Just a week after George Zimmerman launched a new website seeking donations to help with his legal fees, his parents, Robert and Gladys Zimmerman, have followed suit. The parents of the neighborhood watch captain turned alleged murderer unveiled their website, documenting their own experiences with the social and media frenzy surrounding the case.
The site, RobertandGladys.com, is updated by Robert Zimmerman himself, who created it not only to help defend his son’s public image, but also to seek words of advice and donations related to the cost of relocation and living expenses of the older couple.
The parents claim that their son has been “savagely portrayed” in the media following the shooting of Trayvon Martin in February, and that they have suffered a number of death threats, including one that promised to kill anyone with Zimmerman’s DNA.
“Immediately following the events of February 26th, attorneys, media consultants, and numerous others with self-serving interests, took every opportunity to vilify George,” wrote Robert Zimmerman, who was a former Virginia magistrate. “The media was quick to fan the flames of hatred towards George and the entire Zimmerman family.”
This alleged campaign of hate struck the Zimmerman’s at home, when television star Roseanne Barr helped to transmit the Zimmermans’ address and phone number to the public. Robert and Gladys, along with George Zimmerman’s grandmother Cristina, were forced to relocate soon after due to harassment and threats. Earlier in February, Robert was hospitalized for a week with heart and spine troubles, while Cristina was hospitalized due to her on going struggles with Alzheimer’s. Both were forced to forgo treatment when they fled their home.
Robert Zimmerman asserts that the site is not related to Zimmerman’s own legal funding or defense, but is focused on the family’s stability. The site will not feature legal updates on the murder trial. “Because George still is facing a murder charge, I can not freely discuss his pending case,” Zimmerman notes. “However, I assure everyone that the time will soon come when the truth will be presented, both about February 26th and the unbelievable, highly orchestrated events following that date.”
