GUILTY MA - Lisa Ziegert, 24, Agawam, 15 April 1992 *arrest*

[jaejae]

Here is a recent report about how this infamous New England cold case was solved:

How Investigators Solved the Stabbing Murder of a Young Mass. Educator 25 Years Later:

Investigators looking into the 1992 rape and murder of 24-year-old Lisa Ziegert knew they would need DNA evidence to solve the case. But the written confession from the killer fell into their laps unexpectedly.

Their big break came decades later, in 2017, when Gary Schara’s girlfriend provided investigators with the incriminating evidence.

Dateline, which will air Friday at 9 p.m. ET/8 CT. “One of them was essentially a confession letter. Another letter was a last will and testament. He also left a apology letter for the Ziegert family.”" data-reactid="33">“There were three separate letters,” Massachusetts State Police Trooper Noah Packer said in the interview with NBC’s Dateline, which will air Friday at 9 p.m. ET/8 CT. “One of them was essentially a confession letter. Another letter was a last will and testament. He also left a apology letter for the Ziegert family.”

In September of 2017, authorities sealed their case against Schara after searching his home and finding DNA samples matching the crime scene.

Says Pack, “We knew that we were gonna solve this case with a DNA match. We didn’t expect to solve this case by somebody writing confession letters.”

Here is a video report with details about the program detailing how this case was solved:

 

[Harrietthespy27]

Additionally here is something about Ashley Turniak, the teenager who was thrown/ jumped from a car on I-91 in 1998.

November 9th 1998 at 8am, 16 year old Ashley Turniak was found dead on the breakdown lane of I-91 south in Longmeadow, Massachusetts just 1½ mile from the Connecticut border. The well liked teenager from Agawam had been seen in her high school parking lot before her first class started at 7:25 that morning. Less than an hour later, witnesses reported that she went feet-first from the passenger window of a car heading south towards Connecticut. Her backpack was found on Woodlawn Avenue in Enfield, Connecticut not far from a highway exit. At the time of her death witnesses reported that she was in a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar to that. After Turniaks fall, the car was seen leaving I-91 at Exit 49 in Connecticut. More than five years later many questions persist, was she pushed or did she fall? Who was the driver? A still grieving family and Massachusetts State Police want to know. If you have any information about this case please call (413) 747-4809.
Famous Cold Cases

Lisa Ziegler was kidnapped in Agawam and assaulted and murdered just a few years before this FIVE MINUTES from agawam HS where Ashley went missing from. There was literally a known rapist and killer on the loose in that town at that time. He was caught with DNA in 2017. He has not been looked at as a suspect in this case but I wonder what kind of car he drove at the time Ashley died.

Additionally here is something about Ashley Turniak, the teenager who was thrown/ jumped from a car on I-91 in 1998.

November 9th 1998 at 8am, 16 year old Ashley Turniak was found dead on the breakdown lane of I-91 south in Longmeadow, Massachusetts just 1½ mile from the Connecticut border. The well liked teenager from Agawam had been seen in her high school parking lot before her first class started at 7:25 that morning. Less than an hour later, witnesses reported that she went feet-first from the passenger window of a car heading south towards Connecticut. Her backpack was found on Woodlawn Avenue in Enfield, Connecticut not far from a highway exit. At the time of her death witnesses reported that she was in a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar to that. After Turniaks fall, the car was seen leaving I-91 at Exit 49 in Connecticut. More than five years later many questions persist, was she pushed or did she fall? Who was the driver? A still grieving family and Massachusetts State Police want to know. If you have any information about this case please call (413) 747-4809.
Famous Cold Cases

Lisa Ziegler was abducted 5 minutes from that high school. Her killer was caught but he was on the loose at that time. He has never been looked at as a suspect in Ashley’s case as far as I know. I wonder what he drove at that time

 

[Harrietthespy27]

Additionally here is something about Ashley Turniak, the teenager who was thrown/ jumped from a car on I-91 in 1998.

November 9th 1998 at 8am, 16 year old Ashley Turniak was found dead on the breakdown lane of I-91 south in Longmeadow, Massachusetts just 1½ mile from the Connecticut border. The well liked teenager from Agawam had been seen in her high school parking lot before her first class started at 7:25 that morning. Less than an hour later, witnesses reported that she went feet-first from the passenger window of a car heading south towards Connecticut. Her backpack was found on Woodlawn Avenue in Enfield, Connecticut not far from a highway exit. At the time of her death witnesses reported that she was in a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar to that. After Turniaks fall, the car was seen leaving I-91 at Exit 49 in Connecticut. More than five years later many questions persist, was she pushed or did she fall? Who was the driver? A still grieving family and Massachusetts State Police want to know. If you have any information about this case please call (413) 747-4809.
Famous Cold Cases

Lisa Ziegler was kidnapped in Agawam and assaulted and murdered just a few years before this FIVE MINUTES from agawam HS where Ashley went missing from. There was literally a known rapist and killer on the loose in that town at that time. He was caught with DNA in 2017. He has not been looked at as a suspect in this case but I wonder what kind of car he drove at the time Ashley died.

Additionally here is something about Ashley Turniak, the teenager who was thrown/ jumped from a car on I-91 in 1998.

