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George Zimmerman witness errs on Twitter testimony

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Photo: Jenna Lauer / Twitter.com

A former neighbor of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman falsely said under oath that she did not follow the accused’s brother on a social media website, raising questions as to the accuracy and truthfulness of her testimony.

State witness Jenna Lauer testified on Thursday that she did not follow Zimmerman’s brother Robert Zimmerman, Jr. on the microblogging website Twitter. When shown an image of her Twitter account during cross-examination by the defense, Lauer said she was “very careful” not to follow any reports or account on social media regarding Zimmerman’s case.

A review of Lauer’s Twitter account by The Desk after her testimony revealed that the witness followed 112 people (mostly celebrities). Listed under the accounts Lauer followed was @rzimmermanjr, the account for Robert Zimmerman, Jr.

The revelation would contradict Lauer’s sworn testimony. It’s unclear if Lauer deliberately or mistakenly followed Zimmerman’s account.

Lauer’s account jumped from 64 followers to over 300 on Thursday before it was shut down for unknown reasons.

Lauer is subject to recall as a witness. If Lauer deliberately made a false statement while under oath, she could be charged in violation of Florida Code 837.02, which makes lying during an official proceeding a felonious offense.

See a photo of Lauer’s account before it was removed

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

Email: [email protected] | Signal: 530-507-8380