Sanford residents say George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case more than a trial

Residents say Martin's death is among the unresolved murders in Sanford

SANFORD, Fla. – The city of Sanford is making final preparations for the George Zimmerman trial, which residents say is a critical moment for their city.

Residents say the Zimmerman trial goes beyond 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's death and that a lot is on the line with Zimmerman's fate.

"Quite a bit has been going on in Sanford and there are a lot of people that are angry about things that have been going on in the city," said Faye Henderson of the Sanford Museum and Welcome Center.

Terri Moore, who was born and raised in Sanford, says the trial represents not only  Martin's death but all of the unsolved murders in Sanford that residents feel police  didn't do enough.

"Trayvon's not the first black boy who's been killed in Florida. Especially here in Sanford we have young kids killed everyday," Moore said.

While it may not happen every day, the crime has gotten the community's attention. At the memorial in the center of Sanford, the names of the victims of unresolved murders are prominently displayed, with Martin's at the top.

Some believe that, whether it's right or wrong, portions of their community are pinning years of perceived injustices on a single trial--Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial.

"We're getting to the point now that we're trying to have trust in our police department again," said resident Cindy Philemon. "So it's like if we don't have trust in our police department and then we don't have trust in the government system then we will really be in trouble."
Zimmerman's trial is set to begin June 10. He has claimed self-defense in Martin's death in February 2012.