More complete timeline:
TIMELINE: Short Version
Based on my analysis of the following FULL version of Zimmerman's call to police non-emergency dispatch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL72w 4xiTVU OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9A-gp8mrdw
Times below are Minutes.Seconds format.
0.00: (a little after 7:00 pm): Zimmerman's call to non-emergency dispatch. He is in his vehicle
0.48: Zimmerman notices Trayvon staring at him.
0.58-2:06: Trayvon approaches Zimmerman's vehicle.
2.06: Trayvon changes his mind and starts to run. Zimmerman still in his SUV.
2.10: Zimmerman gets out of his SUV. (2.10-2.14)
2:14-2:39: Zimmerman pursues Trayvon on foot. He is winded. Huffing and puffing. (Windedness: 2.20-2.45 on the tape)
2.23: Dispatch asks if Zimmerman is in pursuit.
2.26: "We don't need you to do this."
2.39: Trayvon completely disappears. Zimmerman no longer sees him.
2.39-2.45: Zimmerman's breathing is calm
2:45-4.11: Zimmerman and dispatch discuss where to meet police officer; Zimmerman gives his name and address, but registers fear that Trayvon might still be around somewhere. Clearly Zimmerman doesn't see him or know where he is.
4.11-5.11 (approx): Unclear. Zimmerman claims he walked back to van and Trayvon attacked him.
5.11 (approx): First 911 calls from neighbors start.
TIMELINE: COMPLETE EXPLANATION
Pre-tape: Trayvon is left at his father's girlfriend's house. According to "The Grio", he is left with the girlfriend's (younger) son while the father and girlfriend go to dinner. The father says he left the two watching the NBA All Star game, which actually did not begin until 7:30 pm (at which time Trayvon is being pronounced dead by Sanford PD paramedics. See police report) What the two may have been watching was some other NBA programming in the afternoon, but that's not certain. At some point before 7pm, Trayvon leaves the house alone. Sunset was around 6:21 pm give or take.
1. Zimmerman (who is short and overweight: 5'9'' and 240-250 lbs) spots Trayvon (a 6'3'' seventeen year old of 140-160lb.) while on an errand in his SUV. (The higher weight numbers are both Sanford PD estimates. Trayvon's height is estimated by SPD as 6')
2. Just after 7:00, Zimmerman calls the non-emergency dispatch operator for Sanford PD.
The call is about 4 and a half minutes long. Zimmerman is in his vehicle. When asked Trayvon's race, Zimmerman says "He looks black" (0.31) but he isn't certain. Trayvon was some distance away.
3. Trayvon begins to approach Zimmerman's vehicle 58 seconds into the call.
The approach is about a minute long (0.58-2.06). Zimmerman mentions the approach and that Trayvon has something in his hand:
("Now he's coming towards me" 58 secs into the tape)
("And he's a black male" 1.08 into the tape)
("He's comin' to check me out. He's got somethin' in his hands." 1.24 into the tape)
Notice that Zimmerman wasn't sure Trayvon was black until Trayvon got closer. Also notice that Zimmerman is noticeably concerned.
4. A little over a minute into his approach, Trayvon starts to run. Zimmerman, still in his car, tells the dispatcher this.
("****! He's running. 2.06 into the tape)
Why Trayvon started to run is not clear. His girlfriend claims to have been on the phone with him around this time and to have told him to run, but those times would have to be synced up.
5. Zimmerman gets out of his car, still talking to the dispatcher. You can hear the bell-like sound of the open door on the vehicle and you can hear when it closes.
(Car door opening "ding". 2.10 on the tape; Car door closing, 2:14 on tape)
6. Zimmerman starts to follow Trayvon on foot. The pursuit lasts for about 25 seconds. (2:14-2:39)
Zimmerman is no runner, and he is winded (out of breath) for much of the 25 seconds.
(Windedness: 2.20-2.45 on the tape)
You can hear Zimmerman getting winded immediately after he starts.
