In their first television appearances since George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the shooting death of their teenaged son, Trayvon Martin’s parents said Thursday morning that they were stunned at the trial’s outcome.

“We felt in our hearts that we were going to get a conviction,” Tracy Martin, the teen’s father, told NBC’s “Today.” “We thought that the killer of our unarmed child was going to be convicted of the crime that he committed.”

“I was in a bit of shock,” Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, said on “CBS This Morning.” “I thought surely that he would be found guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter at the least. But I just knew that they would see that this was a teenager just trying to get home. This was no burglar. This was somebody’s son that was trying to get home.”

Asked by “Today” anchor Matt Lauer whether they wanted to say something to the jurors, Martin responded: “How can you let the killer of an unarmed child go free?”

You can watch both interviews below:

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig