Who did the panicked screams and pleas on a 911 tape caught the moment before George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin belong to? The Christian Science Monitor says Judge Debra Nelson heard testimony on whether a bold analysis by an aural forensics expert should be heard by jurors. Retired University of Washington speech forensics expert Alan Reich testified that a set of screams and pleas to “stop” and “I'm begging you” before a shot was fired matched Martin’s voice.
Zimmerman’s father has claimed his son is the one who screamed as Martin pummeled him and beat his head against the ground, causing Zimmerman to fire to save his own life. Some audio forensic experts dispute Reich's findings. The judge’s decision may be critical for the high-profile trial of a case that has divided America along racial and cultural lines as it touches on hot-button issues of racial stereotypes and armed self-defense in public.