The Trayvon Martin case: Why Frank Taaffe is as scary as George Zimmerman
UPDATE 07/22/2012, please see end of post, as well as the new post.
Okay reader, this post is going to be so far from my usual subject matter that even my one and only may not read it. However, it does relate to science in the media as the subject matter covers sociological issues that are finally being highlighted since the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s death. Anyway, I simply must get something off my chest regarding this case that has deeply disturbed me. And I think my worry about this thing stands regardless of whether charges are ever filed against Zimmerman and/or whether he’s convicted.
That thing is otherwise known as Frank Taaffe, friend and defender to George Zimmerman.
Taaffe appeared on the scene a few days after the Trayvon Martin story hit the mainstream media. His job? To throw on a cheap jacket and present himself to every news crew that would have him in an attempt to paint Zimmerman as a “stand-up guy”. Some, like Zimmerman, might see virtue in Taaffe’s steadfast support of his friend. To me, however, he was the herald of a horrible revelation…a representaton of a widespread and deeply ingrained belief system that not only judges people by their race, but also sees nothing wrong with it. In other words, until Taaffe burst in front of the TV cameras, there was perhaps some teeny tiny glimmer of hope that Zimmerman was a lone-wolf racial profiler; an aberration in what was reported to be an “integrated” community. Instead, Taaffe has been demonstrating quite clearly that Zimmerman lived safely nestled within a culture that sees nothing whatsoever wrong with racial profiling.
The first time I had the distinct displeasure of seeing Taaffe on television, he was spouting off about how the shooting of Travyon Martin had nothing to do with race, but that:
“…this is a perfect storm. Once again there are documented crimes in our neighborhood that have been perpetrated by one group of young black males.”
What leaves me incredulous is that Taaffe doesn’t see that he cannot claim that Zimmerman’s actions nothing to do with race while then indicating that Zimmerman’s actions were prompted by alleged burglaries committed, allegedly, by black males. Even worse, his comments strongly indicate that Taaffe and Zimmerman had had a prior conversation or two about these “young black males”. In general, Taaffe seems blissfully unaware of the contradictions in his own statements, claiming that;
“George [Zimmerman] is a congenial, amiable, admirable person,” he said. “He had a passion and a care for this neighborhood to ensure the safety of everybody here…”
Apparently, Taaffe does not consider 17-year old black children in the neighborhood to be worthy of Zimmerman’s “passion and care”, as he goes on to say of Zimmerman:
“I think he had fed-up issues. He was mad as hell and wasn’t going to take it anymore.”
Taaffe seems almost proud of his buddy Zimmerman for his anger issues. And he should know, because as time has marched on and Taaffe has continued his media quest, you can see him progressively radiating anger. In this interview with Nancy Grace, he is petulant, defensive, and extremely angry. His face is beet-red by the end of the interview, as Nancy Grace dares to question his statements. Meanwhile, Daryl Parks, a lawyer for the Martin family, shows admirable restraint in listening quietly while Taaffe pontificates. In contrast, the instant Parks begins to speak Taaffe starts yelling and cuts him off.
Now that my reader is up-to-date on Taaffe’s “perfect storm” in the media, I am going to attempt to explain why I think he is every bit as disgusting as Zimmerman himself. Zimmerman’s actions, which I believe to be contemptible and indefensible regardless of what happens in a grand jury room, could for a brief moment be viewed (admittedly naïvely) as the work of an angry, ignorant, and cowardly individual. What Taaffe did was to kick the door open on how widespread Zimmerman’s thinking actually is. He is representative of what many in the community obviously believe, which is that you’re not a racist if you think “young black males” walking look suspicious, as long as some other “young black males” have committed some sort of crime nearby. Most terrifying is that Taaffe states these views consistently and repeatedly, and he sees nothing wrong with it. He is a window into the soul of many Americans, even now, even in 2012.
One final note. I saw a post on Facebook today that said something to the effect of, “Anyone who refers to themselves as a ‘neighborhood watch captain’ should be admitted to a psych ward regardless of any crimes they committed”. I tend to agree. The leader of our neighborhood watch is named Beryl. She is approximately 115 years old and does not suffer fools gladly. Her secret weapon for neighborhood harmony? The tater tot casserole. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, despite the fact that there have been several burglaries, a hostage situation involving a machete, and a stolen car in my neighborhood over the past two years.
Thank you, reader, for allowing me to get that off of my chest.
UPDATE 07/22/12
Hello reader. If you have been following the comments section, you are aware that I had posts from Vincent Taaffe (Frank Taaffe’s son), as well as Frank Taaffe himself. After considering some of the accusations being made by both of them, I have chosen to delete the comments at this time. It seems that there is a great deal of strife in the Taaffe family and I do not want exacerbate the situation in even a small way.
With that said, if Frank Taaffe would like to address the content of my original blog post while omitting any jabs at his son or any other family members, he is welcome to do so.
You’ve been doing a lot of self-therapy lately. I feel that you have issues yourself :-p
Too right my friend. Blogging==cheaper than a therapist.
“He was mad as hell and wasn’t going to take it anymore.”
Do you think Taaffe watched the movie, Network, recently?
What goes on in Taaffe’s head is a mystery to me. I imagine it to be full of rocks, but maybe some old movies are rattling around in there as well.
Checkt this out. Frank Taafes mugshot for an arrest in 1999. I Taate stated in a recent interview (posted on CNN’s website) that he is currently 55 years old.
http://mugshots.com/US-Counties/Florida/Seminole-County-FL/Frank-Taaffe.2787986/details/
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Chris. It does not surprise me that Taaffe apparently has a history of violence. He is an angry, angry man.
and he is not living in reality!! He compared Zimmerman to Bernie Goetz, not even flippin close!!!! Mr Taafee is ignorant, ignorant man.
