A sentencing hearing in Florida descended into chaos on Monday when convicted murderer Joseph Zieler lashed out violently, physically assaulting his own lawyer in the process.
The 61-year-old Zieler was previously tried and found guilty in Lee County, Florida, of sexually assaulting and murdering 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her 32-year-old babysitter Lisa Story in 1990. Over the course of his trial, he has frequently engaged in belligerent behavior, at various points lobbing insults at Cornell's mother, flashing the middle finger to a camera, and behaving so erratically during testimony that a judge had to remove the jurors from the courtroom.
The latest incident, reported on by local NBC affiliate WBBH-TV, saw Zieler target his own attorney, Kevin Shirley. At one point during his sentencing hearing, the convict appeared to be trying to tell Shirley something, prompting the lawyer to lean over to listen. Zieler then lashed out physically, striking his lawyer in the head with his elbow in an incident caught on camera and shared by the NBC affiliate on YouTube.
Zieler's outburst was short-lived, as he was swiftly tackled to the ground by the court's bailiffs. Reports indicate that Shirley did not appear terribly phased by the incident, sitting back down soon after and telling others that he was fine.
"I used to box," Shirley said. "I've taken a lot better shots than that."
Speaking on the phone with Law & Crime after the incident, Shirley continued to show good spirits, indicating he was more upset that he was not able to get in a counterpunch and commending the bailiffs for handling the situation.
A jury previously voted 10-2 in May to convict Zieler for the murder of Cornell and Story, recommending that he receive the death penalty. Judge Robert J. Branning on Monday formalized that recommendation, officially sentencing the 61-year-old to death.
Newsweek reached out to Shirley via email for comment.
The cases of Cornell and Story had gone cold for decades, with the two victims having been killed in May 1990, discovered by Cornell's mother when she returned home from a trip. After many years, Zieler and his DNA came to the attention of law enforcement in 2016 after he was arrested and charged with shooting his adult son with a pellet gun.
Over the course of the trial, Zieler declined to let family members come and speak on his behalf, insisting on his innocence.
"I have nothing to do with this," he said. "I maintain my innocence."
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
