REOPENED: Murder By Moonlight

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Murder By Moonlight

A&E / PodcastOne—Jan 29, 2026
Host: Paula Barros

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Episode Overview

This emotional and meticulously detailed episode tells the story of Lisa Ziegert, a beloved young woman from Agawam, Massachusetts, whose 1992 abduction and murder became one of the state’s most infamous cold cases. The episode follows the decades-long quest for justice by Lisa’s family, friends, and investigators, culminating in the shocking confession and conviction of her killer—thanks in large part to advancements in DNA and forensic technology. Through personal accounts and procedural details, listeners are given a window into the heartbreak, determination, and eventual relief experienced by all those touched by Lisa's life and loss.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Disappearance and Immediate Aftermath (01:01–10:13)

• Lisa’s Character and Life

  • Lisa Ziegert was remembered as someone who "drew people to her because she always had a smile. And when Lisa giggles, everybody giggles." – Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother) [01:01]
  • She was working two jobs: student teaching by day, Brittany’s Card and Gift Shop by night.
  • Close siblings and loving family highlighted.

• Night of Disappearance

  • Lisa’s sister, Lynn, described her last visit to the shop and their normal, loving goodbye [02:06].
  • The next morning, Lisa failed to show up to work—immediately prompting concern as Lisa was known for her reliability.

• Discovery of Crime Scene

  • The card shop was found open, Lisa’s belongings left behind, and nothing appeared stolen.
  • Early police work detailed: lack of surveillance, signs of struggle, unlocked back door, and small traces of blood [06:12–06:26].
  • Police and community quickly mobilized; intense search ensued.

2. Community Impact and Fear (10:13–16:26)

• Lisa’s Body is Found

  • Discovered by a local resident on Easter Sunday, a mile from the shop [09:16].
  • The autopsy revealed multiple stab wounds and sexual assault [10:13, 10:37].
  • Early use of DNA profiling, though technology was limited in 1992.

• Effect on Agawam

  • Community members, especially women, were terrified—many began taking self-defense classes and altered their routines.
  • Lisa’s family, though buoyed by community support, struggled with fear and uncertainty [15:30, 15:54].

3. Dead Ends and Decades of Heartbreak (16:26–25:28)

• Investigation Focus

  • Police’s first suspect: Lisa’s boyfriend Blair. He had an alibi and was eventually cleared by DNA [17:05–17:41].
  • Investigators were inundated with leads – over 400 people of interest logged [18:48].

• Limits of Early DNA Efforts

  • Early DNA required blood samples; lack of technology limited covert sample collection [19:06–19:19].
  • Some suspects refused to provide voluntary samples.

• The Case Goes Cold

  • Despite efforts, the trail went cold, marking years of heartache and frustration for Lisa’s loved ones.
  • "My heart breaks for them and nobody deserves this." – Community Member/Investigator [19:49]

4. New Hope: Forensic Advancements and Renewed Resolve (24:22–25:53)

• New District Attorney Anthony Gallooney

  • Takes office in 2015, reprioritizes Lisa’s case: "This case is solvable and we're gonna get there." – Dee Ziegert recalling Galuni’s commitment [24:26]
  • Case files, suspects, and evidence are systematically reviewed.

• DNA Phenotyping

  • Parabon Nanolabs creates a composite sketch from the old DNA, narrowing down the suspect pool by identifying physical characteristics [25:28].

5. The Breakthrough: Confession and DNA Match (25:53–34:57)

• Narrowing the Suspects

  • The suspect list is reduced from 400 to 11, via DNA and phenotyping [25:53–26:10].
  • Grand jury compels suspects to provide DNA; key moment arises from a confession letter [26:37].

• Confession of Gary Schara

  • Schara’s girlfriend delivers a handwritten confession left behind after his disappearance: “[He] wrote that he took Lisa from her family and that he will never forgive himself.” [26:51–27:12]
  • Investigators link Schara to the case, learning he’d been reported as a person of interest during contentious divorce proceedings years earlier [28:50–29:31].
  • Schara always refused to provide a DNA sample, claiming fear of cloning [21:36, 30:12–30:43].

