GUILTY FL - Lisa Story, 32, & Robin Cornell, 11, slain, Cape Coral, 10 May 1990 *Arrest in 2016*

[JerseyGirl]

Jury finds Joseph Zieler guilty in double murder trial

Joseph Zieler was found guilty in the 1990 double homicide of Lisa Story and Robin Cornell.

nbc-2.com

The death penalty phase of the trial is set to start May 23rd.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On Wednesday evening, relatives and friends of Robin and Story sat in the front row on one side of the Lee County courtroom where jurors had heard testimony in the penalty phase of Ziler's trial. Two of Zieler's cousins, along with a friend of theirs, sat on the other side.

Jurors returned with a verdict shortly after 11 p.m.

Relatives of the victims cleared tears from their eyes and hugged one another. Relatives of Zieler looked down as Lee Circuit Judge Branning Robert Branning read the verdict. Branning took a deep breath as he reviewed the verdict for proper format.

Zieler, however, showed no emotion.

“Now they can rest in peace,” Jan Cornell, Robin's mother, said later.

Zieler's cousin, Charleen Tobolski, said, "We're sorry the victims had to go through this."

Jury recommends death for Joseph Zieler in decades-old Cape Coral double homicide

A jury took about five hours to recommend death for Joseph Zieler in the 1990 murders of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter Lisa Story.

www.news-press.com

 

[SeesSeas]

Mother speaks after jury recommends death for daughter's killer

Jan Cornell is at peace after Joseph Zieler was recommended the death penalty after murdering her 11-year-old daughter and family friend.

winknews.com

Mother speaks after jury recommends death for daughter’s killer​

May 29, 2023
[...]
Cornell said she still remembers every detail, every smell and hears every word.

“I still go back to that first day in disbelief that I, that I was in, that I was just French braiding her hair this morning,” Cornell said. “We just went to dinner. We just stopped and bought candy. You went to bed; you were excited about your next day. Because, after school, we were gonna go eat, you were gonna go to a ballgame for your first crush. You were gonna go watch him play baseball.”

Cornell also remembers everything she saw when she came home.

She found Robin’s and Lisa’s body.

She said those awful memories play on repeat in her mind.
[...]
As for Zieler?

She said it doesn’t really matter to her whether he lives or dies, just that he never hurt anyone again, like he hurt Robin and Lisa.

Zieler has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and the family plans to be there. Sentencing is scheduled for June 26.

 

[SeesSeas]

Jurors recommend death for double murderer who insulted victim's mother and flipped off camera

"I don’t even like to call him a man. He’s evil to the core. Because you watch this. There was not one shred ever of any remorse."

lawandcrime.com

Jurors recommend death for double murderer who insulted victim’s mother and flipped off camera​

May 29th, 2023
[...]
Jurors voted 10 to 2 on Wednesday for Zieler to face death. Judge Robert Branning scheduled an evidentiary hearing called a Spencer Hearing in which both sides will argue over the sentence. That hearing is set for June 26.
[...]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Zieler is scheduled for a motions hearing in the double homicide case at 9 a.m. Monday. Court records didn't reveal Wednesday afternoon which motion will be brought before Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning.

During his homicide trial, Zieler had questioned the use of the DNA match in his case, as well as the legality of a death sentence.

Joseph Zieler, convicted of double 1990 homicide, maintains innocence in harassment case

Joseph Zieler, 61, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to harassing Jan Cornell, the mother of Robin Cornell, who he murdered in May 1990.

www.news-press.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Convicted double-murderer Joseph Zieler elbows attorney in face ahead of sentencing

Joseph Zieler, the man convicted of the 1990 murders of 11-year Robin Cornell and family friend Lisa Story in Cape Coral, is to be sentenced.

winknews.com

 

[PayrollNerd]

What an a hole. He’s not going to stop his antics until he’s dead.

Convicted double-murderer Joseph Zieler elbows attorney in face ahead of sentencing

Joseph Zieler, the man convicted of the 1990 murders of 11-year Robin Cornell and family friend Lisa Story in Cape Coral, is to be sentenced.

winknews.com

 

[PayrollNerd]

Death! Good. Dumb jerk.