(Heavy breathing begins: 2.20)
The breathing is heavy enough to immediately tip off the police dispatch operator that Zimmerman was pursuing Trayvon.
("Are you following him?" 2.23)
It is after this that the dispatch operator tells him "We don't need you to do this." (2.26)
It is possible that Zimmerman stopped pursuing at this point because he immediately says , "OK." However, I have included the other 10 seconds of possible pursuit (2:29-2.39) as an outside limit since Zimmerman remains heavily winded and barely able to get out his name at 2.37, when asked for it by dispatch. Notice that it is this 10 seconds of possible pursuit that the family attorney is using to conclude that Zimmerman "disobeyed" the dispatch officer and pursued Trayvon unlawfully. After 2.39, it is clear that Zimmerman is no longer in pursuit because Trayvon has disappeared (2.39) and Zimmerman's breathing is becoming more even (2.39-2.45).
7. Trayvon runs completely out of sight, and George tells the dispatcher.
("He ran" 2.39)
8. Zimmerman has clearly stopped any fast walking or running. His breathing is calming down and he is able to talk to the dispatch operator more easily. (2.39-2.45)
This argues that he probably did stop running when he said "OK" (#6 above) and took about 10 seconds to catch his breath.
9. Zimmerman agrees to meet the police officer, but expresses fear when giving his address to dispatch.
("Do you want to meet with the officer when they get out there?" 2.55)
("Yeah" 2.57)
("What's your apartment number?" 3.31)
("It's a home. It's 1950---" 3:32-3:34)
("Oh, crap, I don't want to give it out loud. I don't know where this kid is." 3:36-3:39)
At this point, it is clear that no further pursuit by Zimmerman is possible on foot. It's dark and he doesn't know where Trayvon is. He is also clearly afraid.
10. Zimmerman agrees to meet the police officer at his SUV, which is "right near the mailboxes." He then changes his mind. The most likely explanation is that Zimmerman is afraid to stay put because of his fear that "the kid" is still in the area.
("Do you just want to meet with him right near the mailboxes?" 3.43)
("That's fine." 3:44)
(All right, George. I'll let him know to meet with you... 3.46)
("Could you have him call me and I'll tell him where I'm at?" 3.4
Call ends: 4:11
11. After the call, Zimmerman claims that he went back to his vehicle.
At this point there is a space of about a minute between the end of George's call and the beginning of the 911 calls by the neighbors. It is highly unlikely that George set out to find Trayvon in the dark, found him, and started a fight on the pavement, which is where the first altercation started, all in one minute. There simply wasn't enough time. George is overweight and easily winded, and he is also afraid. His intent is pretty clear: to get into his vehicle, leave the area where Trayvon may still be lurking, and wait for the police.
12. An altercation occurs. There are two areas of confrontation (Witness Mary Cutcher): on the pavement (by the street) and in the backyard (in the grass).
(A full tape of Cutcher's testimony, uncut, has been removed from youtube, and only the shorter media interviews remain.)
Zimmerman claims that Trayvon came up to his vehicle, confronted him, and attacked him. Supporting this is that the first area of confrontation was on the pavement in front of her house (by the street) (as per Cutcher). This also squares with the wound to the back of George's head: it hit a hard surface.
Two witnesses place Trayvon on top of Zimmerman, assaulting him.
13. 7:15 pm: Last 911 call. Gunshot heard.
14. 7:17: Officer Timothy Smith responds to call.
Not sure what exact time he arrives, but it doesn't take long. He finds the body and George Zimmerman who is cooperative. Zimmerman is bleeding from the back of his head and his nose. He also has grass on the back of his jacket, indicating having been on his back in the grass. Zimmerman is given first aid by Sanford Fire Department paramedics.
Trayvon's body was located between 1231 Retreat View Circle and 2821 Retreat View Circle. George gave the address of 1111 Retreat View Circle to police dispatch.
15. Officer Ricardo Ayala arrives after Smith. With Sanford Fire Department paramedic, he does CPR, to no avail.
17. 7:30: Trayvon pronounced dead by paramedic.