• DNA Evidence Seals the Case

  • Police obtain Schara’s toothbrush; the DNA matches the crime scene [32:13].
  • Emotional reaction from Lisa’s family: "It was a no way moment." – Lynn Rogerson [32:39]
  • "I have never felt anything like the feeling of relief from Dee when we were able to tell her that at least she finally had an answer." – Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau [32:46]

6. Justice and Reflection (34:08–36:38)

• Guilty Plea and Sentence
  • Schara pleads guilty to murder, rape, and kidnapping, receiving a life sentence without parole [34:57–35:14].
  • Lisa’s family finds solace in avoiding a trial: "All of our family heard for the first time how hard she fought. And I was so proud of her." – Lynn Rogerson [35:39]
  • Dee Ziegert reflects on Lisa’s enduring influence: “When I get a little down, I honestly feel a proverbial kick in the butt to say, come on, mom can’t do that … So she made such a difference in so many that she touched.” [35:52]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why wouldn't they just let her go? After the first couple of years, do I think that the light burned as bright in my soul that it would be solved? It dimmed at times. I'm human, but my faith is stronger than that.”
  — Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother) [01:01]

• “I still had faith, but I'm a realist too. And everyone knows the longer someone's missing, the less likely you are to have a happy ending.”
  — Dee Ziegert [08:28]

• “The key task to solving this case was going to be to figure out who that [DNA] belonged to.”
  — Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau [20:48]

• “We knew right away this was going to break the case right open. We all went to the Westfield State Police barracks and sure enough, four pages of handwritten notes."
  — Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau [27:12]

• “Once I read the letters, I was … Like, we gotta find this guy.”
  — Community Member/Investigator [28:28]

• “We learned that the profile developed from Gary's toothbrush matched the single source male DNA profile obtained in 1992 from Lisa Zeigert's killer.”
  — Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau [32:13]

• “I have never felt anything like the feeling of relief from Dee when we were able to tell her that at least she finally had an answer. It was without a doubt, one of the most meaningful moments of my entire life.”
  — Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau [32:46]

• “But Lisa continues to influence in many ways … So if you need a bright spot in your life, think of her. If you see a bright blue sky, think of her bright blue eyes. And if you see the sun, think of her bright warm smile.”
  — Dee Ziegert (Lisa’s mother) [35:52]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Lisa’s Disappearance Reported: [01:34]–[03:36]
• Crime Scene & Investigation: [05:45]–[07:47]
• Body Found & Community’s Response: [09:16]–[16:26]
• Early Suspects and Dead Ends: [16:43]–[18:48]
• Case Goes Cold: [19:06]–[20:33]
• DA Gallooney’s Renewed Effort & DNA Breakthroughs: [24:22]–[25:53]
• Confession Letter Received: [26:37]–[27:33]
• Schara’s Background & Evasion: [28:50]–[30:43]
• DNA Match & Family Informed: [32:13]–[32:39]
• Guilty Plea & Reflection: [34:57]–[36:38]

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Summary Takeaway

Through moving firsthand recollections and meticulous procedural breakdowns, this episode captures both the heartbreak of loss and the hope kindled by relentless pursuit of justice—even after decades. The story is a tribute not only to Lisa, but also to the strength of her family and the power of forensic technology to bring long-awaited answers, and closure, to those left behind.

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For more Cold Case Files, visit aetv.com

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

The thing with Lisa was that she drew people to her because she always had a smile. And when Lisa giggles, everybody giggles. She was such a good person. Why wouldn't they just let her go? After the first couple of years, do I think that the light burned as bright in my soul that it would be solved? It dimmed at times. I'm human, but my faith is stronger than that. And so I just said nope, we're going to just keep on hoping and if we don't get them here, God will get them there.

