In 2013, I wrote a book on the George Zimmerman case, "If I Had A Son." I have been following with interest filmmaker Joel Gilbert's research into the case, which culminated with his book and documentary "The Trayvon Hoax," just released.
What Gilbert proves beyond doubt is that the state's star witness, Rachel Jeantel, was an impostor. It is likely the mentally challenged, plus-sized Jeantel never met Trayvon.
Through diligent research, Gilbert found Trayvon's real girlfriend, Brittany Diamond Eugene by name. Thanks to a dazzling bit of chutzpah, he got a handwriting sample from her as well as a DNA sample and captured her voice and presence on camera.
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There is absolutely no doubt "Diamond" was Trayvon's real girlfriend. On seeing this Haitian-American hottie, one can understand why Trayvon was obsessed.
In the last four minutes they spent on the phone together before his death, it is likely Trayvon shared with Diamond his plan to double back and attack Zimmerman. All evidence supports this scenario.
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For nearly three weeks after the February 2012 shooting, Diamond, 16 at the time, bucked the pressure for her to come forward and tell a story that would present Trayvon as victim.
She finally relented and met with Trayvon's biological mother, Sybrina Fulton. Eventually, she signed a letter describing a false sequence of events and presented it to Fulton.
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Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump made a great deal of noise about his "star witness" and shared a phone interview with Diamond on national TV. ABC's Matt Gutman was there for the interview.
But when state prosecutors arrived in Miami to depose the star witness, they were directed instead to the home of Jeantel, Diamond's half sister.
Jeantel's absurd deposition gave the State of Florida enough material to arrest Zimmerman. His affidavit for arrest was based squarely on Jeantel's perjured testimony.
Only one adult for sure had met both the real "Diamond Eugene" and the fake "Diamond Eugene," Rachael Jeantel. That person sat through Jeantel's initial deposition and said nothing.
That person, Trayvon's biological mother, Sybrina Fulton, has since become a Democratic star. She spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and openly backed Hillary Clinton.
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Fulton also backed Florida gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum, who built a career on the Trayvon hoax. Fulton herself is now running for a county commissioner seat in Miami-Dade County.
In a just world, Florida media would be swarming all over this story. They are not. I have emailed a short version of the above story to a half-dozen editors and reporters at Florida's leading newspapers and have heard nothing in response.
The most spectacular legal fraud in memory holds no interest for them even though the woman at the center of the fraud is running for county commissioner.
These are strange times.