Thank you for that article. Mr. Taaffe is a joke. Did you see when he said to Nancy Grace……”Thank you for having me back, I wore my favorite tie.” And on Jane Valez Mitchell he said…….”Thank you Jane for having
me back on the show, I missed you.” He really makes me sick. I really wish these shows would just tell him his fifteen minutes is up and quit putting him on tv.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, Kelli. I haven’t seen much TV lately as I’m traveling, so thanks for the update. I keep thinking Taaffe will go away, but he just keeps following the cameras and flapping his jaws. He is such an ignoramus and he’s enjoying his 15 minutes a little too much.
He is ignorant. Then he states, “Your still my hero.” I thought Nancy would was going choke. She rolled her eyes and looked at him like he was dirt under her shoes. He was arrested for DUI a few weeks ago and Shellie Zimemrmans mom was also arrested for having prescription drugs in her system a few days ago. What a family! What a friend! Such liars.
Taaffe…..just like Taffy, keeps pulling and stretching…the story of course. I wasn’t there, don’t know what happened. Appears Zimmerman had issues long before this killing. Unfortunately I think if it wasn’t Trayvon, it would of been some other innocent kid. Now back to Taaffe…this guy is a fruitcake. I wonder if he realizes how much of an idiot he sounds like to the public. He tries to act smart (notice he continues to look at notes he has taken out of law books, magazines, newspapers, police reports, etc.. and quotes them), None of his own words. Which is probably a good think as it would be worse.
Talk about wanting attention…give me a break Taaffe. You are simply put….a very bored ignorant little man.
I could not agree more. I don’t think the guy has a clue how people outside of his insular little world view him.
Don’t beliieve a word of it! He was around. He is the one who contacted GZ because he saw TM run by his home. TM’s body was found right by his home. Coincidence?I cannot wait until the prosecution releases the phone records of GZ and we find out who he contacted in February and March. It will be interesting to say the least.
I think he is a suspect as well. Remember, according to Trayvon’s girlfriend Dee Dee….Trayvon told her that some old man keeps following him. Someone with Grey hair would appear to be an old man to a 17 year old. Something to think about.
Honestly, when I was 17 I thought anyone over 25 looked “old”. And creepy. How times have changed.
Forgot to add, I think it was Taaffe who was behind the webpage, I also think he is the one giving his killer friend bad advise…call prosecutor, don’t talk to your own attorneys, etc.. Taaffe thinks he is smarter than anyone who thinks, but all he is doing is mudding up what is already a mudpit.
Frank Taffee is a complete and total idiot. Nancy Grace has him on her show just to bat him around. he is a wanna be in the limelight jerk and I hope his testimony under oath defending Zimmerman comes across just as pathetic as he is. Shut up Frank.
Yes, I noticed that our friend Frank was whining today because he feels the prosecutor had a smug look on her face when the charges were announced. Frank should look in the mirror; he is self-righteous smugness personified.
Frank Taaffe is a biggoted jerk! He’s an arrogant jerk who has issues with “young black males.” He is going to bury George Zimmerman!!! Frank Taaffe needs to shut up!!!
He’s not helping Zimmerman, that’s for sure. Actually, in that case, I think Taaffe should keep talking.
I have been listening to the 911 calls and the tapes on Youtube by a young man named Trent Sawyer. I believe that GZ had several accomplices that night. They may have not pulled the trigger, but they were there. Frank Taaffe is one of them. I believe he called GZ that night who is a liar of course. They were on patrol that night and FT contacted GZ when he first spotted TM. GZ drives over, tries to detain TM and a fight erupted. GZ shoots him. Everythiing that GZ states that TM stated, is what he stated. He projected his own words on TM. All of the evidence regarding cell and moblile phone records have been sealed and I know that The Clubhouse tapes have been viewed over and over along wtih the 911 calls. I hope the prosecution has been able to identify the voices that are heard in GZ’s truck and the pictures that are on the banks tapes as well. GZ needs to come clean about his acciomplices. The proescution is not saying anything about what evidence they have but I bet it is a lot. If amateurs can come up with this evidence which sould be looked into, I can just imagine what the prosecution has come up with. I have tried to keep an open mind about this case but FT has run his mouth and revealed things that he doesn’t even realize that he has revealed. His hatred, scorn and malice for black males tells me all I need to know about him and his kind.
I don’t know what happened that night. I do know without equivocation that Frank Taaffe’s media appearances were driven by his pathological need for attention.
Peace! You are right about that, He keeps saying things in the third person. He knows just a llittle to much IMO. GZ talks to him in code but they are to stupid to think that we cannot deciper it. When you get a chance, go over to Youtube and listen to as much as you can. It is very interesting to say the least. At least you have an open mind and are fair. FT has lost two sons. he is a miserable bitter man. I feel sorry for the Mom. FT who has lost children you would think he would have some compassion for the Martins? NADA! He is uncaring and unfeeling, and he thinks a black child is not a human being.
I have to tell you that it is a great struggle for me to talk about the loss of Frank Taaffe’s sons, since Vincent was a poster here and we had been in contact over the past few months. I am still deeply upset by his death. I would hope that indeed it would aid Frank Taaffe in having more compassion toward the Martins. He has said here that he is devastated, and this family was sharply divided, so he may have some regrets. I do not know how that will translate into any change in his views on this shooting. I only know that Vincent was a great guy, against all odds.
Where was Taafe the night of the murder and does he own a taser?
Thats what I want to know. I just wonder if Taaffe had anything to do with it.
Aww now your bff has a mugshot just like you Taaffe. bffs forever!! geez lick his balls already Damn! durr i want to be a watchman cause i like to snoop around durr!!! get some real effing training in protecting the neighborhood!
Thank you. Earlier today on CNN this man said that the special prosecuter “sold us out” ….just who was he referring to? White people? That she sold the white race out by bringing charges against Zimmerman? He was very angry and very disgusting.
Really? She sold them out, eh? He is just a disturbing ball of white privilege, isn’t he? Dude is proto-angry, that’s for sure. I cannot believe Zimmerman’s new lawyer hasn’t told him to STFU yet.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
How did the prosecuter sell out the “white race?” GZ is part Hispanic, He speaks Spanish. I speak Spanish! That man who made that statement is despicabl not to mention ignorant.. Are the proecuters selling out the white race when they brought charges against Charles Holmes and Jared Loughne? The murdered whites.