[Narrator]

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. It's a cool afternoon in Agawam, Massachusetts on April 15, 1992. 24 year old Lisa Ziegert shows up on time like she always does for her shift at Brittany's Card and Gift Shop. Her sister Lynn Rogerson stops by the.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

Shop that night, had just popped into the store just to check in, just to say hi, just to catch up. We were talking about her being a teacher. Lisa was student teaching during the day and then she worked at Brittany's at night. At the time she had some worrying and frustrations that teaching was the right path for her because she was still waiting to get a full time position. Just regular sister talk, you know that get it off your chest so I can feel better kind of conversation. And then we just said our cheerful normal hug and kiss goodbyes and I went home the next morning. Early in my day. I hadn't been at work very long. I got a phone call because Lisa had not shown up to work at the school and that was highly unusual.

[Narrator]

Minutes after that call, Lynn's phone rings again. It's another one of Lisa's co workers and they're concerned about Lisa.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

My friend worked at the same card and gift shop. She had come for her morning shift and the store was found open. Lisa's car was in the parking lot and her belongings were still on the counter. My friend knew something was not right, and that's when she called the police. I had just been there the night before. Everything seemed normal. None of it made any sense.

[Narrator]

After receiving the two phone calls, Lynn drives over to her mother Dee's office.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

She said, mom, Lisa's missing. The heart starts racing. I panicked. She said, come on, we're going to go to the store. Lisa was responsible. She might have gone somewhere, but she would have locked the door and set the alarm before she left. She didn't just leave.

[Narrator]

Dee and George were married in 1966. They were blessed with four beautiful children. Lynn came along first, followed by Lisa, and then David and Sharon. Lynn and Lisa were very close in age, and they bonded immediately.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

Lisa and I are 15 months apart. We always did everything together. She was one of my best friends. Lisa was always the giggly one, and she was mischievous to.

[Narrator]

When Lisa was in the sixth grade, she met Kimberly Souders, who would become her best friend.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

There was a boy sitting between the two of us, and we were kicking the boy under the desk with our feet, kind of playing footsies. And Mr. Pascarella yelled out, souders and Ziggur, make out on your own time. And we were absolutely mortified. From that moment on, we were thick as thieves.

[Narrator]

At school, Lisa excelled in art. She. She loved to draw, but she thought that she wasn't good enough, despite her art teachers always telling her otherwise. After graduating from high school, Lisa was accepted at the University of Bridgeport as an art major. At the very last minute, Lisa changed her mind and decided that she instead wanted to become a teacher. She graduated from college with a degree in education, returned to Agawam, and accepted a role as a teaching assistant at Agawam Middle School.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

Lisa continued to take art classes and used it in teaching. She had a great rapport with kids, and they loved Ms. Ziegert.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

She was drawing. She's, you know, teaching. She was happy with her boyfriend, Blair.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

She loved him and was convinced that, you know, someday that they would marry and have children.

[Narrator]

After the phone calls, Lisa's family reports her missing. After Agawam, police arrive at the card shop in minutes. Immediately they notice something suspicious underneath the counter. They Find all of Lisa's belongings. Lisa wouldn't have left work without her bag or purse. They scour the rest of the shop and determine that nothing has been stolen, including money. Inside the cash register, Trooper Noah Pack describes what happened next.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

Today we might check video cameras and surveillance in the area, but there are was no such thing at the time. But there were some signs that a struggle had occurred, especially in the back office area.

[Narrator]

The responding officers find a spot of blood on top of the refrigerator door in the back room. They continue their search for evidence and find what appears to be a scuff mark from a shoe on the door to the back room. The back room of the shop leads to an alleyway behind the building. The door is typically locked, but officers discover that it's unlocked. Things are growing more suspicious and concerning by the minute. So officers contact state police who arrive at the shop with K9 units. The investigators from state police canvassed the neighborhood and the alleyway, searching for any evidence that could lead them to Lisa.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

They checked the alley behind. They checked businesses nearby, dumpsters nearby, see if there was any type of evidence that might have been found there. And they started talking to people from the nearby businesses, trying to track down anyone who might have witnessed something.

[Narrator]

The Massachusetts state police send up a helicopter to hover overhead as Agawam police conduct a foot search. Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau interviewed Lisa's relatives to try and ascertain if there was anybody who would want to bring her harm.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

The store was crawling with policemen. The detectives asked what was she having trouble with anybody? We were unaware of anybody having any interest in harming Lisa.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

I kept thinking, why would anyone hurt her? She was such a good person. Why wouldn't they just let her go?

