← Sword and Scale
Sword and Scale
Episode 293
01:03:06
In 1990, 11-year-old Robin Cornell and 32-year-old Lisa Story were brutally assaulted and murdered in their Cape Coral home. For over two decades, the case remained unsolved, leaving their families and community desperate for closure. Then, a single...
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- [00:00]
Mike Boudet
Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.
- [00:12]
Joseph Zeiler
The last 30 years I haven't been violent. I haven't been violent, you know.
- [00:21]
Mike Boudet
This is season 12, episode 283 of A Little show we like to do here called Sword and Scale. A show that reveals that the worst monsters are real. I'm very jet lagged after my recent trip to Belarus, so you might hear me pause in all the wrong places. Flew in via Lithuania for a quick vacay. That's near Latvia by the way, if you're a big geography buff. Anyway, we better get started on this story the house on Byron Avenue was typical of the quiet north Fort Myers neighborhood in Florida, a simple weather worn home of only about 500 square feet. This quiet residential home is where Bonnie Nicely had been living with her boyfriend Joseph Zeiler since 1990. Their 25 year old son had also lived on the property. On the night of August 26, 2016, the household erupted into an argument. Bonnie was used to the strained relationship between Joseph and their son. Arguments between them had escalated recently and she could hear them shouting at each other in the hallway. They had all three been drinking, but Bonnie was plenty sober enough to know where this yelling was headed. It was getting out of control. Bonnie Nicely gave her account of the night's events in her recorded statement, which was taken at 3:33am on August 27, 2016. She said her 25 year old son and his girlfriend spent time drinking at a local pool hall and after they got home, Joseph and their son began arguing. According to Bonney, the two men, both drunk, started swinging and grabbing at each other. Bonnie's account was that Joseph followed their son to the bedroom where he pressed his left forearm against his son's neck, pinning him down on the bed while repeatedly striking him in the face with his right hand. Their son fought back, biting Joseph on the left forearm and right fingers to break free, while Bonnie, desperate to stop the assault, scratched Joseph's face as she tried to pull him away. When their son managed to get loose, Joseph retreated to his bedroom, seemingly ending the altercation. Joseph's version was slightly different. It was a more complete version that started at the beginning, long before the night of the attack.
- [03:45]
Joseph Zeiler
Been with my girl 26 years. I love her, you know, I got her pregnant. You know, I've done my best with them. I really try to do my best with them just to drink non stop. Just non stop. I mean it's all the time and I understand. I'm guilty too. I drink, but I don't drink every day. And it's just gotten too much, man. He's mean, he's arrogant, he's belligerent. He's, you know, it's a constant. The house is just constantly full of stress. It's constant stress.
- [04:25]
Mike Boudet
Their son and his girlfriend both worked, so the income was appreciated, but the bickering wasn't.
- [04:32]
Joseph Zeiler
Well, this is his very first girlfriend since high school, and she's 45, she's a lot older. She's been working with him, trying to tell him, you know, right from wrong and how you're supposed to treat your parents, you know. But he berates her and he is mean to her and he don't hit her, but he is very verbally abusive to her. Mostly.
- [04:51]
Mike Boudet
According to Joseph, his son verbally targeted his much older girlfriend. But he treated his parents even worse when he drank. And apparently this man drank a whole lot.
- [05:03]
Joseph Zeiler
After about three or four, he starts getting belligerent. You know, about six and he starts getting derating and fully like, you know, and I'm just sick of it, you know, I'm scared of it. The last time he beat me up really well, he lumped me up real good. And, you know, how long ago was that? It was a couple years ago. And, you know, what happened was I never really kind of raised him with any physical discipline, you know, like old school way. My father raised me, you don't talk back to your father, you don't disrespect your families, or you get smacked or you get smacked. And of course you can't do that no more, you know, and it's just been building forever. The last time he beat the shit out of me, you know, and I kept my hands at my side.
- [05:53]
Mike Boudet
So fast forward to that night. They all went to a pool hall bar. But Joseph says he and his common law wife left after a couple of drinks, whereas his son stayed there with friends. Joseph says he even warned the friends that his son already had six beers in him and they better not let him drink much more than that. A couple of hours later, though, his son called for a ride because, you know, he was too drunk to drive.
- [06:19]
Joseph Zeiler
I said something that pissed him off. His mood changed instantly at the bar. He started acting dark and, you know, bludgeoning. So he got home and his mother asked him, please, I gotta go to work tomorrow. Please, you guys, please do not fight tonight. Don't cause any trouble tonight. I need to get some sleep. See, I haven't had no sleep. So we went in Our bedroom laid down. Everything was smooth. And they started fighting, you know, And I just had enough. I met him. I hit him.
