ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s longest-serving death row inmate is trying to convince a judge to let him get a new trial.
Tommy Zeigler claims new evidence supports his innocence.
Zeigler, who has been on death row for over 50 years, was convicted of murdering four people at his family’s furniture store.
He maintains that he was also a victim in the incident, having been shot during the attack.
Zeigler’s attorneys argue that DNA evidence from the crime scene, which includes 200 samples, does not match the patterns expected if Zeigler were the killer.
Prosecutors, however, contend that the defense is selectively interpreting the evidence.
The murders occurred at Zeigler’s family furniture store, where his wife, her parents, and a customer were found dead.
Zeigler claims that a group of men entered the store, killed the victims, and shot him in the stomach during the struggle.
Prosecutors allege that Zeigler committed the murders to collect half a million dollars in life insurance money, suggesting he shot himself to make his story more believable.
Now in his 80s and in poor health, Zeigler has been transported to the Orange County Jail to attend the hearing, although he often does not attend in person.
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