[Narrator]

News about Lisa's disappearance spread through Agawam like wildfire. Stephanie Berry, investigative reporter for the Republican newspaper, remembers the response.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

Well, people were scared for Lisa. News spread really, really fast. And the search efforts included people from the community in addition to law enforcement.

[Narrator]

The hours eventually turn into days, and there's still no sign of Lisa. By day four, her family is losing hope.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

I couldn't concentrate. My mind kept going 100 miles an hour in different directions. Just the stress of wanting to fix it and not knowing how. I still had faith, but I'm a realist too. And everyone knows the longer someone's missing, the less likely you are to have a happy ending. Easter Sunday, we went in an early mass, came home and it was quiet. No one was there that morning. It was just George and myself. It was around 1:32 o', clock, car pulled up and I heard a little knock at the door. The lead detective on the case stood there and he looked at me and I said, you found her, didn't you?

[Narrator]

On Easter Sunday, an Agawam resident is walking behind his property. When he approaches a clearing in the woods, he sees that there's something on the ground. As he gets closer, he can see that it's the nude body of a woman. Police respond to the scene and they immediately identify that the deceased woman is Lisa.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

I dropped almost to my knees. I didn't even want to know what happened. It didn't matter. She was gone. My life was changed forever.

[Narrator]

Lisa's body is found around a mile away from Brittney's card shop where she disappeared. The area is off the beaten path in a clearing near a dirt road.

[Community Member / Investigator]

Lisa, she was a young kid. She had her whole life ahead of her. The investigators were upset. There was been police officers upset. It hurt.

[Narrator]

Lisa's autopsy confirms that she has been stabbed to death.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

Lisa had significant injuries, including at least half a dozen knife wounds. And there was evidence that she had been in a fight for her life. Lisa's clothing was found in a manner that suggested there had been a significant struggle. Buttons had been ripped off of her blouse. Her clothing was torn.

[Narrator]

Lisa's autopsy also shows that she has been sexually assaulted. There are multiple deposits of forensic evidence and DNA analysis shows a single source male DNA profile.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

But DNA was in its infancy in 1992. At that time, there was no DNA database that we had access to. It wasn't easy to develop a detailed profile of somebody and compare it to an existing database the way there is today.

[Narrator]

Word of Lisa's murder travels fast and a handful of new witnesses emerged to help build a timeline of the hours leading up to her disappearance.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

A witness was found who had been shopping in the card shop at 8:20pm on the night that she was taken. Another witness was found who came into the card shop at about 9pm and Lisa was not there.

[Narrator]

Investigators theorize that Lisa was abducted from the card shop sometime between 8:20 and.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

9Pm One of the witnesses reported to investigators that he had seen a suspicious person lurking across the street before Lisa had been taken. The guy was kind of moving back and forth in a strange way. The witness actually thought he was going to break into a car. He described him as a relatively tall, slender man wearing a dark army style jacket.

[Narrator]

As investigators interview Lisa's friends, they learn that the suspicious man may have been spotted before One night.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

We were at the store. We were standing in front of the big windows and Lisa said that she just sometimes gets got the feeling like she was being watched. There may be a couple cars in the parking lot, but there was nobody in them. I said, there's nobody out there, Lisa, you're fine. And then I remember the night I went to visit her at the store the Thursday before she went missing. There was a customer in the store and I remember him staying for a while. I thought it was odd that he was hovering. I remember her saying that, you know, he comes in sometimes to look at the collectibles, trying to, you know, figure out which one he wants to buy someone.

[Narrator]

So.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

So I knew that the person was somebody that she had seen in the store before. And I just remember him staying for a long time and wishing he would leave. I did tell the police about the man in the store and his description. I remember him being a tall, thin, dark haired man. He was wearing a black jacket.