Taaffe is an idiot who really is stirring up more than he is helping his friend. He contradicts himself and often speaks as though he was an eyewitness. He redundantly rants about what he wants to convey, like the stupid police report by a policeman who did not see what happened and took Zimmermans word. Also, no witness matters to him except those who support Zimmerman’s account. However, if anyone dare present something he does not want to hear or can’t refute, he then displays his anger management problem. He turned his watch captain/dodge city badge over to Zimmerman. I think he tried to mentor Zimmerman in a way and fill him with his views. Yes, Zimmerman is the one responsible. I think he is angry, ignorant and a cop wanna be. I think he was the perfect pupil for Taaffe to inject his hate, anger, and racism…or at least racial profiling. Zimmerman obviously has a short fuse anyway, and probably influenced easily. This gave Taaffe something to since his wife is no longer around to beat up. Taaffe”s latest stupidity was on Nancy Grace tonight. He has sadly compared the murder of Trayvon to a football game and now swiss cheese. What is really disgusting is that now he keeps saying “we”. “We have an excellent defense…we have a quarterback….we we we. Does he not realize that this is Zimmerman’s attorney, Zimmerman’s defense, Zimmerman’s trial? I think in addition to his daily 15 minutes of fame, wanting to get Zimmerman off, it seems like he is getting off on this.
I couldn’t agree more, Matthew. Excellent point about the concept of Taaffe being a kind of mentor to Zimmerman. Taaffe seems to have delusions of grandeur in addition to being a garden-variety windbag. He has inserted himself into this case and is eating it up, probably because he has never been “important” in his entire life and now thinks that he is getting well-deserved attention for being such a great guy. Little does he realize that he is simply fodder for the TV hosts to make fun of on a daily basis–it sails right over his fat head. He’s always trying to use big words and falls on his face. That part is actually kind of hysterical.
I think we will see his anger management problem again if Zimmerman’s new attorney, O’Mara, politely requests that Taaffe STFU. O’Mara is the only person I’ve seen yet from the Zimmerman camp that I’d ever care to have a conversation with, and I suspect that he wishes Taaffe would just go away. In fact, he’s said that he doesn’t want the case tried in the media. From what I’ve seen thus far, O’Mara seems like a decent guy, despite his client.
Absolutely. Excellent attorney. He speaks eloquently, but calmly. Taaffe tries to use big words to make him feel like he is a regular commentator. If he thinks he is part of the intellegencia, he needs to understand that you really should not pick a few big words and repeat them over and over. One of Taaffe’s favorite things to do is resite numerical statutes. I have a couple for him…810.08…812.014…and that does not even include his domestic violence charges. He also loves to use what he calls the “three c’s” I have three c’s for him. Corruption, coersion, and collusion. I wanted to include crackhead, but I ran out of c’s. I want your opinion on something. We know he is desperate to have his mug on every tv show instead of just in arrest records. Why do they cater to him? I know they have to try to allow both sides to be represented, but they let him rant and are too polite to him in my opinion. Nancy Grace is the only one I have seen really stand up to him. She even did not go to the extent she usually does. I think one of these hosts needs to professionally address some of these things. He has brought up Travon’s past and certainly got his point accross about the alleged black thieves in the neighborhood, so why not bring up his violent past? Do not dish it out if you can’t take it. Can you imagine if that happened as it should? I would hope they have a fire extinguisher nearby. I am sure he probably has set rules about what cannot be said or brought up, but why patronize him? Do they not realize that if they told him that in between his spasms that he will be questioned, he would still squirm to be on tv. What have they got to loose? Either he would be put in his place or find some other place to go. I would suggest the shooting range or an NRA meeting.
I think Taaffe is invited back again and again for three main reasons.
1. Other than Zimmerman’s family, which has gone noticeably quiet of late, he is the only person willing to publicly support George Zimmerman, and this is not because Taaffe is some kind of brave knight in shining armor as he undoubtedly thinks. Rather, it’s because the vast majority of Americans think that shooting an unarmed teenager after stalking him is simply WRONG.
2. It is possible that people love to hate Taaffe and that is why shows want him on. I’m reminded of a line from Howard Stern’s movie regarding his ratings, something to the effect of “people who love Howard listen to his show for one hour per day. People who hate him listen for two hours a day”.
3. As I have written about on this blog, the media wants to project the concept of being balanced. Unfortunately, this often means that they jettison common sense completely and are willing to cozy up to just about anyone who can represent “the other side”. I think the media can do a litmus test on their aspirations to balance. If they cannot find an intelligent, articulate person on both sides of an argument, then they ought to consider whether there really is an argument at all. But they don’t, and what this means for Taaffe is that he will be a hot commodity due to #1 above unless or until Zimmerman’s team hires a damage-control specialist. Therefore, unfortunately media hosts will continue to allow him to spew his nonsense, because they can’t afford to lose the one person on earth who thinks Zimmerman’s just a “stand-up guy”.
First time I saw Taaffe(I think it was CNN), he seemed stunned that George had a “deadly weapon”…he seemed to be saying he didn’t know he was armed.
Don’t know if he was faking, or if what he was truly reeling from was the public outcry.
Anyway, after that appearance, he seemed to become real slick… I suppose after the white supremacists and gun nuts started supporting him and GZ, he started to feel a little better.
A wanna be cop [Zimmerman]. And a wanna be lawyer [Taaffe]. A wanna be cop is a scary type of person.
Because HE IS and WAS an EYEWITNESS! Listen to his words very carefully. Listen to the 911 tapes. George had other people with him that night. You can hear other voices as well when he called NEN. Frank Taafee is a racist bigot and he probably helped detain TM that night.
