Zimmerman charged with murder, now in custody.

George Zimmerman has been formally charged with second degree murder. Special prosecutor, Angela B. Corey announced the charges during a special press conference at 6PM EDT on Wednesday. He is also reported to be in custody.

JACKSONVILLE, FL (Catholic Online) - The announcement comes after Corey said she would not convene the Florida Grand Jury and she would personally make the decision if Zimmerman should be charged.

That Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin there is no question. What remains a mystery are the circumstances of the killing. Martin's family and supporters claim the evidence shows Zimmerman was an overzealous neighborhood watch captain who felt Martin looked suspicious. They further accuse Zimmerman of provoking a confrontation that led to the fatal shooting.

Zimmerman contends that after he approached Martin, he was assaulted and injured provoking his use of deadly force to protect himself. 

Under Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law, Zimmerman may not be guilty of a crime if he can show that Martin assaulted him. 

Meanwhile, the public has been galvanized by the details of the case which include dramatic 9-1-1 calls made by area residents and Zimmerman himself. Low-quality video footage which many have studied to determining if Zimmerman possessed injuries consistent with his story, remains inconclusive. 

Zimmerman has set up a website to solicit donations for his pending legal defense. There is no word how much money he has raised via the site. Zimmerman's legal team has also quit his case saying they are worried about Zimmerman's state of mind and the possibility that he had spoken to Corey without their approval. 

Zimmerman has hired a new attorney to represent him against the criminal charges he now faces. 

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