[Narrator]

Kimberly's description of the man is a near match to the description of the man seen outside the card shop on the night Lisa vanished. To try and find the man, investigators decide to stake out Lisa's funeral. Sometimes in murder cases, the killer will make an appearance at their victim's funeral. It can be a way for them to relish in their crime or relive it. Or it can be a way to mock investigators for their inability to capture.

[Community Member / Investigator]

Them during the wake. In the funeral service, the investigators felt it'd be possibly helpful if they set up surveillance to see if there was anybody suspicious that just didn't fit in. But the investigators didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

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[Narrator]

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[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

We had to have the clothes casket, of course, but they fixed her up so we could see her if we wanted to go in and see her. So we did. She was so cold when I kissed her forehead. That's a memory you don't want to have, but at least I got to kiss her.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

There was so many people that came just to say we're sorry. There were some of the kids that came too, and the kids had a tough time. The support was amazing. But there's also a fear that was around her death. Not knowing who had done it, knowing that they were still out there. The town was paralyzed.

[Narrator]

Lisa's murder terrifies the community. Many women start to take self defense classes as the threat of an unidentified killer looms over. Gone are the days where locals leave their doors unlocked and windows open. Instead, they find themselves double checking if their homes are secure enough. Each night before bed.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

I worked at a Friendly's restaurant. I was a late teenager. The staff was made up mostly of a lot of young women. We weren't allowed to go to our cars alone. I remember some parents wouldn't let their.

[Narrator]

Daughters go to work.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

Everybody was terrified. And the conventional wisdom is if you can't get a line on a killer inside of a few days, the chances diminish that you're going to find that killer.

[Narrator]

Statistically, most people are killed by somebody that they know. So part of the early investigation included looking at all of Lisa's male associates and friends. Investigators interview Lisa's boyfriend, Blair Mosoia, a standard procedure. He has an alibi. He was with his mother around the same time Lisa vanished. But still, investigators take a long, hard look at him.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

They impounded Blair's car. They had him back and forth for questioning. They took DNA.

[Narrator]

They continue their investigation of Blair and question Lisa's friends and family about the couple's relationship.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

There were no concerns about domestic violence. By all accounts, it sounded Like a loving relationship.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

I remember Thayer went out to go look for her. He didn't want to stop searching. Blair just didn't want to give up.

[Narrator]

Investigators speak with other people who would have been with Blair around the same time frame. Eventually his alibi and his DNA profile rule him out as a suspect.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

Blair cared a lot about Lisa and he was good to her and he was such a support when we lost Lisa, he was there, you know, for us when he was hurting himself so badly.

[Narrator]

Despite investigators best efforts, the case drags on and anxiety in Agawam reaches a fever pitch.

[Community Member / Investigator]

This affected the community to such an extent that the the phones in our detective bureau were just ringing off the hook with potential leads. They actually brought in extra phones so they could handle the call volume. When these phone calls came in, they ran the gamut.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

I saw a strange person at a gas station or I saw a man in a dark coat walking down the street nearby.

[Community Member / Investigator]

I was at the local bar on Friday night and there was a guy that looked suspicious.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

Scorned ex wives, girlfriends calling to say that they felt that their boyfriend or their ex husband behaved in a weird way when they were together and they thought he might have done it. There were dozens if not hundreds of men whose name had come up in a similar way.

[Narrator]

Investigators log each tip that comes in and there are more than 400 people of interest that need to be looked into. To chip away at that extensive list, investigators turn their attention to DNA testing. The difficult part is getting everyone on the list to volunteer a sample of their DNA.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

At the time, DNA profiles were predominantly developed by taking a significant sample of somebody's blood. DNA technology hadn't advanced to the point where we could do some of the alternative testing methods that we can do today.

[Narrator]

This meant that investigators couldn't discreetly test a suspect's discarded coffee cup like they're able to do today. If somebody refused to provide a DNA sample to investigators, there wasn't much they could do. They continue to follow up on leads, but even the promising ones dry up and eventually the case goes cold. Time continues to drag on for Lisa's family and before they know it, it's the one year anniversary of Lisa's murder.