Excellent post! I agree with you about FT. I also feel that GZ has anger issues as well, not to mention mental instability and his ADHD. He is a troubled man who has been coddled and sheltered all of his life. He has been in College for the last 8 yrs, and mind you, this is a 2 yr. college? He did so poorly while in College as well. He has some serious mental issues and I believe he was a ticking time bomb and would have murdered someone one day. Unfortunately, TM was his victim.His dreams of becoming a policeman was destroyed when he failed the test, and didn’t make the cut, but he still pretended to act like a policeman and that is what he was doing the night of this crime. He should have been committed a long time ago.
i won’t censor my sentiment, Taaffe’s like that pink slime filler they use in meat, he fills up space on a 24 hour news network that kindly allows him to continue making a complete a** of himself on national tv. today on nancy grace he said “trayvon as he escaped when he ran away from mr. zimmerman…he turned around and he went back…” thanks frank, we already knew that, zimmerman did pursue trayvon, who tried running away before he was forced to defend himself from zimmerman who as you described, pursued trayvon.
This Frank Taafe mother fucker needs a real good ass beating!!!!!!!
I do not understand why Frank Taaffe keeps getting invited back ~ to keep everything fair and balanced? He is so angry that he is ready to explode. He most likely filled Zimmerman’s head with all his hatred…Is that what Zimmerman referred to in his message to Frank that he learned so much from him? I wonder if anyone is aware of his violent past…..Jjust like George Zimmerman’s….On the Nancy Grace show he made a comment about “his constituents’ !!!!! Of course, Nancy pounced on him and asked him if he considered himself an ‘elected’ official…..?????
I have been saying the same thing you guys have been saying, I said he is a wonderful witness for the prosecution. I do notice lately he is not throwing around words like, neighbor- HOOD, THUGS, etc. This is because Soledad Obrien put him up against the wall on his accusations and that he sees that his past is out there and everyone knows. I knew there was something about him. I am like a few others, I believe Taaffe is one of those people who like to blame others for problems in their lives instead of looking in the mirror. He is a two bit opportunist who could care less about Zimmerman, he will have a book written about all of this or will profit from this, you just wait and see.
Agree, I am sure that Taaffe very much enjoys blaming others for his problems. This goes hand-in-hand with Zimmerman’s refusal to take responsibility for what he did. Neither he, his family, or Taaffe has been able to bring themselves to state the simple fact that Zimmerman shot and killed a child. They say things like:
“That’s why George did what he did” (meaning killing Trayvon Martin)
“That’s why things got out of hand” (meaning killing Trayvon Martin)
“I am sorry you lost your son” (meaning I shot and killed your son)
There is one indisputable fact in this case. Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Yet none of them can bring themselves to say this. It’s an ugly statement, isn’t it, to state out loud that you shot and killed a child? It’s the ugly truth, however.
Frank Taaffe was there when TM was murdered. Listen to his words. Things got out of hand? If on only TM had “listened” and answered GZ questions and told him why he was in the neighborhood? How would he know all of what transpired word for word?You could not have known any of that unless you were there FT! GZ also speaks in code and what you quoted is exactly right! Why would he say he is sorry about FT’s son/ GZ has stated that he shot and killed TM. What he won’t say is on that night, he had accomplices. he tried to detain TM and TM fought him back. He became enraged and then he shot him in a rage. He further tired to insult this boy by kneeling on his back and checking “the suspect for weapons!” How despicable he is! He thinks that the prosecution does not know, but they have all of the information needed. Let’s see him answer the questions as to whom was in his truck that night. Why he was knocking on the doors of two certain witnesses??? The witness who heard TM yelling and beggin for his life?
Deborah, you may be right. However, the police arrived so quickly after the event, and there do not appear to be witnesses who describe Taaffe at the scene. I’m a scientist, so I usually take a lot of convincing.
I do believe that Taaffe is a racist, and he may have fed his bigotry to Zimmerman.
FRANK TAFFEE MAKES ME VOMIT.
Ha. That’s really my blog post summed up in 5 words. Good job Leah.
where was frank taffee the night trayvon was murdered? i know this is extreme, but with the new photos of the injury to the back of zimmerman’s head being released by an unknown party, makes me wonder if that person could indeed be Frank Taffee. Could he possibly have wanted his friend to get off so badly that he helped inflict injuries to make it look like self- defense? idk, just a conspiracy theorist i suppose.
Honestly, I think the police were there much too fast for Taaffe, who has proven himself to be an idiot, and Zimmerman (same) to have cooked up something like that. But I would not put that type of behavior past either one of them.
Could have Taaffe been there with Zimmerman all along? Just a thought. And also, why did Zimmerman say something about being sorry to Taaffe about his son?
I too have wondered “…if that person could indeed be Frank Taffee. Could he possibly have wanted his friend to get off so badly that he helped inflict injuries to make it look like self- defense?” I wonder?
Yes or they were self inflicted. GZ’s injuries are not consistent wtih one getting their head bashed against the grass or concrete! GZ did not go to any hospital that night to be treated. He refused. WHY? This is a man who stated that he was beatn within an inch of his life and that is why he shot TM. I am a NP. I have worked in a Level 1 Trauma Center for the last few years. I have been a Nurse for 22 yrs. If an individual has head injuries that indiividual is rushed t o a hospital, given a CT. Scan or an MRI. He is observed and treated for 48 hrs. An individual who has a head injury can lapse into a coma and die. Any first year resident can see thru this BS story and he knew that and that is why he didn’t go to a hospital! He knows full well the many tests that are given, photos and x-rays would be taken and any Doctor would testify as to the fact that his injuries are not consistent with his claims of self defense. He is a liar.He pursued, tried to detain fought this kid and shot him. He also had accomplices as well and all of that information will be revealed. GZ must think the prosecution is as stupid as he is! Frank Taaffe also must believe everyone is as racist and bigoted as he is. He was there and he had a lot to do with this crime.
http://bcclist.com/2012/03/27/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-map/
Check out the update for 4/26 on the link above. It appears Trayvon COULD have walked right by Mr. Taaffe’s back porch.
Taaffe sees Trayvon. Taaffe calls Zimmerman. Tragedy ensues.
