Orlando: Just days before the anniversary of the 1975 "Christmas Eve
Massacre" in Winter Garden, activists and supporters rallied in Orlando
seeking an affirmative result to Monday's evidentiary hearing on the DNA
test results in the case of William Thomas Zeigler. The hearing, held
before Judge Whitehead (State of Florida 9th Judicial Circuit), will
determine if Zeigler is to be granted a new trial based upon recent DNA
test results. Many activists and supporters plan to attend the hearing.
"We are seeking a fair trial for Tommy Zeigler," said Abe Bonowitz,
director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). "All
we are asking for is the opportunity to put evidence discovered since the
time of Tommys original trial in front of a jury. If the State wants to
kill a man, its common sense to make sure we have the right guy."
CASE DETAILS:
The detail in this case is huge. Much more information,
including an exhaustive memo on the new DNA evidence on this case, and
photos of case exhibits, is available at www.FADP.org. See web page menu
on reverse of this page.
SYNOPSIS:
The State was successful in its motion to prevent the hearing
from addressing the mountain of other post-trial evidence of innocence by
claiming that the evidence is procedurally barred because it was introduced
too late. Only the DNA test results are to be evaluated. The DNA test
results, which were completed over two years ago, are totally consistent
with Zeigler's description of events the night of the murders and
inconsistent with the State's version. The DNA tests show that the blood of
Zeigler's murdered father-in-law, Perry Edwards, was on Charlie Mays, not
on Zeigler. The blood on Zeigler was the blood of Charlie Mays, whom
Zeigler has always claimed jumped him, resulting in a fight almost to the
death.
For 29 years the State has claimed that Mays, who was found beaten to death
with a linoleum roll crank, was a hapless victim of the crime. Now, in the
face of the DNA test results, the State is attempting to redefine Mays as a
co-perpetrator of Zeigler who was then killed by Zeigler. The problem is
that if Zeigler didn't kill Mays, then the co-perpetrators in this horrible
massacre are still walking around free, possibly right in Orange County,
Florida. Instead of acknowledging that reality, the State is pressing
forward with new theories of how the crimes might have occurred with
Zeigler being responsible.
Events held by the activists included a Sunday evening screening of "A
Matter of Life & Death," the nationally broadcast "trial" hosted by John
McLaughlin followed by a case update by one of Zeigler's original trial
attorney's, Vernon Davids, and a Monday morning press conference prior to
the hearing.
