George Zimmerman's lawyers say they have lost contact with the man who shot and killed an unarmed Florida teenager and will no longer defend him.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CRAIG SONNER, FORMER ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY, SAYING:

"I want to announce today, as of now, we are withdrawing as counsel for Mr. Zimmerman, we have lost contact with him. Up to this point we have had contact every day, he has gone on his own, I'm not sure what he's doing or who he is talking to."

Defense lawyers Craig Sonner and Mark Uhrig say the 28-year-old called prosecutors directly, contacted a TV journalist and set up a web site, all without their knowledge.

Zimmerman has not been charged in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and has been in hiding since the case captured national attention because of race and Florida's controversial self-defense laws.

Martin was black and Zimmerman is white and Hispanic.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CRAIG SONNER, FORMER ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY, SAYING:

"I still believe he was acting in self defense that night. Nothing that I have said about him or this case has changed in any way, I just can't proceed to represent a client who doesn't stay in contact with me."

Sonner and Uhrig did not reveal where Zimmerman is, except to say he is in the United States.

Katharine Jackson, Reuters.