Blood and truth: the lingering case of Tommy Zeigler and how Florida fights DNA testing. The Tampa Bay is publishing a new six-series about the case of William Thomas Zeigler. As my readers know, I have been involved in this case since the 90s. There are so many posts about this case on my blog that […]
Capital Punishment
The Zeigler November 2016 appeal
On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held for William Thomas Zeigler to request touch DNA testing in his case. Judge Whitehead denied that request for touch DNA on July 18, 2016. On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed in the Supreme Court of Florida. In this post I have joined the state’s arguments […]
Remembering Marion Miley (1914 – 1941)
Golf champion Marion Miley (27) and her mother Elsie Miley were killed during a robbery at the Lexington Country Club (Kentucky) on Sunday, September 28, 1941. Marion had helped set up a club dance. Around 2am, she heard her mother Elsie scream. Running down the stairs armed with a golf club, she faced three masked […]
Good news for William Thomas Zeigler
Good news for William Thomas Zeigler because Judge Whitehead has granted a hearing to discuss the question of whether the Zeigler defense will be permitted to do the DNA testing that they have requested. To recap: in December 1975, a quadruple murder took place in the Zeigler Furniture Store in Wintergarden, Florida. The victims were […]
The Faithful Executioner by J.F. Harrington
The Faithful Executioner by J.F. Harrington describes the lives and careers of Heinrich and Frantz Schmidt as executioners. The book is filled with details and prints and is a joy to read if you love history. We go back to Germany in the sixteenth century. Heinrich Schmidt made a good living as woodsman and fowler in the town […]
Case of the Month: the Zeigler wrongful conviction
Case of the Month: the Zeigler wrongful conviction has been part of my life since 1993 when I started working for Amnesty International in Switzerland. I am appalled that the injustice endures. In December 1975, a quadruple murder took place in the Zeigler Furniture Store in Wintergarden, Florida. The victims were Charles Mays, Virginia and Perry […]
Petition for a Writ of Certiorari denied for Zeigler
Petition for a Writ of Certiorari denied for Zeigler on May 19, 2014. The only notation is that “Chief Justice [Roberts] took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.” Dennis H. Tracey, III and John Houston Pope filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court. In […]
Recap #crimechat April 4, 2013
Recap #crimechat April 4, 2013: Today we spoke about wrongful convictions with Nancy Petro. A short introduction to wrongful convictions started this crimechat. How do we find out about Wrongful Convictions in general? A: We discover that the victim is alive & well. Examples: India 2003, the Reena Devi case. Reena disappeared, her mother ID-ed her […]
Death on Hold: Zeigler
Death on Hold: Zeigler. In this documentary you can see the trial and appeals in the case of William Thomas Zeigler. It explains why for the past 37 years, we have been trying to show you that he never had a fair trial. Judge for yourself whether there is room for doubt. https://web.archive.org/web/20130406001457/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQc3J4ocgsM&gl=US&hl=en Mr. Zeigler has […]
Sum it Up! #40
Sum it Up! #40 There are a few cases that I am watching: The Italian Supreme Court heard arguments today re Amanda Knox. The story on CNN is here. The issue of extradition will most likely fail since the US Constitution prohibits that someone faces another prosecution on substantially the same charges (double jeopardy). Note […]
Zeigler DNA Appeal denied
From the Orlando Sentinel: “The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday denied an appellate motion by convicted killer Tommy Zeigler, the latest ruling in his three-plus-decade fight to get off death row. Tommy appealed to the state Supreme Court after a circuit judge denied his request to have DNA tests performed on his clothing from the […]
Zeigler: his latest motion denied
Zeigler’s latest motion to vacate judgment was denied. On November 13, 2012. Judge Whitehead denied the motion to vacate judgment of conviction and sentence based on newly discovered evidence in the case of William Thomas Zeigler. Mr. Zeigler has been on death row for the 1975 quadruple murders that took place on Christmas Eve inside […]
The Onion Field Killer is dead
The Onion Field Killer is dead. Gregory Powell, a.k.a. the Onion Field Killer, died of prostate cancer at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville which is part of the state prison system. In 1963, Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith killed LAPD officer Ian Campbell in an onion field near Bakersfield. Campbell’s partner, Karl Hettinger, managed to escape and […]
Christian Bruyère takes an interest in Zeigler
Christian Bruyère takes an interest in Zeigler. Mr. Bruyère and his company “Mystique Films” are based in Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver is the third largest motion picture production center in North America. I could not be happier that Zeigler is getting more media attention. Yesterday was Zeigler’s birthday and a press conference was held outside the Orange County Courthouse. […]
Key evidence lost in Hank Skinner case
Key evidence is lost in the case of Hank Skinner so despite the fact that the state of Texas now backs further DNA testing, we still will not get all the answers we need. There are pictures of the jackets (see here) but the big blood- and sweat-stained tan jacket with snap buttons down the front found near […]
Zeigler: evil killer or parent-to-be?
Zeigler: evil killer or parent-to-be? Something has been bothering me immensely in the Zeigler case. I know, many things bother me in this case! But this is something I have not blogged about before. It is about the life term insurance policies and Zeigler’s bank accounts. It has been stated over and over again that […]
Zeigler, Part XXI: Legal Consequences
Zeigler, Part XXI: Legal Consequences of the false arrest report and the lies told by Detective Frye under oath? We have to go back to the initial trial when Mr. Zeigler was defended by Mr. Ralph V. Hadley, III. Mr. Hadley started the Zeigler trial from the assumption that the documents he had received were […]
Zeigler, Part XX: The False Arrest Report
Zeigler, Part XX: The False Arrest Report is based on the documents filed in Mr. Zeigler case as per the previous post. The documents were sent to me by Mr. Zeigler’s lawyers and I thank them for that. On Dec 29, 1975, Detective Frye from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office wrote in his arrest report: […]
Zeigler, Part XIX
Zeigler, Part XIX: There is a new and exciting turn of events in the case of William Thomas Zeigler. As loyal readers know, Mr. Zeigler has been on death row for the 1975 quadruple murders that took place on Christmas Eve inside his family’s furniture store in Wintergarden, Florida. When I started my posts about […]
The Kish Report
The Kish Report : the request for further DNA testing in the case of William Thomas Zeigler was denied by Judge Whitehead March 12, 2012. The hearing for that request took place last Dec 1, 2011, see here. Judge Whitehead had previously ruled that Zeigler should receive state-funding for a blood spatter expert to testify whether […]