[Community Member / Investigator]

It was difficult at times to attend the same church and see them sitting there and as you're coming back from communion, you're walking by them and you don't have the answer. You know, it was difficult. My heart breaks for them and nobody deserves this.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

It deeply impacted people. Lisa was Agawam's daughter and I think Everyone recognized that.

[Narrator]

While the case has gone cold, investigators haven't tabled it or allowed it to collect dust. The fact that there is an individual out there who had committed a particularly brutal and heinous murder is never far from their minds. District Attorney Anthony Gallooney is hopeful that the case will one day be cracked.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

But with the level of technology that was accessible in 1993, there was just not a means with which to solve this case. At that time, however, we had our thumb on the development of forensic and DNA technology. We were going to find him.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

This case was solvable. We had a excellent single source male DNA profile. And the key task to solving this case was going to be to figure out who that belonged to.

[Narrator]

It was now 10 years since Lisa was murdered, and no one has been charged. In the days that followed her murder, investigators compiled a long list of potential suspects. In 2002, investigators are once again chipping away at this list of names. They're eliminating the potential suspects one by one as they provide DNA samples. With the advancement of DNA technology, collecting samples is far less intrusive than it was during the early days of the investigation. But still there are a handful of potential suspects that refuse to provide a voluntary DNA sample.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

There was an individual who refuses to provide DNA on a voluntary basis because he was concerned. Concerned with cloning.

[Narrator]

Without sufficient evidence for a DNA search warrant, investigators stick with interviewing their persons of interest. But the interviews lead nowhere.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

When you lose a loved one, especially a child, your first fear is that you'll be forgotten. We were determined that that wouldn't happen. We set up a memorial fund for Lisa and her 10th anniversary. We donated $10,000 to the Children's section of the library because books kids Lisa's passion.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

Hi, I'm Juliette Cowley, a retired FBI profiler and host of the true crime podcast the Real FBI Profilers. If you're fascinated with true crime and criminal profiling, then join us as we discuss real cases and examine the behavior exhibited during and after the commission of the crime. You can listen to the consult wherever you get your podcasts. It's as close as it gets to being in the room with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

[Narrator]

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[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

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[Narrator]

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[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

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[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

DA Anthony Gillooney is a blessing.

[Narrator]

He said.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

Lisa, she's my top priority right now. This case is solvable and we're gonna get there.

[Narrator]

Da Galuni and his team start fresh on the case with a newfound energy.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

I had never heard of this case before. My initial impression is that it was massive. Hundreds or thousands of witnesses and persons of interest had been spoken to, thousands of pages of reports.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

But we were certainly hopeful that at some point in the course of the 25 year long investigation that the perpetrator, that person's name was there. Fortunately, when I take office and 2015, forensic technology was moving forward rather rapidly. Parabon Nanolabs developed phenotyping, the process by which observable characteristics is identified from DNA. We thought that DNA phenotyping could provide some characteristics of this individual, like hair color and eye color, skin tone that could narrow the course of our investigation.

[Narrator]

In 2016, Da Galuni's team submits the killer's 24 year old DNA sample for analysis. A short time later, they receive a composite sketch of the individual. It shows a Caucasian man with brown or hazel eyes, dark hair and moderate skin tone. This enables them to eliminate a substantial number of potential suspects. They circle back to the remaining persons of interest in their files.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

I started looking at people who had been contacted by investigators in the past and who had refused to provide a DNA sample. We went back to these people and just by explaining what we were doing, a good percentage of them gave their DNA samples. So at the end of that process, we were able to identify 11 people.

[Narrator]

Investigators whittle the list down from 400 names to 11 names in August 2017, they present a grand jury with probable cause about those 11 individuals. Person by person, they detail why they think each individual could have killed Lisa. The grand jury voted to ask the court to compel these 11 individuals to provide a DNA sample. The following day, DA Galuney gets a phone call.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

Around 6:30, I got a phone call that a woman had gone into a state police barracks in Westfield and had claimed that her boyfriend authored some documents that she provided to the troopers.