- [06:51]
Mike Boudet
Bonnie's version is that their son bit Joseph, who then went to the bathroom and came out holding a pellet gun. Bonnie couldn't remember seeing him pump the weapon, but she distinctly heard the sound of it firing as he raised it towards their son, who was now standing in the hallway. Joseph aimed the gun, fired, and hit his son in the chest. Stunned, their son Zach clutched his chest because he knew he was wounded. Without a word, he left the house with his girlfriend and drove to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment, where he was immediately taken into surgery and admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition. But that's not exactly how Joseph says it went down.
- [07:37]
Joseph Zeiler
It was quick, you know, to the point while we were at it, he started biting me. You know what I mean? I mean, he started gnawing on me. He bit me here on the finger first. Then he bit me on the arm. Then he tried to bite me in my. Right in my jugular bank. And I. You know, I had it, you know, so I punched him in the face a couple times, got off, and I thought it was done. The girls thought it was done. But he's one of them people that won't. He don't ever let nothing go. I was done. It was done. And I had enough, you know, And I figured it was time to give him the. To ask the woman he needed. I'm sorry, you know, that's the way my daddy did me. And I finally had enough, man. I'm 54 years old, and I figured if I don't whoop his ass now, he's gonna walk all over me the rest of my life. So I did. I whooped his ass. I gave him a good ass beat. And he deserved it. He needed it. And then I walked away. I got up, went in my room. I closed the door.
- [08:32]
Mike Boudet
Next, he says Zach came back for more when he barreled his way past his mom and girlfriend, knocking them over on his way to attack Joseph again. That's when he reached for the pellet gun. He says he attempted to shoot his son in the shoulder, but missed and hit him in the chest. A pellet gun, if you don't already know, is similar to a BB gun. I have one in the glove compartment of my cybertruck, which I keep there in case crazies try to mess with. Operates with a use of air pressure that's built up by a pumping action. It could be in the form of A pistol or rifle. In this case, it was a rifle and it operates with the use of air pressure via a CO2 cartridge or by pumping it. In this case, it was a rifle style pellet gun with pump action. The more you pump, the stronger the force of the pellet. And these weapons are marked as non lethal. But in some cases they can kill you. In fact, they're used for killing rodents and other vermin on rural properties. But they can be very, very harmful when you point them at someone and you should never do that unless you intend to hurt them and possibly kill them. Joseph was using the Silver Strike, a well known multi pump air rifle made by Sheridan Products Inc. It's been popular since the mid 20th century and can shoot with enough force to damage small targets. In this case, it hit at close range next to Zach's heart.
- [10:12]
Joseph Zeiler
I didn't realize that I, that I'd actually heard him. I said, I mean, it's a pelican for Christ's sake. I can't get away from him. The only way I can get away from the noise in that house is to go out in that room and turn that air conditioner so I can't hear nothing. And that's why the officer was asking me. I didn't hear any sirens. I didn't know there was paramedics there. I actually just, I didn't even think, I, I seriously didn't even think I hit him with the pellet gun. I just was trying to scare him.
- [10:39]
Mike Boudet
When officers from the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrived, they found the residents bloodstained with droplets in the hallway and across both bedrooms. After a search of the property, deputies found Joseph hiding in a standalone shed outside the main house. He was lying on a cot with a pellet gun and a tin can of pellets beside him. At first the cops thought he was deliberately hiding from them and refusing to answer their shouts at the door of the house. But he wasn't even in the house and instead he had run from his own son and was hiding from him, not the police. He maintained that Bonnie had also struck him during the fight with their son, climbing on top of his back and scratching and hitting him in an attempt to break the two of them up. According to Joseph, he listens to his common law wife and when she told him to stop, he did. It was their son who pursued him.
- [11:37]
Joseph Zeiler
I mean, I walked away. They told me to stop and I stopped. My girl tells me to stop, I stop.
