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Jury selection expected to begin in Joseph Zieler's murder trial

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Posted at 8:04 AM, May 05, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-05 08:06:40-04

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jury selection begins on Monday for Joseph Zieler.

He is accused of killing 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter Lisa Story in Cape Coral in 1990.

Lee County Judge Robert Branning is presiding over the case.

Thursday, the state attorney and his defense team argued over the death penalty and should Florida's new death penalty law apply in this case.

Zieler is facing charges of first-degree homicide, sexual battery, and burglary.

The defense also asked for all DNA results to be shown in court claiming the Cape Coral Police Department may have mishandled the results.

He was arrested in 2016 for a separate case, but that arrest helped investigators make a break into the unsolved murders.

Fox 4 has been following the case leading up to jury selection.

Over the past two years, Zieler has made several motions including asking to represent himself, which the court denied.

Zieler could face the death penalty if convicted.