers have seen a broad spectrum of prospects. Some were undecided and open-minded, while others were candid -- and occasionally bizarre. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES The most notable include: An apparent transplant from the 1800s who referred to Trayvon Martin as "a boy of color." A young landscaper who said, "I'm not a person who really cares about other people." A local resident and "Law & Order" junkie who was disappointed the shooting happened in her town: "This really didn't need to happen in Sanford." A young arm-wrestler, and apparent conspiracy theorist, who remembers the shooting because it happened the same day he did his first one-armed pull-up. "I have a dark view of the media ... I don't want to be brainwashed," he said. A middle-aged female who is married to a retired police officer, gets her news from AOL, and believes in the right to carry arms. "I think he was just defending himself ... I consider myself better educated. My opinion is pretty firm," she said. A Hispanic man who said Zimmerman is guilty because he broke God's law: "The 10 Commandments say don't kill." A member of a pro-Travyon Martin Facebook group who was apparently caught trying to sneak his way onto the jury. A potential juror who said he gets his news from Fark, a partner of HuffPost Weird News. Since Monday, 24 potential jurors have made it through questioning about pretrial publicity. Eighty-five others, from an initial pool of 500 Sanford-area residents, have been deemed unsuitable to sit on the jury. CLICK HERE FOR THE CASE TIMELINE Zimmerman, 29, stands charged in the death of 17-year-old Martin. Zimmerman shot and killed Martin as the teen was walking from a Sanford convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee on Feb. 26, 2012. Defense attorneys argue that Martin attacked Zimmerman, who acted in self-defense. Prosecutors have deemed Martin's death an instance of second-degree murder. If the first four days of jury selection are any indication, day five should be equally interesting. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9:00 a.m. EST.

Watch George Zimmerman Trial Live Updates: Jury Selection Begins

Jury selection starts Monday in George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial in Florida. Zimmerman is back in court more than 15 months after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The trial, before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson in Seminole County, is expected to last more than a month. Nelson previously ruled that jurors' faces will not be shown by the media, and they will be referred to by number only. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES Zimmerman shot and killed Martin as the teen was walking back to the home of his father's fiancee from a Sanford, Fla., convenience store with a bag of candy on the night of Feb. 26, 2012. Defense attorneys argue that Zimmerman, then 28, was attacked by Martin while serving as a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman's camp contends that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic-American, acted in self-defense when he shot the African-American teen in the chest at point-blank range. Prosecutors have deemed Martin's death an instance of second-degree murder. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara is representing Zimmerman, and the lead prosecutor for the state of Florida is Bernie de la Rionda. CLICK HERE FOR THE CASE TIMELINE

The defense has not yet decided if Zimmerman will take the stand. That decision will likely be made after the prosecution presents its case. He faces life in prison if found guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. EST.

George Zimmerman Trial Live Updates: Jury Selection Begins

Jury selection starts Monday in George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial in Florida.

Zimmerman is back in court more than 15 months after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The trial, before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson in Seminole County, is expected to last more than a month.

Nelson previously ruled that jurors' faces will not be shown by the media, and they will be referred to by number only.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES

Zimmerman shot and killed Martin as the teen was walking back to the home of his father's fiancee from a Sanford, Fla., convenience store with a bag of candy on the night of Feb. 26, 2012.

Defense attorneys argue that Zimmerman, then 28, was attacked by Martin while serving as a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman's camp contends that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic-American, acted in self-defense when he shot the African-American teen in the chest at point-blank range. Prosecutors have deemed Martin's death an instance of second-degree murder.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara is representing Zimmerman, and the lead prosecutor for the state of Florida is Bernie de la Rionda.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CASE TIMELINE

The defense has not yet decided if Zimmerman will take the stand. That decision will likely be made after the prosecution presents its case.

He faces life in prison if found guilty.

The trial is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. EST.