The George Zimmerman
Trial: Testimony of Selene Bahadoor (June
25, 2013)
Bahadoor
testified that she saw the scuffle outside her
home and heard a gun shot. (Getty
images)
6/25/2013
Excerpts from
cross-examination:
MARK O`MARA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: So you`re at the
kitchen cooking, right? And you hear some noise.
Is that the first thing that causes you to have
some attention to what was going on out there on
February 26, 2012?
SELENE BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. Nobody else was there with you,
right? Your sister was in the -- in the
apartment but not right there in the kitchen
with you, right?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Nor was your niece? She was upstairs
with a friend?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: As we talk about your sister, she never
saw or heard anything about this, did she?
BAHADOOR: I don`t know what she saw.
O`MARA: Well, you were there, right? Was she?
BAHADOOR: She was upstairs. I was downstairs.
O`MARA: She would not have seen anything from
the perspective that you had seen it, correct?
She didn`t see it from downstairs at least,
right?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: So that, were she to come in and say
that she saw anything about this event from the
downstairs area, that would not be true?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: Did she tell you that she duplicated
your story as to what happened out there that
night?
BAHADOOR: What do you mean?
O`MARA: When you talked to her, as you said you
did, did your sister tell you that she didn`t
see anything but was going to say that she did?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Object at this point as to
hearsay, as to what she told her.
JUDGE DEBRA NELSON: Sustained.
O`MARA: So you`re talking now about cooking, and
you hear a noise. What - - tell me the noise
again.
BAHADOOR: It sounded like "no" or "uhhh" or
something -- something along that line.
O`MARA: OK. And what did you do in response to
that?
BAHADOOR: Looked out the window.
O`MARA: And you...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you repeat your
answer?
BAHADOOR: Looked out the window.
O`MARA: And you couldn`t see anything, correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: And why was that?
BAHADOOR: Because it was dark.
O`MARA: All right. Now, we`ve spent some time
showing the jury sort of where you are. You are
to orient us without using the map for a moment.
If you go out your door and look off to your
left -- I`m sorry, your right, across the path,
that`s where John Good lives?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And then beyond that is Miss Lauer,
correct?
BAHADOOR: I don`t know who that is.
O`MARA: OK. So as you`re looking now across that
area, it is too dark for you to see anybody? Is
that accurate?
BAHADOOR: What do you mean?
O`MARA: The first time, when you looked out the
first time, you heard a noise, caught your
attention. You looked out the window, and you
couldn`t see anything because it was too dark.
Is that accurate?
BAHADOOR: I couldn`t identify figures. I
couldn`t identify who it was out there.
O`MARA: Could you even tell that it was people
at that point?
BAHADOOR: I could tell it was people.
O`MARA: And how far away were they from you?
BAHADOOR: They were a house down and over.
O`MARA: A house down and over. Would that put
then -- when you say a house down, we`re talking
towards the now known as the "T" intersection?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And when you say over, you mean towards
John Good`s apartment?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: On the other side of the path?
BAHADOOR: It was in the pathway.
O`MARA: At the pathway?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: But right out in front of John Good`s
door, is that accurate?
BAHADOOR: At the time I first saw, it was in the
pathway.
O`MARA: Right out from John Good`s door,
correct?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. If I might approach the display,
your honor.
NELSON: Yes, you may.
O`MARA: If you can do this in a way that we can
all see it, hopefully. This is you, of course,
right?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: You came out here and looked -- I`m
sorry, you looked through a window. Is that
accurate?
BAHADOOR: I initially looked through the window.
O`MARA: Where is the window, if you can just
point to the window?
BAHADOOR: There.
O`MARA: So you looked out this window here,
correct?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And this is -- what is this right here?
BAHADOOR: That`s the fenced-in porch.
O`MARA: The screened-in enclosure?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: With a screen?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Any shades or blinds on it?
BAHADOOR: No.
O`MARA: So you looked through here, correct? Is
that about this area here? Who lives here? Is
that John Good?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. And you said that they were a house
down and across the path? Is that your
testimony?
