money Joseph Zieler appointed public defender in harassment case, date set for future hearings
A brief Thursday morning hearing paved the way for the remainder of the case of a North Fort Myers man convicted in the decades-old homicides of a girl and her babysitter.
Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning confirmed June 26 is the date set for a Spencer hearing in the morning, followed by sentencing in the afternoon for Joseph Zieler, 61.
A Spencer hearing will allow Zieler's attorneys to present mitigating factors, which could determine whether Zieler gets a life sentence or the death penalty.
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Branning further discussed the appointment of a public defender for a separate case charging Zieler with harassing Jan Cornell, Robin Cornell's mother.
Zieler, of North Fort Myers, was convicted May 24 in the May 9, 1990, slayings of Robin Cornell, 11, and her babysitter Lisa Story, 32.
A Lee County jury on May 24 recommended the death penalty for Zieler in the murders.
Robin and Story were asphyxiated and sexually assaulted. When Robin's mother arrived home about 4 a.m. May 10, 1990, she found their bodies in adjacent rooms of their shared Cape Coral apartment. Story had just moved in.
The case had gone cold before authorities got a DNA match in November 2016, linking Zieler to the crime. He was in custody at the time, charged with assaulting his stepson.
During the guilt phase of the trial, as Zieler testified, prosecutors asked him about a letter he had sent to Jan Cornell while he was incarcerated.
When prosecutors asked him about the threatening letter, which Jan Cornell reported to authorities, he said he wrote it in an attempt to defend himself.
Also on the stand, Zieler called her names and made allegations against her character.
In an arrest affidavit on the harassment charges, Jan Cornell had expressed concern over how Zieler obtained her address and personal information.
Zieler is scheduled for both hearings June 26, one listed for 9 a.m. and the latter for 1:30 p.m.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral cold case killer hearing set regarding mother's harassment
