I have begun to believe that Trayvon did try to go home. Over a year ago in the locked threads, Concerned Papa and I discussed the timeline and distances.
I went back to those threads and then remeasured the distances and re-figured the times in light of the timeline. Here is what I came up with:
Here's what works for me for the timing:
Martin's path was the shortest route to get back to where he was staying. If he took a shortcut between townhouses to get off the main road, then walked to the mail boxes next to the club house he would have passed Zimmerman just as Zimmerman told the operator "He's coming to check me out." at 19:10:50. Martin told his friend that he was taking shelter - probably under the mailbox structure - then talked to her about the "creepy *advertiser censored* cracker" watching him. He told her he was going to run and their call dropped before 19:12. Zimmerman said "He's running" at 19:11:40.
At 19:11:48 Zimmerman slams his car door. The dispatcher hears that and wind noises, asks if Zimmerman is following. At 19:12:12 Zimmerman says OK when told he doesn't need to follow. A minute and forty three second later, Zimmerman's call ends at 19:13:45.
During his video taped walk through the day after the shooting, Zimmerman claims he stayed on the phone while walking across the block to look for a street number (and claims that is because the dispatcher asked him for one which was a lie) and while he was walking back Martin jumped him. The timing does NOT work.
This distance from Zimmerman's truck, across that block then back to where he claims Martin jumped him is 330, average walking speed would cover that in 75 seconds. Zimmerman would have been jumped before he got off the phone with Sanford PD and minutes before the 911 calls began and the shot was heard.
The distance from the mailboxes to the sidewalk T is a little over 400 feet, the distance from the T to where Martin was staying is about the same. It would take about 90 seconds to cover each distance at a walk. Martin could have been home by 19:15 if all he had done was walk - but after their last call connected at 19:12 he told his friend he'd lost the guy and he was almost home, then said the guy was following again.
I think Zimmerman either walked or drove to the end of the block and Martin saw him and turned back up the path to get away from his stalker. I suspect Zimmerman drove to the end of the block, towards the rear entrance where he'd told the dispatcher the "suspect" was running. Martin could have easily seen Zimmerman's truck as it passed (or paused) the end of the sidewalk. Zimmerman could have seen Martin - maybe he turned his truck so the headlights shined down the sidewalk.
Zimmerman then doubled back to intercept Martin at the other end of the block. If the extra distance and time is added to when Zimmerman said Martin ran from the mailboxes, that puts the two of them back at the T at just after 19:16 - the same time Martin's last call was disconnected, right when the first 911 call about the yelling begins and the right timing for the shot to be fired and Officer Smith to be notified of a shot fired at 19:17:11.
One of the constant refrains has been "Why didn't Martin just go home?" This scenario explains it - he was trying to just go straight home, but Zimmerman was stalking him and Martin doubled back to try to avoid the "creepy *advertiser censored* cracker".
Every bit of this is my theory an my opinion, from the times I measured from the recording of Zimmerman's call to NEN, my measurements of distances from Google Earth, my figures based on average walking speed, etc.
My opinion and just my opinion!
By the way, this STILL does not explain who started the physical confrontation, which seems to the determinate factor whether Zimmerman is culpable for second degree murder.