BAHADOOR: A house down and in the pathway.
O`MARA: Let me ask you this. Did you see the
people? Were they about here when you saw them?
Could that be right?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. So they could have been right there
when you first saw these people?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: That I think you said you heard -- you
saw flailing.
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: You couldn`t tell if they were standing
up or laying down, right?
O`MARA: It looked erect to you?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: What do you mean by that?
BAHADOOR: They looked standing.
O`MARA: Did one of them look standing or both of
them? Let me ask you this way: could one have
been on top of the other, kneeling down over
him, maybe like this?
BAHADOOR: I couldn`t determine that.
O`MARA: Could they be like this?
BAHADOOR: I couldn`t determine that.
O`MARA: OK. Too dark?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And it was at that time -- well, when
you first looked out, we just talked about that,
then a few -- did you say -- I don`t mean to
jump around on you, but at some point you moved
over towards the sliding glass door, I think you
said about 15 seconds later or so?
BAHADOOR: When I saw the individuals, I was at
the sliding glass door. I didn`t see anybody in
front of the window.
O`MARA: I apologize. I thought we were just
talking about what you saw out the window. So
out the window you saw nothing?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: And only the second time -- so you saw
nothing. The second time when you went to the
sliding glass door is when you saw the people
where we just identified?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. It was at that time that you heard
John Good say something to them?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. And I think what you said he said
was, "I`m calling the police" or words such as
that, right?
BAHADOOR: Something to that, yes.
O`MARA: OK. And then what did you do next?
BAHADOOR: After he said that, I went back to
take the stove off.
O`MARA: OK. Didn`t do anything else related to
this particular event going on outside until you
heard a noise now identified as a gunshot, is
that correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: You didn`t see anything else, didn`t
even look to see anything else, correct?
BAHADOOR: Not when I went back to the stove.
O`MARA: All right. Let`s just follow that train
of thought for a moment. When you went back,
what did you do when you heard the gunshot?
BAHADOOR: I looked out -- looked out the sliding
glass door, let the dog in, went upstairs.
O`MARA: Was that the second time you looked out
the sliding glass door?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: OK. And what did you see then?
BAHADOOR: It was a body.
O`MARA: OK. What else?
BAHADOOR: That`s all I remember.
O`MARA: Just one body?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Did you see a man with a flashlight?
BAHADOOR: No.
O`MARA: Did you see Mr. Zimmerman staggering
about?
BAHADOOR: No.
O`MARA: Light`s still quite poor?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And at that point, having heard the
gunshot, you just sort of retreated and went
back upstairs where your sister was?
BAHADOOR: Yes....
O`MARA: When is the first time you gave a
statement to anyone about this?
BAHADOOR: The first time I gave a statement was
the community had a town hall about the event.
O`MARA: OK.
BAHADOOR: And I gave a statement that day.
O`MARA: I`m just -- you know that you witnessed
a shooting on February 26, correct?
BAHADOOR: I didn`t think what I saw was
significant or what I heard was significant.
O`MARA: OK. You found out the next day that
there was a shooting, right?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: And you know that you had at least saw
some of it, correct?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Did you like, in the Facebook term,
"Justice for Trayvon Martin," the page?
BAHADOOR: Probably, yes.
O`MARA: OK. Just curious. Would that be accurate
in suggesting that you certainly have a feeling
of sympathy for the Martin family?
BAHADOOR: I have sympathy for both.
O`MARA: OK. But you liked the Trayvon Martin --
"Justice for Trayvon Martin" Facebook, you
didn`t like the George Zimmerman Facebook, did
you, like in the Facebook terminology?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: So with sympathy for both, why did you
not do both and just do the "Justice for
Trayvon" page?
BAHADOOR: The opportunity didn`t present itself.
O`MARA: Would you take a look at that and tell
me if you could identify it.
SELENE BAHADOOR, WITNESS: Yes.
O`MARA: What is that?