BINGO! Check out Trent Sawyers tapes on Youtube! They are very revealing!
was frank taaffes son a drug addict who overdosed from perscription drugs maybe thats why he is so bitter against trayvon martin because his son wasnt shit
ouch! that stings! sounds like your a little bitter yourself:)
Sharon: Anything is possible in this case. You know FT has lost 2 sons. I feel sorry for the Mom because I am a Mom, but not FT! FT is a racist, bigot and an angry bitter man. He has no love for anyone including GZ! I believe he is responsible for GZ being in the trouble that he is in now! GZ needs to come clean about that night or he will be doing his prison time ALONE! If he had accomplices who somehow disappeared, he needs to tell or they need to speak up. The prosecution already has all of the information about night and they are still receiving more! Check out my posts on here. I have been listening and reviewing the 911 tapes and the tapes on Youtube by Trent Sawyer. You all may be skeptical and I understand that. I was at first too. I just couldn’t believe it when I heard other voices on the tape and at certain times a voice inside GZ’s truck? Who was that? Then TM begging for his life and crying and calling for his MOMMY? How heartless can you be to shot a kid begging for his life, but GZ and FT feel that a black kid is not even human. GZ didn’t care, With his mental instability he just snalpped. He could have fired a warning shot, and that would have kept TM there until the police arrived. If TM had kept running, SO WHAT? The cops would have caught up with him! Why was he in such a rage that he had to shoot this kid? What was TM doing? He shot him in the heart because he knew it would kill this kid instantly. All of the BS he states TM said is also BS! He is the one who made the statement, “You’re going to die tonight!” How the hell was he going to die tonight? Hitting him with his Ice Tea can? TM had no weapon! All of his friends and teachers say he was non confrontational. He was not about fighting. GZ is going down and anyone else who was involved with him has already been fired and is going down with him as well. He is not worth prison time! He is a mentally disturbed, paranoid, overzealous, obsessed man!
Deborah, I agree with most of what you say, at least in spirit. But I do have to clarify that if one receives firearms training, you are not taught to fire a warning shot. If you have unholstered your weapon, you are trained to shoot to kill. The idea of shooting at a limb or firing a warning shot is really not a strong argument, in my opinion.
And let me just state for the record that I’m a big proponent of gun control. This case is yet another reason for my position.
Agreed. I was in the Army so I know that you are trained to shoot to kill. GZ did not fire a warning shot. Why not? That would have scared the kid, and if he had still ran away, the cops would have found him. That is their job to do. GZ shot this kid because he wanted to! GZ was not a police man but he sure acted like he was one. I just think that he is a very mentally disturbed man who was coddled and his parents covered up for his imperfections. He shot a kid who tried to get away from him because he became enraged and angry when the kid wouldn’t answer his questions I believe. I also believe that GZ did not act alone either. There are voices in his truck that nght on the 911 tapes? If we lay people can hear those voices, so can the FBI and prosecution who have more sophiscated equipment.
I completely agree with your assessment of George Zimmerman. He is an insufferable a cop wannabe who without question followed Trayvon against the advice of the dispatcher. Zimmerman is a loser in all aspects of his life, and had to use hatred against other groups to puff himself up. He thought he was going to be a “hero” that night and instead he killed an innocent, unarmed 17-year-old. He has made it clear that he’s a complete wimp who lacks common sense, self-control, and intellect.
From an audio interview with one of GZ’s workplace colleagues, who was continually bullied by GZ, it appears GZ needs the validation of a person or group i.e. he does not have enough confidence in himself to validate himself. Your particular blog would corroborate the views of said colleague, as far as Frank Taaffe is concerned. In relation to that ‘perfect storm’, it appears Frank Taaffe was the Captain and crew that steered GZ to kill Trayvon Martin. It’s a shame Taaffe won’t be considered as a psychological accomplice to GZ’s crime.
Agree on all points. Zimmerman has a long history of blaming one racial/ethnic group or another for all of his problems, rather than looking in the mirror to see why he’s such a loser in life. Taaffe undoubtedly fanned those flames as Zimmerman’s “mentor”. And now we have Zimmerman’s wife Shelly saying that Zimmerman is a “role model”. It’s not difficult to see how, in such an environment, racial profiling becomes an acceptable and even laudable endeavor. The more this rat pack speaks, the clearer it becomes that Zimmerman was nurtured in a colony of racists.
You can also see the comments here by a person posting as Vincent Taaffe, one of Frank’s sons. I do have reason to believe that the poster may really be Frank’s son. This poster backs up the concept that Taaffe is a racist shitheel…a surprise to no one, really.
Wow. If you are really are Frank Taaffe son, then my prayers go out to you. I know what it is to suffer abuse, God Bless.
GZ is to stupid to do anything on his own and that is why I and many others believe that he had accomplices. He needs validation from others and he is the type to follow the crowd. Why he has remained sitlent is a mystery to me.
Let’s face it, SZ isn’t the epitome of credible referees, bearing in mind her arrest for perjury; she also isn’t the sharpest knife in the draw. Anyone who would defend the reprehensible behaviour of the Zimmerman clan, should in all honesty, be sectioned. NOTHING in this case, especially anything out of the mouth of GZ, makes any sense. EVERYTHING is suspect and up for a lengthy heated debate with Zimmerman supporters, who are probably racist or members of the NRA.
Again, I agree. I am hoping that somehow the biggest donors to Zimmerman’s lil Paypal account will be revealed at some point. I would not be surprised if a man of his character was accepting donations from the KKK, Stormfront, or similar. Natually he’ll claim that he didn’t know. More to the point is that he doesn’t care.
Yes indeed, that would be very interesting information; however, would the trustee of such funds legally have to divulge such information? I think not, therefore, unless they fall out with GZ etc, I suspect such disclosure will NOT be forthcoming.
I wouldn’t be surprised either, especially in light of his now defunct website, which showed a picture of a graffiti wall saying ‘LONG LIVE ZIMMERMAN’, spray painted on a community centre in an African-American neighbourhood. NO truly remorseful person would create a website, let alone write the self pitying rubbish he did. They smacked of a true racist, which I hope the FBI has full proof of, for all to see. I also remember there were no indirect apologies to Trayvon’s parents. Although I don’t believe he’s a sociopath, his behaviour thus far would point to some sort of mental dysfunction. As some Americans would say, I think he’s a bit touched.