- [11:43]
Mike Boudet
Regardless of whose story you found more truthful, the fact stood on Its own that Joseph had discharged a pellet gun and aimed it at his own son, injuring him. What were the police going to do? Just walk away and let them sort it out for themselves? I mean, they can't. So they found probable cause to charge Joseph Zeiler with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was formally arrested on August 28, 2016, and booked into the Lee county jail without incident. They took him through all the usual procedures. Fingerprinting, mugshot, cheek swabbing, all the fun stuff. He wasn't used to being behind bars. For a man who'd lived quietly for so many years, the jail was a cold, unforgiving place with a lot of noise. Noise was exactly the thing he tried to avoid and also the reason he spent a lot of time in his man cave shed. Because his son and girlfriend were always fighting and he wanted some peace and quiet. Now noise wasn't really his concern. As he sat in that stark concrete cell, he had no way of knowing that detectives were uncovering something far beyond a family argument, Something that had been buried in silence waiting to be found. There were files, details, and unanswered questions that resurfaced in ways no one had expected. As the investigation unfolded, what detectives found would reach beyond Joseph, bringing in people who thought the past was long since buried. For now, though, he sat quietly, unaware of the pieces that were about to fall into place in north Fort Myers, Florida, Joseph Zeiler had led a quiet life for years. After an incident in 1998 left him with head trauma, A legal settlement allowed him to afford a modest home where he lived with his longtime partner, Bonnie Nicely. The two met back in May of 1990, and within a month, Joseph had moved in with her. Following the accident, Bonnie became both his caregiver and power of attorney, managing his affairs as he struggled with memory issues. Though his driver's license was valid, he'd been advised not to drive. Bonnie and Joseph weren't the only ones living in the home, though. Their 25 year old son Zach and his much older girlfriend also made a home there in that 500 square foot house. According to Joseph, their son was a heavy drinker who turned belligerent during binges. So one August night in 2016, a family argument turned violent. What began as a tense evening at a local bar ended with Joseph's son in the hospital and Joseph behind bars, charged with aggravated battery. To detectives, it seemed like a straightforward case of domestic violence, A regrettable but isolated incident. But as Joseph sat in his cell, the investigation took an unexpected turn. A Routine DNA collection linked him to something far more sinister. Forcing open the door to a long cold case that no one, least of all Joseph Zeiler, saw coming. For years, this case had haunted investigators and left two families broken and grieving. And now new questions were being presented. Detectives had to ask, who was Joseph Zeiler really? And what secrets had he managed to hide for so long?
- [16:16]
Joseph Zeiler
Oh my God. Oh my God.
- [16:17]
Jan Cornell
Okay.
- [16:19]
Mike Boudet
It was 1990 in Lee County, Florida. Jan Cornell was a single mom of an 11 year old daughter named Robin, and she recently invited her friend Lisa Story to move in and become her roommate. Robin had asked her mother if she could have a sleepover with a friend that night, but Jan told her no because she hadn't cleaned her room. Jan told Robin and Lisa that she was going out for the night to watch a football game at a friend's place. As she walked out the door hours later, Jan had fallen asleep on her friend's couch. Having lost track of time, she rushed home. She only had minutes to get to her job as a nurse at Cape Coral Hospital. When she got home, it was around 4am her worldview changed forever. Both her roommate and her daughter were dead. Jan Cornell had not planned to be out this late. She'd spent the previous day helping her new roommate Lisa settle into her new apartment. But around 10:45pm Jan decided to head to her boyfriend's house to watch the basketball playoffs. She told Lisa and her 11 year old daughter Robyn that she'd be home soon. But Jan fell asleep and didn't wake up until 4am when she realized she needed to get home and get ready for her morning shift at the hospital. We all hope that emergency operators are trying to do their best in these situations, but ordering someone to calm down when they've walked in on this kind of unexpected horror is just not going to work. As she approached the front door, Jan realized something was off. The doorknob lock that she usually avoided because it was faulty was locked. She usually used the deadbolt and she couldn't get in with her key. She knocked, hoping someone would open up. For a minute she thought she heard footsteps on the stairs, but the door didn't open. Getting more anxious every time she knocked, Jan walked around the apartment to the sliding glass door and saw that it was slightly open and the vertical blinds were moving back and forth as if someone had just walked through. Inside, Jan's eyes fell on something that stopped her. In her four framed photographs of her daughters placed in an unsettling display on the open ironing Board in the living room. Typically, these pictures, three of Robin and one of her older daughter were arranged on top of their stereo cabinet. Her panic escalated when she called out the names of Robin and Lisa and got no response.
- [19:42]
Joseph Zeiler
What was wrong? A door in my house. My door was open. Something looked like it was stolen. And when somebody bought a bed for a ruby. Because with my daughter and all. My dear God to heaven, what happened?
- [20:01]
Mike Boudet
Something too dead. It's a cruel irony expecting calm from someone who's just found the unthinkable. A dead child. After seeing the framed photographs out of place, Jan made her way up to the second floor, her heart racing with fear and confusion as she reached the top of the stairs. She rushed into her bedroom where Robin slept with her. She found Robin, her precious 11 year old, lying on the floor. Robin's body was positioned on her stomach, knees tucked beneath her, her buttocks exposed, with a pillow placed under her. The sight was so unimaginable that Jan could hardly process it. Her maternal instincts took over as she rushed to her daughter's side, thinking, please God, let her be alive. Jan immediately turned Robin over, positioning her flat on the floor, and began performing mouth to mouth resuscitation, her hands trembling with every breath she forced into her daughter's lungs. Robin's skin was cold and in her heart, Jan understood. But even with that knowledge, she couldn't stop. A mother's instinct would not let her give up, not while there was even a shred of hope. All this time, she screamed for Lisa to help her, but Lisa never came. Here's the lead detective on the case.