BAHADOOR: A drawing, a sketch I did.
O`MARA: That`s what you did, correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: Is that accurate -- is that an accurate
copy of the sketch that you drew for the
officers?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Any changes on it except for the
addition of the exhibit?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: It`s correct, isn`t it?
BAHADOOR: Yes, it`s correct.
O`MARA: I would move this into evidence, your
honor? Now being identified by our witness as
the sketches she drew.
NELSON: Ok. Any objections?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Same objection, your honor,
in terms of that we previously discussed.
NELSON: Ok. Well, please approach...
O`MARA: If I may approach the witness.
NELSON: Yes, you may.
O`MARA: This is now in evidence. I`d like to ask
you some questions about it. Firstly, can you
tell me the date that you prepared that?
BAHADOOR: It`s dated March 20, 2012.
O`MARA: If you could, just describe what that is
intending to show.
BAHADOOR: Where my house is located in reference
to where I believe I saw arms.
NELSON: I believe I saw?
BAHADOOR: Arms.
O`MARA: I see a notation of arms identified on
that document. If I`m looking at it with the
orientation of the writing, top left corner is
your house, correct? That`s the house that we`ve
been talking about?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: And then you look across the pathway to
what you have is the second house that you`ve
identified as John Goode`s house, correct?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Then I see a hedge, and then the second
house screen, correct?
BAHADOOR: And house screen.
O`MARA: And house screen, sorry. Thought that
was a two. And that is in fact the end of that
row of houses, correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
O`MARA: And this is a picture of what you saw
the only time you saw people out there, correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
(CROSSTALK)
O`MARA: You had stated on a previous occasion
that you could not make out any words whatsoever
from what you heard outside, is that correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct. The only word I can remember
was "no".
O`MARA: Or an "ohhh-ahhh" kind of sound.
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Could they have -- were they screams?
BAHADOOR: It was a screaming noise with that
sound.
O`MARA: You have heard -- I am presuming what we
now identify as the 911 call, correct? Have you
ever heard that tape?
BAHADOOR: On the media.
O`MARA: On the media?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Ok. You heard the screams in the
background.
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Were those screams similar to the
screams that you say that you heard? Or are they
different?
BAHADOOR: They`re similar.
O`MARA: Could they in fact have been the same
screams?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Again, just a moment, your honor.
(inaudible)
O`MARA: You have testified about the word
"flailing" and then I note also on your sketch
you mention the word "arms". Can you tell us a
bit more about what you saw when you saw arms
flailing?
BAHADOOR: I just saw arms moving up and down.
O`MARA: Like this?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Is that -- and I moved for the jury`s
benefit, my arms up and down in this type of a
movement.
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Don`t say yes just because I did it. If
it was something different, tell me it`s
different. But is that what you saw, up and
down?
BAHADOOR: It was more like this.
O`MARA: Ok.
BAHADOOR: Fast pace.
O`MARA: Ok.
BAHADOOR: I was only doing it so they could
bring attention to what had happened.
O`MARA: Which was that you thought George
Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin --
BAHADOOR: I never said that.
O`MARA: -- and he should be prosecuted for it,
right?
BAHADOOR: I never said that.
O`MARA: Why did you sign the petition at
change.org that said I`m hereby in favor, by
signing the petition, of prosecute the killer of
our son`s 17 year-old Trayvon Martin. You did
sign that petition, right? I`ll show you your
Facebook --
BAHADOOR: I did like. So saying "like" means I
signed the petition?
O`MARA: No, no, no. In addition to liking I`m
asking you now, if you signed the change.org
petition? May I approach the witness, your
honor?
NELSON: Yes, you may. Show it to counsel,
please.
O`MARA: Let me show you this. First of all, it`s
your Facebook, correct? That`s your page?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
O`MARA: Tell me what that says right --
BAHADOOR: You`re blocking my view.
O`MARA: Sorry. Tell me what that says on your
Facebook front page right there, just read that.