Also, he can’t blame everything on his ADHD, which he takes medication for. As has been proven, as soon as questions, the detectives asked, got just a bit too difficult, he suddenly couldn’t remember. If GZ’s ADHD was so bad, how was it that he was able to keep down a job i.e. his last job?
Lastly, apropos to the Stand Your Ground statute, I’m of the belief that GZ didn’t defend himself enough against his ALLEGED attacker, since Trayvon Martin had NO bruises on this face, torso, abdomen, arms, back, or legs (only ONE bruise on one of his fingers), which would suggest that a grown man like GZ either could not defend himself against a 17 year old young man, OR he decided to use lethal force in the first instance instead of reasonable force; GZ did NOT have any bruises on his hands to denote a fist fight or defensive wounds. Strange that!
Oh, I totally agree regarding the release of information regarding donors. It’s just a hope. In this day and age, very little stays private. Where is WikiLeaks when we need them?
I don’t think Zimmerman is a sociopath. As demonstrated by F. Taaffe, Zimmerman’s thinking is all too common in the United States. Racial profiling and stereotyping are encouraged in his social sphere, it seems. I just think that Zimmerman is a sorry excuse for a human who has failed at every endeavor but can’t take responsibility for the fact that he has not achieved anything in life. Therefore, he must blame a scapegoat, and throughout his life, that scapegoat has been a shapeshifting entity (Mexican, Middle Eastern, or Black). Zimmerman is not very bright, and is a demonstrated liar. This is important, because when it comes to his trial, his word will have to be believed for him to walk. He’s already lied to the Martins in his self-serving non-apology apology, when he claimed that he thought Trayvon was a little younger than himself. This is directly refuted by Zimmerman’s original call to the police, when Zimmerman states that Trayvon is a teenager. Now he’s lied about his money. And in addition, his written statement is chockablock full of nonsense (ie he left his vehicle so he could find a street sign to tell him where he was, in a neighborhood that has only 3 streets).
Thank goodness Trayvon’s family stood their ground and came forward to put this in the public’s eye. It’s truly terrifying to think that this could’ve just been put away forever by a horde of incompetents.
I agree on all counts too! Trayvon’s family appear to be educated individuals, can’t say the same for the Zimmerman clan.
Nice chatting with you. Cheers!
P.S. Are you on Twitter?
Nice chatting with you as well, and thanks for stopping by.
I’m @skewedD on Twitter, but not very active.
It appears I am following already!
I agree with you, but to racists, even the most educated black individual is not thought of as human or intelligent by people like the Zimmermans. FT is an uneducated man and a racist but to a racist, they feel that they are better than even Barack Obama because of their white skin. Barack Obama is a Harvard and Columbia U graduate. A man who speaks eloquently, is polished, polite and articulate and extremely intelligent but you see how is treated by racists and even members of his own party.
@skeweddistribution – It’s amazing that your blog brings up a very important MISSING link to the Trayvon Martin (TM) murder. Recently it was discovered by watching the George Zimmerman (GZ) re-enactment video (27Feb-2012) on YouTube that GZ pointed out that the 1st contact with TM was at 1460 River View Circle. GZ told SPD Detective Chris Serino this in the video. GZ said TM was looking in the window and acting suspicious. Do you know who’s address that is?
Oh it gets worse! The SPD just released the DNA evidence on GZ’s gun’s grip, holster, and shirt. It has TWO genetic contributors but TM is not identified as one of them. Huh? Does that mean there was a THIRD person at the scene?
Oh no it even gets worse than that! The FIRST 911 call that night was a woman that saw a man standing or kneeling over somebody on the ground. He had a WHITE shirt on. But wait, TM and GZ did not have on a white shirt that night. She even asked the SPD officer that same question – who would have such a shirt on if the principles (GZ/TM) did not have on such a shirt?
And the coupe de grais is that she saw this JUST before hearing the fatal shot that killed TM. The DNA evidence was not OLD latent DNA from another day. They both were deposited on the 3 items at the same point in time. So it points to a 3rd person at the scene of the crime.
Do the math…. Do you smell a rat here too? Is GZ covering for someone? Does someone owe GZ a big favor for not fingering him? Who was so racially charged up over blacks being in the “hood” burglarizing homes? Who was waiting for the “perfect storm”?
Have you got there yet?
Huh. VERY interesting. Thanks for your post. I will check into this further. My Frank Taaffe post was meant to be a one-off, but thanks to people like you who are keeping me up-to-date, it may be worth another one!
I have been saying this all along! Check out the Trent Sawyer tapes on YouTube. GZ had accomplices that night. Why he is remaining silent about these people, I don’t know since he ran his mouth about everything else but that was when he thougth he would get away SCOT FREE! I totally agree with you on this. FT contacted GZ and the chase ensued! FT is involved in this along with a woman who was in GZ truck. I would not be going down for ANYONE! GZ needs to talk and answer the question!
A couple of things I noticed about the GZ case. Not having anything to do with Taffe. When GZ did his re-enactment of the shooting on video. Did you notice the HUGE bandages he had? One on the back of his head. One on his nose. When they released the close up photos of those injuries they were scratches. When the paramedic was called as a witness at the bond hearing he said he thought the injury on the back of GZ’s head may have needed stitches. Those scratches were no where near needing stitches! I could not believe it when he said that. Another thing that caught my attention was when GZ said that Travon had one hand over his nose and one hand covering his mouth. If someone had their hand over my mouth I would have opened my mouth and bit them as hard as I could to get them off of me. I wonder why George didn’t do that. I guess he thought shooting him was a better idea.
Vincent if you are Franks son. My prayers are also with you.