- [21:34]
Detective
She immediately went to her. She was cold, she was not breathing. She was screaming for Lisa to come and help. Jan was able to get the phone and call 911. Lisa still was not coming, of course. First responders, you know, the police officers were there first and then medics. And realized of course at that point that Robin had been killed. And one of the. She had asked something about what? About Lisa, you know, why? Where is she? She didn't realize Lisa also had been killed.
- [22:01]
Mike Boudet
Within moments, sirens broke the silence and Cape Coral police arrived at the apartment. But for Jan, standing over her daughter's lifeless body, the damage was already done. The horror of that moment was something she would carry with her for the rest of her life. Both Lisa and Robin had been violently assaulted sexually and suffocated. As investigators arrived and began combing through the apartment, Jan remembered things from the days before that now seemed like signs she'd missed leading up to the murders. Janet Sensed something was off. For instance, one night, she'd been jolted awake by noises outside her condo as she was sure that someone was prowling around her place. On May 9, she was at her bedroom window trying to get her cat to come back in. She spotted a man standing near the patio. This was a white male in jeans, a T shirt, and a hat. He stared at her for an unusually long time before giving her a creepy smile and walking away. After Jan's 911 call, investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Cape Coral Police Department came to process the scene. Seen in painstaking detail, they captured every corner on video, took fingerprints, and gathered hair samples. This would be an intensive investigation that would leave no stone unturned. First, detectives talked to everyone living in the neighborhood surrounding Jan Cornell's apartment, asking if anyone saw or heard anything unusual, especially if they had seen the man in jeans and hat. They worked to track down anybody who matched that description, checking records and questioning every person who might have noticed suspicious activity in the area. But nobody seemed to know anything. Despite ongoing fears of the residents and the immediate community, the case came to a standstill. Cold. This is Robin's mother, Jan Cornell, years after the murders, in a 2013 interview with Cape Coral police.
- [24:44]
Jan Cornell
Not giving up. I'm not going away. I'm not giving up. And thankfully, I've been able to keep the Cape Coral Police Department on board with my. My promise. I've told them all about my promise. I promised the day I had to say goodbye that for as long as I was alive, I would never stop looking for who hurt them. And like I said, I've managed to establish a relationship and keep the Cape Coral place on board. And they're still looking as well. We'll just keep doing this as long.
- [25:17]
Joseph Zeiler
As.
- [25:19]
Jan Cornell
You know, we can reach out and ask people, because I'm convinced in my heart and soul that someone still in this community may have knowledge of who did this crime. And they keep holding back and holding back. And every year I say, it's time, it's time. Please come forward.
- [25:42]
Mike Boudet
In their search for suspects, investigators first focused on a man named Robert David Jackson, who had lived nearby and had a history of disturbing behavior. Local people knew him and called him a peeping Tom because of the obvious. He was caught looking in through windows around the neighborhood. His ex girlfriend gave a statement saying she knew of his weird habits and that he was interested in perverse sexual activities. This was important as a sex toy was found at the scene. She also noted his very nervous demeanor following the murders, making her worry about his potential involvement. She said that Robert allegedly spent the night of the crime with friends, but was in a hurry to leave town soon afterward and fled to Mississippi. With suspicions mounting, detectives worked with the authorities in Mississippi, coordinating a stakeout to intercept Robert. As he returned to his trailer, Robert was cooperative and signed a consent form for searches, including hair and blood samples. In his interview, he claimed he'd spent the night of the murders with two friends at local bars and had no connection to the crime scene. And you know what? For once, he was telling the truth. When his samples were tested, the forensic results failed to link him to the crime. In addition to this guy, the investigators built case files on other individuals in the neighborhood, including known offenders and 19 additional possible suspects who were questioned and asked to give fingerprints and hair samples. But none of these leads matched the forensic evidence from the scene, leaving detectives and the family without answers for years. Finally, the killer did come forward, but not in the way Jan would expect. She had no idea that just a few years later, this mystery would be solved. This nut would be cracked. This is Joseph talking about the son he shot and almost giving away a secret. Listen carefully.
- [27:53]
Joseph Zeiler
Thought he was gonna break in there and try to stab me, he said. Pulled knives on me before. I'm scared of him, man. He can be violent. And, you know, the last 30 years, I haven't been violent. I haven't been violent. You know, all I want to do is live in peace in my house.
