WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – For the first time in decades, a judge will re-examine key evidence in the murder case of Tommy Zeigler, who has been on death row since being convicted in the 1975 slayings of four people in Winter Garden.
The longest-serving inmate on Florida’s death row is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Monday as his attorneys argue that new DNA results could prove his innocence.
Zeigler, now 80 years old, was convicted of killing his wife, his in-laws and a customer inside his Winter Garden furniture store on Christmas Eve 1975.
Zeigler has maintained that he walked in on a robbery and was attacked, but he was convicted of murder in 1976 and has been on death row ever since.
At Monday’s hearing, the court will review the latest DNA testing from clothing worn by all four victims — and by Zeigler.
[FLASHBACK VIDEO: Judge demands DNA evidence list]
The proceedings will focus on the presentation of arguments and expert testimony based on the evidence. Zeigler’s legal team says it could be his final chance to win a new trial or secure his release.
Prosecutors maintain that the new DNA testing falls short and does not undermine the evidence relied on by the jury nearly five decades ago.
“As prosecutors, we uphold the law,” said Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell, noting that the new evidence does not change the original verdict. “Nothing from this new round of testing changes the fact the jury got it right the first time around. Zeigler is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The judge will also review hundreds of pages of court filings submitted ahead of the hearing, a process expected to take several days.
[VIDEO BELOW: Defense bolstered by new DNA evidence]
Zeigler is the longest-serving inmate on Florida’s death row. His attorneys say the hearing may be his last realistic opportunity to secure a new trial or potentially be released on bond while the case continues.
Monday’s hearing could run through the end of the week. A ruling on whether Zeigler will get a new trial, or whether his original convictions will stand, will come after all testimony is presented.
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