That is because GZ is full of it! I have been an NP for 22 yrs, in NY working in various specialites but the last few years in a Level 1 Trauma Center. When I saw those bandages I busted out laughing because you don’t dress wounds with those type of bandages! Not the kind of wounds he CLAIMS he sustained! His dumb wife wannabe nurse must have put them on his fat head! I showed a few other Nurses, Residents and seasoned Doctors, Surgeons etc,. his head every one of them stated along wtih me that GZ’s injuries are not consistent with him getting his head bashed against the ground! TM did not have any other injuries to his hand except a small cut on one of his fingers and he should have had injuries to his fingers if he was bashing his head against the ground along with blood on his hands, sleeves and jacket. TM’s hands did not reflect one who was bashing his head on the ground or the grass. Where was the blood, grass stains, and dirt on TM’s sleeves and why was his hands free of GZ’s blood? Why did Z refuse to go to the hospital to be treated by an experienced ENT, or a Neurologist and where was the insistence by his family and the police for him to go to the hospital where he would have received more extensive testing? What is he had lapsed into a coma and diied from his BS injuries? Do you knwow the type of injuries one sustains from a head bashing on the ground? He thinks we are stupid (his supporters are) but those of us with a brain knows damn well why he didn’t go to a hospital! He also needs to come clean about that night and who was in his truck with him. We hear her voice whispering GZ!
Well, Well, the information we’re hearing from Vincent Taaffe actually explains a lot. Sonofthunder, I am very interested in that DNA picture; I know you’ll stay on top of that one.
My initial belief was that the “struggle on the ground complete with HELP HELP and headbonk” was complete BULL. Now, it is strengthened. Taaffe’s first (that I saw) “public announcement” about this case was HIS little show-and-tell about how GEORGE “became the victim.” These are the sick fantasies of the abusers everywhere — how much they are victimized by their victims not agreeing to the victimization THEY feel is appropriately dished out by them.
I hope Vincent Taaffe and his sister approach the feds and offer to be thoroughly and I mean THOROUGHLY debriefed, because this is beginning to look more and more like a verifiable hate crime.
Yes, I had many suspicions about F. Taaffe right out of the gate, which V. Taaffe’s posts seem to confirm.
These people saw Exhibit DMS 21A and others (DNA evidence) and give a full commentary on the findings. They say you can actually see the state’s evidence on their web site axiomamnesia(dot)com (Change (dot) to a period with no spaces)
Here is the Florida DNA evidence mentioned:
http://www.tampacriminaldefense.com/images/FDLE-Lab-report.pdf
These people actually postulate that the evidence points to a 3 people with 1 UNSUB (unidentified subject) at the scene. Now who could that be? Think about it HARD and do the math… The Zimmerman’s have the nerve to call this man their “safety counselor”.
If anyone wants to contact the FBI Special Agent in Charge assigned to this case, please call
Steven E. Ibison:
5525 West Gray Street
Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: (813) 253-1000
E-mail: tampa.division[at]ic.fbi.gov
(replace [at] with @ symbol no spaces)
Thanks for stopping by again with more information. I watched the video, and honestly, I am struggling with this DNA evidence as support for a third person at the scene. DNA testing is so incredibly sensitive these days (ie “touch” DNA), that I think the mystery DNA on the gun and holster could easily be from someone who touched these items at an earlier time. With that said, it would be of interest to know if all of the mystery DNA is from the same person. That would be a quick way to at least rule out the presence of a third person (ie if the mystery DNA is from two different people, then this would be information that would indicate that a third person was probably not present). The technique for collecting the DNA would also be of interest.
I also think that with all of the witnesses we’d have heard more corroboration of three people at the scene. With that said, however, I find it deeply compelling that according to Zimmerman, Trayvon was first spotted at none other than Frank Taaffe’s house. It seems like too much of a coincidence. Did F. Taaffe call Zimmerman and tell him to stalk “a young black male”? If so, that might explain why he’s been so busy trying to defend his friend. After all, if this were the case, Taaffe is the one who set the events in motion.
Just wanted to let you know that if comments aren’t approved right away it’s because I’m busy at work or home. I try to get to them as quickly as possible but some days I have more time than others.
Vincent Taaffe is a very real person. He lives in Florida, has had run ins with the law, and is/was a US Federal employee. His brother did die of a drug overdose. His sister is a US Marine. His father is a very dangerous man. I just don’t think anyone is aimed at him just yet. He’s been putting his foot in his mouth recently on TV. Soledad Obrien really showed him out to be a big phony.
I know Vincent Taaffe is a real person; the only thing I wasn’t 100% sure of was whether it was he who was posting here. I’m about 99% sure it is him, but I’m waiting for more confirmation.
I sincerely believe that the dna contributors were concurrent and not at an earlier time ruling out Shellie Zimmerman. I’m pretty sure if the fbi saic takes frank’s sample it will be a 100% match. There was not enough gun residue on gz for him to be the shooter. I think a lineup of white men with white tee shirts will allow the female eyewitness to finger frank.
The reason why I feel vinnie is legit as the poster knows too much about frank and his kids. Also he has a Facebook Page and his photo matches his mugshot from when he was a bad boy last year.
Where is frank these days? I think there is enough here for a warrant today!
It could be concurrent, I can’t say one way or the other. But I would think that a texture like that found on a gun grip might “trap” DNA that could be quite old. However, it is a problem that they have an unidentified third person’s DNA on the gun no matter how we slice it. I would really like to know if mystery gun DNA matches mystery holster DNA matches mystery shirt DNA.
I tend to agree that Vincent is the real deal, but I am always cautious. It’s an occupational hazard…plus people do really weird shit on the internet.
OMG you people are are all nuts, Vincent and his sister are being paid money by F. Taaffe’s ex-wife to contibute to this blog. They have used you your site for revenge. This is all very sickening, yes you are truly skwed!!!
You think we are nuts and yet you mosey on over here and claim that Taaffe’s son was paid to post here? Got any evidence to back that up? And more to the point, why? Why would anyone pay anyone to post here? F. Taaffe does not need anyone’s help to make him look bad. He’s doing quite well by himself on that front, especially by stating that he is enjoying his notoriety as America’s least favorite racist.