- [28:08]
Mike Boudet
Let's hear that part one more time.
- [28:11]
Joseph Zeiler
The last 30 years, I haven't been violent. I haven't been violent.
- [28:14]
Mike Boudet
You know, it was almost 30 years since the murders. 26 years had gone by between 1990 and 2016. The physical evidence collected and meticulously preserved was packed away, just waiting for advancements in forensic science to shed new light. When Joseph Zeiler was taken into custody for shooting his son, A now routine DNA cheek swab, something unheard of in 1990, linked him to the 1990 crime scene, reigniting an investigation that had gone unsolved for decades.
- [28:52]
Detective
Well, let me just make sure that I understand you're currently in custody with the Lee county at the Lee County Jail for some allegations with your son. Is that correct?
- [29:03]
Joseph Zeiler
Yes, ma' am.
- [29:03]
Jan Cornell
Okay.
- [29:04]
Detective
I am not here to talk with you at all about that. I would like to talk with you about a couple other cases that your name has come up in that you might have some information and might be able to help us with.
- [29:16]
Mike Boudet
But Joseph wasn't prepared to help anyone with anything ever since his 1998 accident. He says he basically doesn't remember much. Like even the fundamentals.
- [29:29]
Detective
Okay. Were you born here?
- [29:34]
Joseph Zeiler
I was born in Illinois, where I have a hard time with my memories.
- [29:42]
Mike Boudet
He briefly touches on his current relationship with Bonnie, but he somehow forgets that he has an ex wife. He also forgets where he was born and where he worked.
- [29:53]
Detective
Where did you work at before that?
- [29:56]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't really remember. I know some. I went to work.
- [30:01]
Detective
But you don't remember where you worked at?
- [30:03]
Joseph Zeiler
No.
- [30:03]
Detective
No.
- [30:04]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay.
- [30:05]
Detective
The reason that I asked about Lorraine or Lori is because you and she appeared to have a home not far from the hospital here in Cape Coral. Years back.
- [30:19]
Joseph Zeiler
I remember living in Cape Coral. This is the first time I've been here.
- [30:24]
Detective
You got a couple addresses here in the Cape.
- [30:26]
Mike Boudet
Jan, Lisa and Robin lived about a block away from Cape Coral Hospital where Jan worked.
- [30:33]
Detective
Well, back in 1990, we had a pretty big case here in Cape Coral where somebody broke into an apartment. And I was hoping that you could maybe talk to me about what you remember about that apartment complex. If you saw anybody suspicious, if you were ever around there, you could help me with that. Do you have the picture of the. Does that look familiar to you at all?
- [30:54]
Not nothing at all.
- [30:56]
This is the back side of it.
- [30:58]
This is the front door.
- [31:01]
Joseph Zeiler
Well, Ma, doesn't look familiar to me.
- [31:05]
Detective
Look at it real hard. You remember this case, right?
- [31:09]
Joseph Zeiler
No.
- [31:11]
Detective
You ever seen anything on the news about it?
- [31:14]
Joseph Zeiler
I have no idea what you're talking about.
- [31:16]
Detective
Watch TV at home?
- [31:18]
Joseph Zeiler
Not much.
- [31:19]
Detective
Every May there's. They do these big stories about what happened here.
- [31:23]
Joseph Zeiler
No, not that I can recall, actually.
- [31:28]
Detective
You live off. If you go down Hancock, they put up a billboard just recently about this. What happened? Everybody noticed that?
- [31:38]
Joseph Zeiler
No, sir. Certainly don't leave my house.
- [31:41]
Detective
Never.
- [31:42]
Joseph Zeiler
Not once. Stay within a couple block areas. Walk my dog.
- [31:46]
Detective
But your driver's license is good. It looked like you just renewed it a few years ago.
- [31:51]
Joseph Zeiler
I didn't keep my license.
- [31:53]
Mike Boudet
Drive.
- [31:53]
Detective
You have the ability to drive a car?
- [31:54]
Joseph Zeiler
I'm not supposed to drive, but they never took the license away from me.
- [31:58]
Mike Boudet
Joseph either didn't remember or was lying. And it's always a careful balance. Detectives walk when they're interrogating. It's like lighting a fire. You have to start with a simple spark and slowly build it up, feeding it just enough to keep it going without smothering it. You push too hard and the fire dies out. You go too easy and it never catches. They know it's all over as soon as a Suspect asks for an attorney. Detectives have to pay attention to every flicker, turning up the pressure just enough, hoping that the truth will finally ignite before the flame is snuffed out.
