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At
Zeigler's trial, one of the key eyewitnesses for the prosecution, Felton Thomas, testified that on the night of the murders, he, Zeigler, and Charlie Mays drove to an orange grove to fire some guns. The prosecution believed that this was a plan from Zeigler to get their fingerprints on the guns.
175:
Zeigler was scheduled to be executed on
October 22, 1982. However, the U.S. District Court in Jacksonville stayed the execution due to new evidence. Zeigler was then scheduled to be executed on May 20, 1986. Zeigler's lawyers, Harold Vernon Davids and Ralph Vincent "Terry" Hadley, III rejected the
151:
In 2011, Zeigler's private investigator, Lynn-Marie Carty, located a new eyewitness named Robert Foster. On the night of the murders, he attempted to rob a gas station across the street from the
Zeigler Furniture Store. Don Frye, the lead investigator on the case, had lied about Foster, saying his
74:
On
December 24, 1975, at Zeigler’s furniture store in Winter Garden, Florida, somebody fired approximately 30 bullets. Eunice Zeigler and Virginia Edwards were shot and killed. Perry Edwards and Charlie Mays were beaten to death with a metal crank. Police later found the crank and five guns at the
20:
112:
Zeigler has always said that he was a victim of a bad robbery attempt. He has also maintained that
Charlie Mays was involved in this robbery. As recently as 2015, Zeigler has also said that his brother-in-law, Perry Edwards, Jr., was the person who planned the murders.
176:
two attempted executions. The 11th
Circuit Court of Appeal stayed the execution due to inadequate representation. In April 1988, Zeigler's death sentence was overturned. Zeigler was re-sentenced and again given the death penalty.
144:; months before the murders, both Zeigler and Judge Paul testified in an unrelated case on opposing sides. Although the jury at Zeigler's trial recommended life imprisonment, Judge Paul instead sentenced Zeigler to death.
39:, United States on December 24, 1975. Thirty-year-old Tommy Zeigler was charged for the quadruple murder of his wife, her parents, and another man at his family-owned furniture store. He was
796:
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On July 1, 2022, the
Florida Supreme Court (7 to Zero Ruling) rejected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s attempt to block modern DNA testing paid for by Zeigler’s attorneys.
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later theorized he shot himself in an attempt to make it look like Mays and two other men (Edward
Williams and Felton Thomas) committed the murders while
947:
128:. He was given the death penalty for the murders of his wife and Mays. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of his wife's parents.
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of the quadruple murder of his wife, Eunice
Zeigler, and her parents, Perry and Virginia Edwards, as well as a customer named Charlie Mays.
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In May 2021, a
Florida prosecutor agreed to allow DNA testing on evidence that helped convict Zeigler. However, Attorney General
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In 2005, Zeigler's request for a new trial was denied after DNA tests failed to conclude that Charlie Mays was the perpetrator.
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Zeigler’s DNA hearing was set for September 19, 2022. On December 19, 2022, he was granted permission for a DNA test.
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policies which were taken out on his wife months before the murders. These policies were worth a total of $ 500,000.
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The case against Zeigler, and his trial, has been the subject of criticism by many, including civil rights activist
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783:"Florida Supreme Court denies new DNA analysis in death row inmate William 'Tommy' Zeigler's case"
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was released in 2014 about Zeigler's case, and the death penalty in the United States.
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the furniture store. Williams and Thomas eventually testified against Zeigler.
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In 1992, a book was released by Phillip Finch on Zeigler's case, entitled
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A few days after the shootings, while he was in the hospital, Zeigler was
627:"Local investigator hopes withheld evidence will help death row inmate"
87:
79:
911:
Fatal Flaw: A True Story of Malice and Murder in a Small Southern Town
612:"Tommy Zeigler case: Justice journalists probe 1976 murder conviction"
225:
Fatal Flaw: A True Story of Malice and Murder in a Small Southern Town
641:"Court upholds Zeigler's stay, says he was ineffectively represented"
196:
has filed a motion trying to block it; the hearing is still pending.
94:
32:
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Zeigler's case was denied bloodstain DNA analysis in 2013 and 2016.
728:"Florida's Supreme Court rejects latest motion by death-row inmate"
154:
40:
18:
530:"Last chance to spare Tommy Zeigler's life may be modern science"
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In 2013, however, Felton Thomas recanted parts of his testimony.