The dna evidence is in the link I provided and it clearly rules out trayvon on the pistol grip and George only shows up once. The other contributor is a unsub or unidentified subject. Since they were deposited at the same time it rules out an earlier touch unless Shellie was at the scene. She would be the only one to have touched it earlier… logically that is… a concealed pistol is not a show everybody object. This pretty much puts a 3rd person at the scene. The 1st 911 caller puts a 3rd person on scene. Do the math…
——————————–
Btw fwiw
FYI… Gz had a carry permit but NOT conceal. Yet his pistol was concealed under his jacket in his waistband by his own admission. What a thug!
Are we sure the DNA was deposited at the same time? I may have missed that…let me know how that was determined. It would be helpful to know how the samples were collected. I am not aware of a way to tell when DNA is deposited unless you had mixed blood, for example.
I had no idea that Zimmerman did not have a concealed carry permit. Is this one of the charges against him? What kind of offense is that in Florida (probably a misdemeanor if it’s a crime at all)? One thing I will always agree with you on: Zimmerman is a thug. And a coward. And a liar. And a no-good loser. And a murderer, whether his jury eventually agrees or not.
I think that it’s his proven lying that may ultimately result in a conviction. In order to find that he acted in self-defense, the jury has to believe him. And why would they? His story has many holes in it, and he actually lied in court already–at least two times that we know of. Then again, Florida jurors did let another well-documented liar walk just a little over a year ago…
I think the report (http://www.tampacriminaldefense.com/images/FDLE-Lab-report.pdf) said the grip DNA sample for the gun grip was in fact blood. I think they said it was “mixed” with two individuals. One GZ and the second UNKNOWN. They ruled out Trayvon on that sample (i.e. DMS-21A). It was collected by swap and exposed to PCR (polymerase chain reaction). You are right you can not detect age of the sample with the DNA analysis. But in this case it was a mixed blood sample. Also one would think that a gun nut like GZ would clean his gun a lot. I don’t think a DNA blood sample would be that old with his gun. I also don’t see his wife handling the gun earlier. Shellie doesn’t seem impressed with guns (just a guess). Who else would have touched it earlier?
The conceal permit thing was pointed out by Detective Chris Serino. He felt GZ was lying about TM “finding” his pistol concealed under his jacket inside his waistband as he knew his permit was not a conceal permit. GZ was under requirement to keep his pistol visible at all times so TM would have seen it right away. No SPD did not press charges on a permit violation. They did not do a lot of things they should have.
What you say in your last paragraph above is VERY true. That’s why many of us here and at the Turley blog feel that GZ and crew are about to “bounce” (i.e. exfiltrate) as they spoke about it in their prison tape phone convo – I posted it on the blog. They discussed getting a safe house out at Sanford Int’l Airport in direct violation of Judge Lester’s instructions.
I have a funny feeling they’ll be ordering a GPS spoofer/jammer in Miami soon. Why? Do the math…
skeweddistribution – I can pretty much assure you that this is NOT F.T. If it was do you think his only response would be to what Vinnie said earlier? What about the accusations that were mentioned about him being a potential accomplice? I am very familiar with the mentally challenged and Vinnie shows NO signs of what this guy says. His Facebook page depicts him as the polar opposite of what this guy says. Also schizophrenics who use Internet tend to come up with paranoid-based fantastic conspiracy theories that have absolutely no basis in logic. Soldiers/sailors with acute PTSD have little time for Internet. Being that Vinnie is the approximate age as GZ, what PTSD-inspiring scenarios could he have been in overseas recently? He is listed as a DoD employee in Central Florida not disabled military personnel. His arrest records mention nothing of a military connection. If this guy is actually F.T. then he is just trying out his spin-control skills on the Internet in my opinion. If I were him I would distance myself from GZ and Shellie and prepare for a very unwelcome visitation from LEO.
I watched Trent’s video with great interest and while I don’t agree with all his conclusions, its clear he put in a lot of work. For the first time the light show inside the clubhouse made sense to me.
The problem for serious researchers and those trying to do a study is that George has changed his story several times. I certainly don’t know the answers.
One of you said that Taaffe “inserted” himself into the story.. I agree.. And, he’s a completely unaware racist. I agree. Beyond that he’s just a pathetic buffoon.. of no importance at all IMO.
As for what George could have done.. like shooting in the air.. I have NO patience with that. George could have simply said, “I am with Neighborhood Watch, do you live around here?”
There is simply no excuse for George’s stupidity. No excuse for putting his Walter Mitty fantasies ahead of Trayvon’s rights and the sanctity of Trayvon’s life. … no excuse for all the rash assumptions he made about Trayvon. The truth IMO.. is that George would have killed some young black man sooner of later.
I sometimes walk in the evenings. I sometimes wear a hoodie. I live in a gated community that is very diverse and since there is a metro line outside the gates, young people and students walk at all hours in all sorts of weather. I speak.. “good evening”.
I am a white senior citizen and female.
This was a cruel and unjust crime..
Its imperative that George be convicted of murder 2.
Hi Vincent,
Wow. Is there any way I can verify anything you have said here regarding your identity? I would be more than happy to give you a forum to speak out about this if I can verify that you are, in fact, Frank Taaffe’s son. You can email me at skewedistribution_at_gmail_dot_com if you want to continue the conversation offline. Look forward to hearing from you.
Vincent,
I am truly sorry to hear all of this. As a blogger it is sometimes easy to forget that people who appear in the media are real people who have damaged other real people in their lives. It seems that your family has been sharply divided for quite some time and that Frank Taaffe may have done some real harm to those around him. I feel for you and for your siblings.
Thank you for stopping by.
damn vincent im sorry to hear that you went through all that may peace be with you
Sigh. Is this the real Frank Taaffe? There is quite a cottage industry of fake ones these days. Please email me at skewedistribution_at_gmail_dot_com to confirm. Otherwise this will probably be your last post here. However, if it is really you then I am curious to know why, instead of denying that you are a racist, you instead choose to attack your own son.