- [32:45]
Detective
I mean, it just looks like you have a lot inside of you. I can understand right now that you're probably afraid, but eventually everything kind of catches up with you. Things in your past eventually come to light. I always think that being honest about it just kind of relieves everything that people keep inside of them. You know, this is what happened. There is just probably not something that somebody meant to do.
- [33:12]
Joseph Zeiler
I really don't know what you're talking about. Sorry.
- [33:14]
Detective
Well, I'm just saying, for instance, that this would have had to meant we needed someone for, you know, 20 something years and just probably something you really want to get off their chest.
- [33:25]
Mike Boudet
You've heard enough interrogations to know what's coming next, right?
- [33:29]
Detective
So you believe in God, right?
- [33:31]
Joseph Zeiler
Yes, sir.
- [33:32]
Detective
And it's always good to cleanse your sins before you go to meet God. Well, I think that's the best thing, is to confess sins and go see the man with a clear conscience.
- [33:45]
Joseph Zeiler
And I pray and do that myself on my own every evening.
- [33:51]
Detective
Well, now it's kind of the time to do that.
- [33:54]
Joseph Zeiler
Don't understand what you're saying.
- [33:56]
Detective
I mean, you kind of know why you're here, right?
- [33:59]
Joseph Zeiler
No, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know what you're implying.
- [34:05]
Mike Boudet
The detectives found themselves face to face with either someone who didn't have much memory left or else was very consistent with his lie. They weren't getting anywhere. Joseph insisted that he stayed out of trouble for a long time. And the only offense he could recall was the one he was just arrested for shooting his son in alleged self defense. When they brought up a charge in Illinois for burglary back in the 80s, again, he had no recollection. So they asked was he good at figuring out locks.
- [34:40]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't remember ever being a burglar.
- [34:42]
Detective
Or burglarizer and that's all old stuff. So I mean, it's not like, you know, and we're not in Illinois, so it's not like I'm going to charge you with it. I'm just asking kind of, you know, how your brain worked and how you.
- [34:54]
Joseph Zeiler
In any kind of burglar at all. I have issues with memory. I don't remember.
- [35:04]
Detective
I know that's what she keeps saying. And I'm sure that you do have some memory issues. I think that you're also trying to play that card right now.
- [35:11]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay.
- [35:12]
Mike Boudet
The next round of questions involved his personal and sexual life. They wanted to know if he'd ever cheated on Bonnie, whether he was a one woman kind of guy or what his preferences were. You know, like, do you like children.
- [35:30]
Detective
In a sexual way?
- [35:32]
Joseph Zeiler
No, I don't like children. I have a normal relationship with my wife, and I'm very happy to stay at home.
- [35:42]
Mike Boudet
In 2016, Joseph, Bonnie, their son, and their son's girlfriend were living in Fort Myers, not Cape Coral. Even though Cape Coral was less than 10 miles away. You'd think Joseph lived in a cave on the other side of the world. According to him, he didn't watch much tv, didn't go very far, and when he did, he was usually on his bike. Sounds like me, doesn't it? Anyway, as for 1990, that was buried in the distant past. A year he seemed to have wiped from. From memory. Like an old hard drive scrubbed clean. To hear Joseph tell it, those years were long gone. Erased, leaving no trace for anyone to find. But as he would soon learn, some things don't stay hidden forever. And there are some sins you can't just pray away. Detectives then asked about porn. He freely admitted using it, explaining that Bonnie knew it and didn't mind. It was just part of life, nothing more, he claimed. But then the conversation shifted a bit. Out came the photos of Robin and Lisa, two young faces that had been frozen in time since 1990.
- [37:05]
Detective
You haven't seen them ever?
- [37:07]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know who they are.
- [37:08]
Detective
I know you don't know who they are. We're asking you when you saw them.
- [37:13]
Joseph Zeiler
I haven't seen them. Other than now that you're putting them here on the table.
- [37:19]
Detective
Well, look at them.
- [37:21]
Joseph Zeiler
I am looking at them.
- [37:22]
Detective
Just to jog your memory a little bit.
- [37:24]
Mike Boudet
But see, that's assuming he had a memory. And that was the mystery. Cause if he's lying, he's damn good at it.
- [37:35]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know who they are.
- [37:37]
Detective
A little bit. I can tell. You're. I can see in your eyes.
- [37:41]
Joseph Zeiler
Well, you'd be wrong, because I don't know who they are.
- [37:43]
Detective
I know I'm not wrong.
- [37:46]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't recall ever seeing this girl before.
- [37:50]
Detective
You've seen her before?
- [37:52]
Joseph Zeiler
No.
- [37:53]
Detective
Kirk's telling the truth. You've absolutely seen her before.