[Narrator]

The documents turn out to be a confession and an apology to the Siegert family. The woman came home to discover the letter and her boyfriend gone. What she thought was a Dear John letter breaking up with her was something far worse. The man writes that he took Lisa from her family and that he will never forgive himself.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

There have been a lot of promising leads over the life of this investigation, but nothing like this. We knew right away this was going to break the case right open. We all went to the Westfield State Police barracks and sure enough, four pages of handwritten notes. One was a letter written to his girlfriend at the time, essentially telling her that she was going to find out some bad news about him.

[Narrator]

In the letter, the man confesses that 25 years earlier he had kidnapped, raped and murdered a young woman. He wrote that he believed that there was a warrant out to obtain his DNA and that his DNA would put him in jail for life. He was either going to take his own life or face the music. Investigators interview the woman whose boyfriend wrote those letters.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

She described him as docile. He just seemed like an average nice guy. She would never in a million years suspect would be capable of doing something like this.

[Narrator]

She tells investigators her boyfriend is 48 year old Gary Shara. Shara was one of the 11 names that investigators had taken before the grand jury. And the night before, they had gone to his home to serve him the paperwork of the court hearing. Shara wasn't home at the time, but investigators spoke with his roommate and asked him to tell Shara to call them.

[Community Member / Investigator]

Once I read the letters, I was.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

Like, we gotta find this guy.

[Community Member / Investigator]

But we didn't know where he was. The girlfriend didn't know where he was.

[Narrator]

Investigators aim to find Shara as quickly as possible. As they ping his cell phone, DiegoLoney combs through his file. He learns that Shara first became known to investigators in regards to Lisa's murder In March of 1993, some months after she was killed.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

He was going through divorce proceedings with his wife at the time, and throughout those proceedings, she reported to her attorney, who then called the Agawam Police Department that she thought he might have been involved in the murder of Lisa Zieger. Gary Sherrill was one of dozens, if not hundreds of men whose name had come up in a similar way. His ex wife said that he was very interested in the case. He would always run into the room when the news came on about this case. She also said that she thought that he had purchased a music box at Brittany's card shop within the days or weeks before Lisa was taken.

[Narrator]

The tip was taken seriously, but the source of the tip was a factor.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

Their divorce proceedings were very contentious. There were loaded allegations being made by both sides to try to cast doubt on the credibility of the other. Gary's side was alleging that she shouldn't be believed.

[Narrator]

There was enough for Shara to be considered a person of interest, but there was nothing that could elevate him to a main suspect. Shara was never interviewed by investigators at the time, but years later they asked him to provide a DNA sample.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

Investigators speak to Gary Scherra in 2002. He refused to provide his DNA voluntarily at that time. In 2008, investigators again speak with Gary Scherer. That particular interview is video recorded October 9, 2008.

[Narrator]

It's about 5:20pm Conversation turns to Shara's knowledge of Lisa, whether he knew her, whether he had any familiarity with Britney's card shop. Did you know Lisa? Shara is very conscious of not providing a DNA sample either intentionally or accidentally. He refused to touch the table and wouldn't take the water that was provided to him by the investigators. He was asked to provide a DNA sample but refused, claiming that he was afraid of cloning.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

There was certainly nothing illegal about one's refusal to provide DNA that didn't necessarily signal something nefarious.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

But at the end of the day there just wasn't enough there for them to move forward with him as a suspect at that time.

[Narrator]

Three hours after reading Shara's confession letter, they get a lead on him. They're able to determine his location by pinging his cell phone. They track him to Stafford Springs, Connecticut. His cell phone pings beside a hospital and investigators find his car in the parking lot.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

Gary Sherrill had been admitted after having consumed a large amount of over the counter medications in what appeared to be an attempt to commit. His condition was stable and he was going to recover.

[Narrator]

Investigators speak with Shara at his hospital bed. He is cooperative but subdued, almost as if he had been waiting for this day to come and he was finally caught.

[Community Member / Investigator]

But once his Miranda rights Were read to him. He requested an attorney, so there was no interview conducted.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

I asked him if he'd be willing to provide a consensual DNA sample. He declined. Again, the letters were a huge development, but we needed to get Gary's DNA a sample to compare it to the profile that we developed in this case. We wrote a search warrant for his house. We seized a number of items that were likely to have his DNA on him. One item was his toothbrush. Toothbrush was taken to the state police crime lab.

