If the iPad that was destroyed during the altercation between George Zimmerman and his wife Shellie is carrying evidence that would lead police to press charges it may be months before they are able to extract that evidence from the battered device, according to CNN.
George Zimmerman, who was recently acquitted of murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and his wife are going through a divorce. When Shellie showed up at George's residence with her father to pick up her possessions a confrontation ensued.
In a frantic 911 call Shellie claimed that George had pulled a gun and had punched her father in the face; she would later rescind those claims.
Police believe that Shellie was able to video parts of the argument on her iPad before it was allegedly destroyed by George and are hoping to be able to retrieve the video to decide whether or not to press charges. In Florida it does not matter if the victim in a domestic case chooses not to press charges, if the police believe a crime happened they can go forward with charges.
Police investigators are learning that it may be very difficult to retrieve any images from the iPad; it has suffered physical breakage as well as chip damage, according to CNN.
"At this point, we do not have the tools available to effectively look at the video on the iPad," Zach Hudson, spokesman for the Lake Mary Police Department," said. "We're doing everything humanly possible in investing as much as physically possible to get that video. As it stands now, we don't see a crime."
The Daily Mail has published photos of the damaged iPad as well as a photo of David Dean, Shellie Zimmerman's father, showing a cut on the bridge of his nose. The photo backs up the original claim that Zimmerman punched Dean. The photos can be seen at this link.