- [37:56]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay, I don't recall seeing her before.
- [38:00]
Detective
Like I said, once you get this off your chest, you're gonna feel like the whole weight of the world is gone from the back of your shoulders.
- [38:07]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't carry any weight. I pray Every evening.
- [38:12]
Mike Boudet
It had to be frustrating to know that they had DNA, fingerprints and hair strands all connecting Joseph to the murders. And yet could it be possible that he had no memory of it? You heard him say he prayed every evening. Was it also possible that he remembered the crimes, thought he'd gotten away with it, and actually tried to turn over a new leaf? That is, until he shot his son.
- [38:40]
Detective
Because her mother thinks about the. She's the one that prays every day. She's the one that's going through everything. Not you, her mother. There are three day goes through what happened to her daughter.
- [38:55]
Joseph Zeiler
All right, so look at her. I have looked at her. I am looking at her.
- [39:01]
Detective
Then tell us the truth about what happened.
- [39:02]
Joseph Zeiler
I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never seen that girl before in my life.
- [39:08]
Detective
Her name is Robin. She's not just a little girl. Her name is Robin.
- [39:12]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay?
- [39:13]
Detective
Robin was a sweet, wonderful girl.
- [39:17]
Joseph Zeiler
All right?
- [39:17]
Detective
Didn't deserve what happened. No one deserves what happened.
- [39:22]
Correct.
- [39:22]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't even know what happened. Or so I don't know what you're implying.
- [39:26]
Mike Boudet
Robin was a sweet girl. According to her mom, Jan, she was a typical 11 year old crossing over.
- [39:35]
Jan Cornell
Wanting to be that tomboy that could beat boys at everything. She was just starting to think to herself, oh, maybe I shouldn't be so good at this stuff.
- [39:45]
Detective
Stuff.
- [39:46]
Jan Cornell
Because she could beat boys at running, she could beat them at swimming, she could beat them at soccer. She was pretty good, well rounded. She was just starting to ask boy questions. But every now and then, I'd still catch her playing with dolls. I'd say, what are you doing? She'd say, nothing. And I'd still catch her dressing and undressing. And she still had dolls. So she was. And she did very well in school. Very easygoing. No matter what situation came up, she wasn't one of these kids that balked at it. She just would get in the car and let's go do whatever it is has to be done. But for the most part, Robyn was very happy. I have very few memories of her ever throwing a fit or giving me a hard time. She was pretty happy. Go lucky. Liked to prank. She was a big prankster.
- [40:43]
Mike Boudet
She was friendly and had lots of friends at school. More than 25 years later, these friends still think of Robin and stay in touch with Jan.
- [40:53]
Detective
This is an 11 year old little girl. This is Robyn.
- [40:57]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay?
- [41:00]
Detective
Think about what her mother's gone through every single day for the past 25 years that should be breaking your heart right now.
- [41:08]
Joseph Zeiler
Again, I. I don't believe I've ever seen either one of these girls. And I don't really know what she's implying here.
- [41:16]
Detective
I'm not implying anything. I'm. I'm sell. I'm telling you. I'm saying that you know Robin.
- [41:23]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know.
- [41:24]
Detective
You've seen her. You've met her.
- [41:27]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know these girls.
- [41:29]
Detective
Do you remember touching her?
- [41:31]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know.
- [41:34]
Mike Boudet
Nothing was making this guy crack. And if they could just get him to admit anything. But he wouldn't. If they could just get him to acknowledge that he gave his DNA and they had him as a match, but he couldn't or wouldn't even admit to remembering being swabbed.
- [41:52]
Detective
Do you remember being swabbed by the detective that you had a long conversation with, that you told him what happened between you and your son? Am I getting into that? But that you talked to him about what happened between you and your son, that you talked to him about your accident, the settlement, the house that you bought, all kinds of those details, and you remember him swabbing with a big, long Q tip the inside of your mouth.
- [42:15]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't remember any of that conversation. I mean, you're saying that I said all that stuff, but I can't remember saying it. I don't remember the full procedure, what they did to me.
- [42:27]
Detective
Okay, Right. Well, I guarantee you that that's exactly what happened.
- [42:30]
Joseph Zeiler
Okay. Okay.
- [42:31]
Detective
Because that is procedure.
- [42:32]
Joseph Zeiler
All right.
- [42:33]
Detective
Do you understand how DNA works?
- [42:35]
Joseph Zeiler
No.
- [42:35]
Detective
Do you know what DNA is?
- [42:36]
Joseph Zeiler
No.
- [42:37]
Detective
You have no clue at all?
- [42:38]
Joseph Zeiler
No, ma' am.