[Narrator]

The investigators are waiting patiently for the results when detective Sergeant Pfau's phone begins to ring.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

We learned that the profile developed from Gary's toothbrush matched the Single source male DNA profile obtained in 1992 from Lisa Zeigert's killer.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

We made contact with the Ziegerts. We went to their house pretty early on a Sunday morning, and mom's like.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

I think you want to be there. I think we need to all be together.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

And they said, we got him. It matches. And it was like it took a while to sink in.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

It's a weird thing to say, but the joy in the room when that was shared with us, it was a no way moment.

[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

I have never felt anything like the feeling of relief from Dee when we were able to tell her that at least she finally had an answer. It was without a doubt, one of the most meaningful moments of my entire life.

[Narrator]

Gary Shara is charged with aggravated kidnapping, Aggravated rape, and first degree murder. Despite his confession letter, Shara pleads not guilty.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

That is really sort of par for the course. Most criminal defendants will plead not guilty with the advice of their lawyers, Regardless of the state of evidence and regardless of any expressed responsibility for the crimes.

[Narrator]

In the run up to his trial, Shara doesn't say a word about the case in public or to investigators. Investigators know that they have a very strong not only do they have the confession letter, but they have the DNA evidence that connects Shara to the murder of Lisa.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

We were never able to demonstrate or prove that Gary and Lisa knew each other, but we believe that Gary Shara bought a music box from Britney's card shop sometime prior to Lisa's death. And there was a possibility that Lisa was working in the store when Gary Sheraton bought that item.

[Narrator]

Shara's confession letter hints that meeting Lisa stirred his darkest fantasies. It opened with the fact that he had been mesmerized by bondage and abduction fantasies since he was a young boy. And those dark fantasies were never far from his mind.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

On April 16, 1990, two, we believe that Gary Shera entered Britney's card shop sometime around 8:30, then took Lisa's to the area where she was ultimately found. And there he assaulted and murdered Lisa.

[Narrator]

Diego Looney prepares to take his case before a jury, but he never gets the chance. 27 years after Lisa's murder, Shara finally breaks his silence.

[District Attorney Anthony Gallooney]

Tell me then in your own words, why we're here.

[Narrator]

We're here to make a change of plea to guilty to murder on the first degree. Do you understand that? Yes, Sir, I do.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

Mr. Sharon, the court has accepted your plea of guilty to indictment 17, 600, count one, charging murder in the first degree.

[Narrator]

The court orders you to serve a term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. For Lisa's family, an almost three decade long nightmare is finally over. They had anticipated being put through a lengthy trial, but the change in plea prevented them from further heartache.

[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

It was a long and a hard day. All of our family heard for the first time how hard she fought. And I was so proud of her. I can't imagine that she would have been any other way.

[Dee Ziegert (Lisa's mother)]

And when you think about it, Lisa's been gone longer than she was here. But Lisa continues to influence in many ways. I know Lisa influences me a lot. When I get a little down, I honestly feel a proverbial kick in the butt to say, come on, mom can't do that. And that's after 30 years. So she made such a difference in so many that she touched. So if you need a bright spot in your life, think of her. If you see a bright blue sky, think of her bright blue eyes. And if you see the sun, think of her bright warm smile.

[Narrator]

Cold Case Files is hosted by Paula Barros. It's produced by the Law and Crime Network and written by Eileen McPherson Farlan and Emily G. Thompson. Our composer is Blake Maples for A and E. Our senior producer is John Thrasher and our supervising producer is McKamey Lin. Our executive producers are Jesse Katz, Maite Cueva and Peter Tarshis. This podcast is based on A and E's Emmy winning TV series Cold Case Files. For more Cold Case files, visit visit aetv.com.

[Kimberly Souders (Lisa's best friend)]

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[Lynn Rogerson (Lisa's sister)]

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[Detective Sergeant Mark Pfau]

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[Narrator]

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