BAHADOOR: "Prosecute the killer of our son,
17-year-old Trayvon Martin, sign the petition."
O`MARA: Thank you. One last thing. Since this
only came up today for the first time that you
talked to anybody about it, how did you know to
answer Mr. de la Rionda`s questions in a way
that got out information -
Re-direct Examination:
BERNIE DE LA RIONDA, PROSECUTOR: With the
court`s permission, may I approach the witness?
(inaudible)
NELSON: Yes, you may.
DE LA RIONDA: For the purpose of the record, I`m
going to be showing the witness what`s been
marked just for identification purposes as M
like in Mary, N like in Nancy and O like in
Oscar. Ma`am, I`m going to show you those three
exhibits, starting off with N like in Nancy, M
like in Mary and O like in Oscar.
Mr. O`Mara. Before I get into that, this
happened back in February 26 of 2012, correct?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: And Mr. O`Mara asked you about
that you came forward I believe is when they had
a town hall meeting like in a retreat at Twin
Lakes, the club house, the police were asking if
anybody has seen anything. Is that correct?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Ok. So when it originally
happened, you didn`t go out there and say hey I
want to be a witness and I want to get on
national TV, did you?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: You wanted to remain silent, you
didn`t want to get involved at all, is that
true?
BAHADOOR: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: Now, regarding the one portion
that Mr. O`Mara repeatedly asked you when he
asked you to reference the three documents that
you have in front of you, I believe they`re M
like in Mary, N like in Nancy and O like in
Oscar. I believe N that is in front of you is
the statement that you gave -- a transcript of
the statement that you gave investigator Chris
Sereno.
Did investigator Chris Sereno he ever ask you
the movement that you saw when you described on
page two specifically when you said I heard
noise, it was screaming noise and I thought it
was kids playing in the back as they normally
do. And then it sounded like somebody was saying
either "no" or "huh", and they were running in
the back.
Did Mr. Sereno specifically say, when they were
running, "Tell me which direction were they
running," did he ever ask you that?
BAHADOOR: No.
DE LA RIONDA: Ma`am now what I want to reference
the next part is, the investigator -- I`m sorry,
that should be exhibit M in front of you, like
Mary. When you were asked again about -- by
investigator John Bachelor with the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement, to draw a
picture, do you recall that? And they asked you
in terms of the arms flailing, did that
investigator ask you at any time when you
described the running or what occurred to tell
him which way the running was from left to right
or right to left, did they ever ask you that?
BAHADOOR: No.
DE LA RIONDA: Ok. And finally, ma`am, in the
deposition that Mr. West took where I was
present and where Mr. O`Mara was present, and
that should be in state`s -- defense -- I`m
sorry, what`s been marked for identification
purposes defense exhibit O, the thick one that I
believe is a total of 30 -- let me get it right
-- 31 pages. On page 5 of that deposition, you
see there at the top, when you stated "I was in
the kitchen cooking dinner, I heard some running
and garbled screams. That`s what caught my
attention." Question, "did the runs and garbled
screams seem to be happening at the same time?"
"Yes."
Did Mr. West or Mr. O`Mara ever ask you what
direction was the running, from left to right or
right to left?
BAHADOOR: No....
DE LA RIONDA: You stated "It sounded just like
running, so I would say yes, it sounded like
feet on the ground." Do you recall that answer
you gave?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Did Mr. O`Mara or did Mr. West
ever ask you which direction was the running
coming from?
BAHADOOR: No.
DE LA RIONDA: Do you recall in that same
deposition stating, when being asked, do you
distinguish any words, specifically on page five
of that deposition, and you saying in terms of
no, the only word you heard was "No." Do you
recall that?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: I want to reference that same
deposition on page ten, ma`am, your answer in
terms of being described what was going on when
the figures were up there. It looked like they
were standing position. They were bent over,
standing over straight. Do you recall giving
that answer on page number ten -- I`m sorry,
page ten under number five through nine. Do you
recall stating it looked like they were in a
standing position?
BAHADOOR: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Ok.
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