November 9th 1998 at 8am, 16 year old Ashley Turniak was found dead on the breakdown lane of I-91 south in Longmeadow, Massachusetts just 1½ mile from the Connecticut border. The well liked teenager from Agawam had been seen in her high school parking lot before her first class started at 7:25 that morning. Less than an hour later, witnesses reported that she went feet-first from the passenger window of a car heading south towards Connecticut. Her backpack was found on Woodlawn Avenue in Enfield, Connecticut not far from a highway exit. At the time of her death witnesses reported that she was in a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar to that. After Turniaks fall, the car was seen leaving I-91 at Exit 49 in Connecticut. More than five years later many questions persist, was she pushed or did she fall? Who was the driver? A still grieving family and Massachusetts State Police want to know. If you have any information about this case please call (413) 747-4809.
Famous Cold Cases

Lisa Ziegler was abducted 5 minutes from that high school. Her killer was caught but he was on the loose at that time. He has never been looked at as a suspect in Ashley’s case as far as I know. I wonder what he drove at that time

 

[lowes123]

Lisa Ziegler was kidnapped in Agawam and assaulted and murdered just a few years before this FIVE MINUTES from agawam HS where Ashley went missing from. There was literally a known rapist and killer on the loose in that town at that time. He was caught with DNA in 2017. He has not been looked at as a suspect in this case but I wonder what kind of car he drove at the time Ashley died.


Lisa Ziegler was abducted 5 minutes from that high school. Her killer was caught but he was on the loose at that time. He has never been looked at as a suspect in Ashley’s case as far as I know. I wonder what he drove at that time

I remember this case. I cannot believe it was never solved. How do you not get a plate or car description after seeing someone thrown from a car in the daylight? How did they not have any DNA or prints, especially on the backpack.

 

[Harrietthespy27]

Yeah I'm not sure but my best guess was that she knew she was in trouble and jumped out to escape whoever had her in that car. Maybe that's why no DNA. She jumped instead.

 

[Harrietthespy27]

Lisa Ziegler was kidnapped in Agawam and assaulted and murdered just a few years before this FIVE MINUTES from agawam HS where Ashley went missing from. There was literally a known rapist and killer on the loose in that town at that time. He was caught with DNA in 2017. He has not been looked at as a suspect in this case but I wonder what kind of car he drove at the time Ashley died.


Lisa Ziegler was abducted 5 minutes from that high school. Her killer was caught but he was on the loose at that time. He has never been looked at as a suspect in Ashley’s case as far as I know. I wonder what he drove at that time

Did Gary Schara drive a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar in 1992?? Because he was the known rapist and murderer on the loose in that town in 1988. He had already killed Lisa Ziegler. Did they look at him for Ashley's case too??

 

[lowes123]

Did Gary Schara drive a tan or light brown mid-size vehicle, possibly a late 80s model Ford Tempo or a vehicle similar in 1992?? Because he was the known rapist and murderer on the loose in that town in 1988. He had already killed Lisa Ziegler. Did they look at him for Ashley's case too??

I am not sure. From what I have read about him, he was pretty private and blended into society. I believe his ex wife was living in Washington by then, and she is now deceased. I think he had an explorer when he killed Lisa. I would think they would at least have prints/ DNA on the backpack that was found in CT. I wonder what type of car her friend had, that she had planned on skipping school with. maybe it was similar and it was going by and she just got in and then realized she was in the wrong car? But what would that car have been doing going by the school? He has nothing to lose at this point, so hopefully the police have spoken to him about this.

 

[Harrietthespy27]

I am not sure. From what I have read about him, he was pretty private and blended into society. I believe his ex wife was living in Washington by then, and she is now deceased. I think he had an explorer when he killed Lisa. I would think they would at least have prints/ DNA on the backpack that was found in CT. I wonder what type of car her friend had, that she had planned on skipping school with. maybe it was similar and it was going by and she just got in and then realized she was in the wrong car? But what would that car have been doing going by the school? He has nothing to lose at this point, so hopefully the police have spoken to him about this.

Well he's in jail for murder anyways so he's there if they want to talk to him. Its just weird. It could just be a coincidence that this happened in the same town or it could have been a predator

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

How a DNA 'Snapshot' Can Create the Face of an Unknown Criminal

Move over fingerprints—an exciting new field of forensics has emerged: DNA phenotyping, where investigators interpret DNA left behind at a crime scene to make predictions about what the perpetrator might look like. We spoke with Ellen Greytak, a bioinformatics expert, to learn more about the use...

www.aetv.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“There were three separate letters,” said State Police Trooper Noach Packer in an interview with Dateline.

“One of them was essentially a confession letter. Another one was a last will and testament. He also left a letter of apology for the Ziegert family.”

Investigators immediately searched Shara’s home, finding DNA evidence that matched the crime scene.

“We knew that we were gonna solve this case with a DNA match,” said Packer. “We didn’t expect to solve this case by somebody writing confession letters.”

Lisa was a recent college graduate and teacher’s assistant when she went missing on April 15, 1992.

Her car, keys and coat were left at the store and authorities were told that she didn’t show up to her job at Agawam Middle School the next day.

Her body was found on Easter Sunday off the side of Route 75, surrounded by trees and leaves.

It was revealed she had been sexually assaulted and her cause of death was from a single stab wound to the neck.

Schara was a person of interest in the murder since 1993.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in September 2019, putting an end to one of the most famous cold cases in Massachusetts history.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Inside Lisa Ziegert's murder & how THREE notes led to a conviction

THE 1992 rape and murder of 24-year-old Lisa Ziegert left investigators puzzled for decades until the keys to solving the case fell into their laps out of nowhere. Lisa was abducted from the gift s…

www.the-sun.com