Convicted double murderer Joseph Zieler elbows his attorney in face — then is sentenced to death in Florida

A person convicted of killing an 11-year-old woman and her babysitter greater than three a long time in the past has been sentenced to loss of life by a choose in southwest Florida. The sentencing got here not lengthy after Joseph Zieler elbowed his personal legal professional within the face within the courtroom, CBS affiliate WINK-TV reported.  

Final month, 10 out of 12 jurors really helpful that Zieler be sentenced to loss of life after about 5 hours of deliberations, in accordance with courtroom data. The identical jury beforehand discovered Zieler, 60, responsible of two counts of first-degree homicide within the 1990 murders of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and 32-year-old Lisa Story.

Earlier than the sentence was formally handed down, Zieler appeared in courtroom along with his wrists shackled, WINK-TV reported. Video reveals him name over legal professional Kevin Shirley, who leaned ahead to hearken to one thing he assumed Zieler was going to whisper to him. As a substitute Zieler flung his elbow up and struck the facet of Shirley’s head, the video reveals.

Two bailiffs instantly tackled Zieler to the bottom and escorted him out of the courtroom.

Shirley advised WINK-TV he was wonderful after the incident.

“I had no concept he was going to do one thing like that,” he mentioned. “Clearly he is been planning on that. However as he was happening, he mentioned he was sorry he missed.”

The outburst and sentencing got here after a trial during which Zieler yelled on the jury and made vulgar gestures whereas he was on the witness stand.

Zieler was jailed on an unrelated assault cost in 2016 when his DNA matched to the cold-case murders of Cornell and Story, authorities mentioned.

The woman and the lady have been present in a Cape Coral condominium in Could 1990, officers mentioned. Robin’s mom had been out for the evening and found the suffocated our bodies when she returned the following morning. Investigators mentioned each victims have been sexually assaulted.

Cape Coral is about 100 miles south of Tampa.

WINK-TV beforehand reported that Zieler shocked the courtroom when he claimed he had slept with Cornell’s mom a couple of months earlier than the homicide.

“I assumed the one approach my DNA might have gotten there was from me sleeping with Jan Cornell,” he mentioned.

WINK-TV additionally reported that Zieler screamed on the jury and made vulgar gestures whereas on the stand.

“His conduct on the stand didn’t assist,” his different legal professional, Lee Hollander, mentioned. “When you’re in a gap, cease digging. That is what I needed to say proper then and there.”

Hollander continued: “I am again behind counsel desk. And he is up within the within the witness chair. And it was like, sitting down watching a practice wreck.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.