Joseph Zieler sentenced to death for double murder

Joseph Zieler was convicted of double murder back in mid-May, and the Jury recommended he receive the death penalty.

winknews.com

After appearing to elbow a law enforcement officer earlier on Monday, Zieler found out his punishment in the afternoon.

 

[Warwick7]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1673345674492952579

 

[Warwick7]

Death! Good. Dumb jerk.

Joseph Zieler sentenced to death for double murder

Joseph Zieler was convicted of double murder back in mid-May, and the Jury recommended he receive the death penalty.

winknews.com

After appearing to elbow a law enforcement officer earlier on Monday, Zieler found out his punishment in the afternoon.

What a fool!!!!!

 

[Marysmith]

Just saw this case. What a nightmare… so evil. I’m so glad he was finally caught! I have to wonder if he has hurt anyone else in the meantime.

 

[Erutan]

Just saw this case. What a nightmare… so evil. I’m so glad he was finally caught! I have to wonder if he has hurt anyone else in the meantime.

There are possibilities he has other victims, certainly.
What a pity this cold blooded killer evaded justice for so long.

 

[dotr]

Joseph Zieler, to be sentenced in cold case killings, elbows attorney

UPDATE: Convicted killer Joseph Zieler elbowed his attorney in the face just hours ahead of his sentencing Monday.

www.courttv.com

''LEE COUNTY, Fla. (Scripps News Fort Myers/Court TV) — The man convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl and her babysitter elbowed his attorney in the face just hours ahead of his sentencing Monday.

The incident occured seconds after Joseph Zieler entered a Lee County courtroom and motioned to speak with his attorney, Kevin Shirley.

Joseph Zieler elbows his attorney in court Monday, June 26, 2023. (Scripps News Fort Myers)
Zieler threw an elbow in Shirley’s face as he walked over and leaned into him.

Immediately after the incident deputies tackled Zieler to the ground.

Shirley told Scripps News Fort Myers, “It seemed like he didn’t want our conversation to be picked up by the microphones. So he waved me down and I bent over, and he struck me. The Bailiffs were extremely quick to respond and eliminated any future threat.”

 

[SeesSeas]

MSN

www.msn.com

Video shows convicted murderer elbow attorney in the face hours before he's sentenced to death

Joseph Zieler, 61, was sentenced to death Monday after he was convicted in the 1990 murders of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter, Lisa Story, 32.

www.nbcnews.com

Video shows convicted murderer elbow attorney in the face hours before he's sentenced to death​

[...]
Shirley said he was OK, telling the judge: "I used to box, I’ve taken a lot better shots than that one." He told NBC News that he was not injured and does not know why his client attacked him.

"He had to know how the bailiffs would react," Shirley said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "We had a very good working relationship. It was probably his last effort to put on a public display and I was the only civilian that he was able to lure within arms reach."
[...]
After Zieler struck his attorney, he was escorted out of the courtroom and brought back about 10 minutes later, the newspaper reported. Zieler then refused to let his family members speak on his behalf and claimed his innocence.

"I have nothing to do with this," he said, according to the newspaper. "I maintain my innocence."
[...]

 

[Marysmith]

MSN

www.msn.com

Video shows convicted murderer elbow attorney in the face hours before he's sentenced to death

Joseph Zieler, 61, was sentenced to death Monday after he was convicted in the 1990 murders of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter, Lisa Story, 32.

www.nbcnews.com

Video shows convicted murderer elbow attorney in the face hours before he's sentenced to death​

[...]
Shirley said he was OK, telling the judge: "I used to box, I’ve taken a lot better shots than that one." He told NBC News that he was not injured and does not know why his client attacked him.

"He had to know how the bailiffs would react," Shirley said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "We had a very good working relationship. It was probably his last effort to put on a public display and I was the only civilian that he was able to lure within arms reach."
[...]
After Zieler struck his attorney, he was escorted out of the courtroom and brought back about 10 minutes later, the newspaper reported. Zieler then refused to let his family members speak on his behalf and claimed his innocence.

"I have nothing to do with this," he said, according to the newspaper. "I maintain my innocence."
[...]

Ugh… maintain it all you want, I doubt many believe you.
RIP Lisa and Robin.