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Six women to decide Zimmerman's fate

George Zimmerman arrives in the courtroom for closing arguments in his second-degree murder trial Friday in Sanford, Fla.
George Zimmerman arrives in the courtroom for closing arguments in his second-degree murder trial Friday in Sanford, Fla.Joe Burbank / Getty Images

George Zimmerman's fate is in the hands of the jury, six women who must decide whether the former neighborhood watchman committed a crime in fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin or that he acted in self-defense.

After 24 days of jury draw, opening statements, witness testimony and closing arguments, the case went to the jury Friday afternoon in Sanford, Fla.

The jurors have three options: They can find Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder, they can find him guilty of manslaughter or they can declare him not guilty.

Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty. He said he was attacked by the teen and acted in self-defense.

Here is what we know about the six women who began deliberations Friday:

Juror B-29: Originally from Chicago, she's been married for 10 years. The woman — who is either black or Hispanic and is the only juror who isn't white, according to prosecutors — has eight kids, one of them older than 18. This is her first time serving on a jury. The woman has been at her current job for three months, and when asked by prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda during jury selection if she belonged to any organization, she said "my house is my organization," eliciting laughter and understanding from the courtroom.

Juror B-76: A resident of the Sanford, Fla., area since 1975, she has two adult children. During voir dire she said her 28-year-old son is an attorney who practices in the county, but his specialty is foreclosures, divorces and contract law and he does not practice criminal law. Her daughter is a certified nursing assistant. This juror is unemployed after running a construction company for 15 years with her husband. She and her husband manage rental properties and are helping their kids build homes. Her passion is rescuing animals, and this is her first time on a jury.

Juror B-37: A local for 18 years, and the daughter of an Air Force captain, she has been working for the same company for 16 years. Her husband is a "space attorney," meaning he has worked with the shuttle companies and is now working with rocket companies. One of her kids, a 24-year-old, is a pet groomer and the other is a 27-year-old student at the University of Central Florida. She likes animals and rescued them until her husband told her, "Stop!" She has been called to serve on a jury four times, but said she was never seated because of "where I work."

Juror B-51: She's served on juries before, once as an alternate in the early 1990s, and again three years ago in Seminole County. She is unmarried and does not have kids. Now retired, she previously worked as a real estate agent. She was also the director of a call center with 1,200 employees under her. Asked by the prosecutor how she handled disputes in the workplace, she said, "You have to listen to all sides, and sometimes you just have to make the tough calls." A transplant from Atlanta, she has lived locally for nine years.

Juror E-6: A native Floridian, she has lived locally for two years. She has been married for six years and has two children, ages 11 and 13, and said she was proud to be raising them. She said said she was proud to be a member of a church. She is unemployed after being in school for nine months and working in financial services. Her husband is an engineer. She acknowledged that she was arrested in 1999 and told the court she was treated fairly, saying, "I deserved it." She has never served on a jury.

Juror E-40: She moved to the area from Iowa eight months ago. She is married to a chemical engineer and has one son, who lives in Western Pennsylvania. She told the court that in her spare time she likes to watch football, read and travel. She has worked as a safety officer, and served as a juror 20 years ago on a drug case in Pennsylvania. No verdict was reached in that case.