ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The nearly 50-year-old murder case involving Tommy Zeigler has taken a new turn with the discovery of fresh DNA evidence.
On Christmas Eve in 1975, four people were found shot to death at Tommy Zeigler’s family furniture store in Winter Garden.
Those four included: Zeigler’s wife, Eunice; her parents, Perry and Virginia Edwards; and a fourth individual, Charlie Mays.
According to court documents, prosecutors alleged that Zeigler first killed his wife and in-laws. They said he then attempted to lure three men, including Mays, into the store to murder them and cover up the crime.
Zeigler, however, has always maintained his innocence.
Newly filed court documents said that Zeigler believes he walked in on a robbery and was attacked.
The defense argues that Zeigler wrestled with one of the robbers, believed to be Charlie Mays, based on new DNA evidence, and was shot in the stomach.
Now, attorneys are seeking to overturn Zeigler’s conviction with the new DNA evidence.
According to a 64-page filing, Zeigler’s clothing contained blood from only two of the four victims: Charlie Mays and Perry Edwards.
The defense argues that, based on the injuries, Zeigler should have had blood from all four victims on his clothes.
Additionally, attorneys assert that the DNA evidence disproves the claim that Zeigler put Perry in a headlock, as Perry’s blood and DNA were not found on Zeigler’s shirt—only a few drops of Perry’s blood were found on his shoes.
The motion also states that Eunice’s clothing had “touch DNA” from Charlie Mays, which the defense said indicates Mays’ involvement in her murder.
Zeigler’s attorneys further point out that Perry’s blood was found on both Eunice’s and Charlie Mays’ clothing.
Since the bodies were discovered in different rooms, the defense suggests this could only have occurred if Perry’s blood dripped onto the other victims or if the killer transferred it from Perry’s body to the others.
News 6 reached out to the State Attorney’s Office for comment. They said because it is an active case, they cannot comment at this time.
To read the full 64-page filing, see below:
Ziegler Docs by Jacob Langston on Scribd