George Zimmerman, who shot dead the Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, is $2.5m in debt and no income, according to court documents.
Zimmerman’s finances were made public as part of a misdemeanor stalking case where he is accused of sending threatening text messages to a private investigator. Zimmerman filed paperwork about his financial situation in the case, listing that he is unemployed and has no money in cash, bank accounts or equity on property.
He is being represented by a public defender in the case in Florida involving the private investigator, Dennis Warren, who had contacted Zimmerman about a documentary series on Martin produced by Jay-Z. Zimmerman sent Warren several calls and texts in December, according to police.
In a two-hour period on 16 December, Zimmerman called Warren 21 times, sent him 38 text messages and left seven voicemails, according to local news channel WKMG.
In July 2013, Zimmerman was acquitted of a second-degree murder charge for the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon, an event that sparked widespread outrage and was a huge factor in spurring the Black Lives Matter movement.
Trayvon’s family said this week that they are owed $150,000 by the Weinstein Company, which they say entered into a deal to purchase rights to a possible movie and TV series based on a book about their son, Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin.