Man who murdered girl, 11, and babysitter elbows lawyer as he gets death penalty
An infamous tragedy cast its shadow over the city of Cape Coral, Florida, for several decades, but it began with an ordinary family evening. Single mum Jan Cornell, 28, lived in a flat with her 11-year-old daughter, Robin.
On 9 May 1990, Jan’s 32-year-old friend and colleague, Lisa Story, moved in and the three were looking forward to the fun they were going to have as “roommates”. Robin was a fifth grader who loved playing outdoors and skipping. At birth, she was small and pretty, like a little bird, which was why she was given the name Robin. Lisa was a keen photographer and motorcyclist. She was engaged and planned to get married later that year.
That evening, Jan’s boyfriend invited her over to watch late-night TV, so Lisa offered to babysit. Jan was reluctant to leave, but Robin insisted that she go and have fun. Her last words to her daughter were, “Goodnight… I love you,” as she tucked her into bed at about 10.30pm and kissed her.
After falling asleep on the sofa at her boyfriend’s house, Jan woke at 4am. She was due to start her shift at the Cape Coral Hospital within the hour, so she rushed home to get changed. But when she reached her front door, she realised it had been bolted from the inside so she couldn’t get in. She knocked but there was no answer. She went round to the back where there were sliding glass doors, which were open. It was unusual, but Jan thought they might have been left open for the cat.
Attacked while they slept
On going into the flat, she saw that photos of Robin and her older daughter, who had left home, had been moved and placed on an ironing board. Sensing something wrong, she ran upstairs, shouting, and discovered the bodies of her daughter and friend.
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Jan Cornell (right) looks at pictures of Robin Cornell (centre) and Lisa Story (right) during a joint press conference (Cape Coral Police Dept.)The hysterical mother dialled emergency services and desperately tried to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on Robin. Robin and Lisa had been beaten, suffocated with pillows and sexually assaulted, probably after death. It appeared the attacker had entered the property while they were asleep and killed them. He’d been there for a few hours and had a shower. A few belongings had been taken from the apartment, while other items, including a pair of socks, had been left there.
DNA collected from the scene showed no match to any suspects, although the database wasn’t as comprehensive as it is now. However, the sample told police that the intruder was a white male with the blood group O. But no arrests were made despite hundreds of police interviews.
Jan was devastated and vowed to fight for justice for Robin and Lisa, no matter how long it took. But the years rolled by and the case was handed down to one investigator after another. In 2010, the case was featured on true crime TV show America’s Most Wanted , yet there were still no answers.
Until 2016, that is, when Joseph Zieler was arrested for assaulting a male relative. As part of his processing, his DNA was entered into the FBI’s system – and a match was found with genetic material collected from a 1990 crime scene. Zieler had been linked to the murders of Robin and Lisa.
Zieler, who was 28 when the murders occurred, was living in the Cape Coral area at the time. He also had a criminal record. Months after the killings, he had been arrested and charged with several crimes including dealing in stolen property, battery of a police officer and carrying a concealed firearm. Now he was charged with double murder.
Officers told Jan that after 26 years, they had finally got a DNA match. She didn’t know Zieler, and couldn’t connect him to Robin or Lisa, but was relieved an arrest had pointed to a fresh lead. But Zieler’s erratic behaviour caused problems from the start.
Killer’s sex taunt
He sent Jan threatening letters warning of retribution if she failed to stop the case or gave evidence against him. Then, in May, at Florida’s Lee County Court, Zieler pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. But the court was told that DNA found on a sheet in the flat was an overwhelming match to Zieler. Zieler taunted Jan by claiming his semen had been left at the scene of the crime when he’d had sex with her some months before the murders. When it was pointed out the DNA would have been long gone by the time of the killings, Zieler, who testified in his own defence, called her a “pig” who “never washed her bed sheets”.
Zieler was sentenced to death after 30 years (Lee County County Jail)The claim was deeply distressing for the grieving mother, who testified that she had never even met Zieler. Despite this, Zieler continued to claim that he wasn’t responsible for the killings. He insisted, “I have nothing to do with this. I maintain my innocence.” But the judge decided the convictions should stand, and some hours later Zieler was sentenced to death.
No explanation was given as to why Zieler had lashed out in court and Kevin remained unfazed by it. “I used to box,” the lawyer assured the judge. “I’ve taken a lot better shots than that.” During the sentencing hearing, an emotional Jan told the court, “The person that did this should never be able to hurt anyone else.” Sentencing Zieler to death, the judge described the killings as cold, calculated and premeditated, and every parent’s worst nightmare. But after more than 30 years, one of southwest Florida’s most high-profile cases was finally closed.
Police said the case had never run “cold” – it was simply “old” and generations of law enforcement personnel had continued to work to solve it over the years. Following a three-day hearing, Zieler was found guilty of the murders of Robin and Lisa. And after deliberating, the jury agreed that he should face the death penalty. A month later, in June, the 61-year-oldwas handed two death sentences, one for each victim. But before being sentenced, during an appeal hearing against the verdict, he asked to speak to his lawyer, Kevin Shirley. As Kevin bent down to talk to him, Zieler violently elbowed him in the face, before being tackled to the ground by bailiffs. Later he bared ill-fitting white teeth veneers, which appeared to have the word “killer” scrawled on them.
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