Jury convicts man in brutal 1990 death of girl, babysitter.
More than six years after DNA matched him to the decades-old double homicide, Zieler now advances to the death penalty phase of the trial. It will resume Tuesday.
Zieler was charged in November 2016 with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the May 9, 1990, slayings of Robin and Story, 32, in Cape Coral.
Zieler, of North Fort Myers, just hours prior to his conviction took the stand to claim his innocence soon after his girlfriend told the jury about learning of the accusations, wiping tears and covering her face as she sobbed.
Assistant State Attorneys Daniel Feinberg, Stephanie Russell and Abe Thornburg prosecuted the case.
Zieler was represented by Lee Hollander and Kevin Shirley.
Bonnie Knicely had been in a relationship with Zieler since about Memorial Day 1990 until shortly after he was connected to the double homicide in November 2016.
She said under oath that said Zieler never had memory issues, contrary to what he told authorities when they confronted him with the murders.
Zieler had told them he suffered memory loss when a car struck his motorcycle along Pine Island Road and sent him to the hospital with a seriously fractured leg, a wound on his left foot and a head injury.
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