121:
826:"Death row inmate Tommy Zeigler gets all-clear for DNA testing"
894:"Investigation Discovery Expands Docu Push with 3 New Titles"
797:"Florida death row inmate to get DNA tests in 1975 killings"
597:"Grant Tommy Zeigler an Opportunity to Prove his Innocence"
356:"Inmate Population Information Detail - William T. Zeigler"
51:
on July 16, 1976, for two of the murders, in addition to
210:
Zeigler's case was featured on the television program,
908:
105:for the murders was to collect the money from two
436:"35 years after killings, Zeigler touts DNA test"
854:"NBC show turns camera on Winter Garden murders"
116:Due to publicity, Zeigler’s trial was moved to
97:and charged with the murders. According to the
78:Tommy Zeigler was also shot and wounded in the
237:List of death row inmates in the United States
8:
824:Anton, Leonora LaPeter (December 19, 2022).
625:Leonora LaPeter Anton (February 22, 2014).
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185:In April 2017, Zeigler's case was denied
488:Colarossi, Anthony (December 19, 2010).
434:Colarossi, Anthony (December 19, 2010).
382:"Zeigler tale of blood, greed nears end"
271:"Tommy Zeigler: 'mastermind' or victim?"
681:"Zeigler gets hearing on death penalty"
258:
242:List of longest prison sentences served
768:"Judge denies Tommy Ziegler's request"
7:
595:Bianca Jagger (December 28, 2004).
726:Weiner, Jeff (February 22, 2013).
490:"The Case For And Against Zeigler"
317:"Mass-Murderer Sentenced to Death"
65:William Thomas "Tommy" Zeigler Jr.
14:
948:1975 murders in the United States
892:Shelli Weinstein (July 9, 2014).
360:Florida Department of Corrections
63:On July 2, 1976, thirty-year-old
877:
766:Elyssa Cherney (July 19, 2016).
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711:
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610:Elyssa Cherney (March 8, 2016).
580:
550:"The case that haunts a holiday"
548:Roy, Roger (December 23, 1995).
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412:
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269:Hess, Jennie (August 11, 1986).
152:name was a typographical error.
852:Roy, Roger (February 7, 1997).
679:Levenson, Bob (April 8, 1988).
649:. November 25, 1986. p. 27
161:Union Correctional Institution
16:American murderer on death row
1:
528:Greg Fox (November 9, 2015).
47:on July 2, 1976. Zeigler was
380:Roy, Roger (May 18, 1986).
325:. July 17, 1976. p. 17
159:Zeigler is incarcerated at
979:
218:"A Question of Innocence"
216:. A documentary entitled
67:(born July 25, 1945) was
781:Staff (April 21, 2017).
907:Finch, Phillip (1992).
958:Mass murder in Florida
770:. orlandosentinel.com.
614:. orlandosentinel.com.
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59:Murders and conviction
37:Winter Garden, Florida
24:
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118:Jacksonville, Florida
22:
599:. commondreams.org.
276:The Palm Beach Post
213:Unsolved Mysteries
206:In popular culture
168:
49:sentenced to death
35:of four people in
29:Tommy Zeigler case
25:
915:. Villard Books.
53:life imprisonment
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896:. variety.com.
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805:. May 21, 2021
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498:. p. A10
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23:Tommy Zeigler
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870:– via
864:. Retrieved
862:. p. 72
857:
847:
837:December 20,
835:. Retrieved
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819:
807:. Retrieved
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761:
744:– via
738:. Retrieved
736:. p. B3
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704:– via
698:. Retrieved
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651:. Retrieved
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567:. Retrieved
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500:. Retrieved
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459:– via
453:. Retrieved
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405:– via
399:. Retrieved
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363:. Retrieved
350:
333:– via
327:. Retrieved
322:Miami Herald
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294:– via
288:. Retrieved
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194:Ashley Moody
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101:, Zeigler's
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28:
26:
689:. pp.
558:. pp.
532:. wesh.com.
444:. pp.
390:. pp.
329:October 15,
279:. pp.
132:Controversy
99:prosecution
84:Prosecutors
963:Uxoricides
937:Categories
866:August 25,
740:August 26,
700:August 25,
653:August 25,
569:August 25,
455:August 26,
401:August 25,
365:January 8,
290:August 25,
253:References
189:analysis.
124:found him
502:March 16,
247:Uxoricide
187:Touch DNA
171:Aftermath
69:convicted
45:convicted
231:See also
95:arrested
809:May 21,
88:robbing
80:abdomen
33:murders
919:
126:guilty
103:motive
41:tried
917:ISBN
868:2017
839:2022
811:2021
742:2017
702:2017
655:2017
571:2017
504:2023
457:2017
403:2017
367:2021
331:2022
292:2017
122:jury
120:. A
43:and
27:The
450:A10
163:in
939::
856:.
828:.
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693:,
683:.
643:.
562:,
552:.
538:^
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448:,
446:A1
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422:^
396:16
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261:^
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285:3
281:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
