In a courtroom incident, a man convicted of the 1990 murder of an 11-year-old girl and her babysitter unleashed violence by punching his own attorney and was subsequently restrained.
Joseph Zieler, 61, received a death sentence for the heinous crimes involving the rape and suffocation of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter, Lisa Story.
While in front of the judge, Zieler demanded that the cameras in the room be removed and then used offensive language before elbowing his attorney, Kevin Shirley, in the face.
Within moments, three bailiffs swiftly apprehended Zieler, who had the word "killer" inscribed on his teeth, and escorted him out of the courtroom.
This appearance was part of an appeal to the judge just hours before he handed down the sentence, following a jury recommendation of the death penalty in May from Lee County, Florida.
Zieler, who was arrested in 2016, 26 years after the cold case murders, intended to plead with the judge against the jury's recommendation.
The blow occurred while Zieler, still handcuffed, seemed to be trying to discreetly convey a message to his long-time counsel.
Kevin Shirley explained, "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."
After ensuring Shirley's well-being, Judge Robert Branning kept Zieler outside the courtroom for several minutes.
Jan Cornell, the mother of the murdered 11-year-old girl, witnessed the incident and expressed shock and surprise.
Upon being brought back into the courtroom, Zieler reportedly growled at the judge and the spectators, exposing the word "killer" written on his teeth.
Despite this shocking display, he refused to allow any relatives to speak on his behalf, maintaining his innocence in the crimes.
Judge Branning ultimately denied Zieler's motion for a new trial and upheld his conviction.
Several hours later, the judge sentenced him to death inside the courtroom, providing closure to the families who had sought justice for over 30 years since the tragic discovery of the victims' bodies in a Cape Coral apartment.
Robin Cornell and Lisa Story were found beaten, assaulted, and suffocated in May 1990.
In September 2016, Zieler's arrest was announced after his DNA matched traces found at the crime scene.
Investigators revealed during the trial that Zieler's semen found on Robin's bed sheet was a match to him with a frequency exceeding 1 in 700 billion.
Jan Cornell, who had spent the night at her boyfriend's home, returned the next day to find her daughter and Lisa's lifeless bodies.
The murders remained unsolved for years and gained attention when they were featured on America's Most Wanted in 2010.
During the trial, Jan testified that her last words to her daughter were, "Good night, I'm going to Donnie's, I love you."
She tearfully described Robin as a vibrant fifth-grader who enjoyed jump rope and playing outdoors.
The defense argued throughout the trial that the attack on Cornell and Story was a personal matter, suggesting that Zieler held animosity towards Jan.
Attorney Lee Hollander remarked, "This sounds like someone was really angry at you."
In addition to the murder conviction, Zieler faced charges of harassment for sending a letter to Jan Cornell from prison.
In a press conference with State Attorney Amira Fox and Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore, Jan expressed her satisfaction with the verdict, stating, "Justice for Robin and justice for Lisa has happened."
State Attorney Fox hoped that the verdict would bring a sense of peace and closure to the families, expressing gratitude for their patience and cooperation throughout the lengthy legal process.
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