- [42:39]
Detective
Okay, so DNA to you could mean, really just about anything.
- [42:43]
Okay, just explain what DNA.
- [42:45]
What is your understanding of DNA?
- [42:47]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't have any understanding of DNA.
- [42:49]
Detective
What is DNA?
- [42:50]
Mike Boudet
I don't know whether he remembered anything or not. He knew exactly what was up when they mentioned DNA.
- [42:57]
Detective
So when you were swabbed, when they took your DNA, that went to a database.
- [43:03]
Joseph Zeiler
All right?
- [43:03]
Detective
And your DNA was found on my crime scene from a previous, you know, back in 1990.
- [43:12]
Joseph Zeiler
All right?
- [43:12]
Detective
So this is the time, Joe, that I need for you to really take a nice, deep breath and realize it. It's time for the lies to stop. It's time for this saying, I don't remember. I don't recall.
- [43:27]
Joseph Zeiler
I'd like to speak to my train.
- [43:29]
Mike Boudet
For Jan, it was always about the DNA. Even back in this 2013 interview, she hadn't lost hope. She knew that advancements in this research would eventually bring answers.
- [43:42]
Jan Cornell
Whenever my phone rings, and I know it's the police department, or I'll call, get a text from Christie Ellis, who's my detective, and she'll just say, call me. I'm like, you know, I always get that little bit of okay. But she says she's not going to do that. She says she's coming to my door. But, you know, some of the leads look really good, but it's going to come down to the DNA. And if we have the DNA, we send it in and it comes back a non match. No matter how good it looked, he's not our person.
- [44:21]
Mike Boudet
With that said, no matter how much or how little Joseph Zeiler remembered or how many times he insisted on his innocence, DNA doesn't lie. And his DNA was all over the place, including on and in Robin. The probability of it being anyone else was astronomically low. There was no escaping the science. But would Joseph's head trauma and alleged loss of memory be mitigating factors in a trial? Or would the jury see him for what he was, a cold sexual predator, burglar and killer.
- [45:04]
Joseph Zeiler
SA.
- [45:34]
Mike Boudet
For decades, the brutal murders of 11 year old Robin Cornell and 32 year old Lisa's story haunted the quiet community of Cape Coral, Florida. The two were brutally assaulted and suffocated in their home in 1990, their innocent lives stolen in an act of violence that left officers sobbing as they left the heartbreaking scene. Despite the painstaking investigation, including forensic work and interviews with dozens of potential suspects, the case went cold until 2016. It was then, during an unrelated domestic dispute, that Joseph Zeiler's DNA was collected and linked to the 1990 crime scene. Joseph, who had lived quietly for years denying any connection to the murders, was suddenly at the center of a case that had remained unsolved for more than 25 years. It was his third interview. He was already in jail for shooting his son with a pellet gun in an argument. According to Joseph, his son was a drunken bully who had been belligerent. And Joseph had enough. Now he was faced with the reality that that the police had DNA on him from this incident and were arresting him for the 1990 murders of Robin and Lisa. Joseph claimed to have no memory of anything occurring before a 1998 head injury. But detectives didn't believe him. Still, he confessed to nothing. In his final interview with detectives, Joseph seemed almost resigned. He spoke in calm tones, reflecting on life and morality as if he were an outsider to his own story. Not once during the three interviews did he get mad, yell, or have an outburst.
- [47:31]
Joseph Zeiler
I couldn't take you up on that soda It'll probably be the last one I ever kept.
- [47:36]
Detective
What do you like Pepsi, guy?
- [47:38]
Joseph Zeiler
Pepsi. Pepsi.
- [47:42]
Mike Boudet
For someone who would be standing trial for two of the most brutal murders Florida has ever seen, Joseph seemed like he was anything but a monster. He began reflecting on how blessed he'd been to have a home and how he was worried about Bonnie now living there alone with their alcoholic son. He maintained that he knew he would need to let her go. It was almost as if he was facing the gallows and these moments and knew he'd come to Jesus soon because he's repented.
- [48:15]
Joseph Zeiler
She's a very beautiful, kind woman, so she deserves a better life than I gave her. On that place of yours that's not the prettiest, but it's a home. Yeah, I enjoyed it when I could. I was blessed.
- [48:33]
Mike Boudet
It really seemed like this was a confessional. Joseph went on to plead not guilty in the trial, but for now saying, I enjoyed it while I could. I was blessed. Sure felt like he knew he was never going to go home again. And then the conversation took a bizarre turn into moral speculation.
- [48:55]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't think people inherently start out bad. I think, you know, it's just a product of years of environment. Product of your environment. Absolutely. I. I totally agree with you.
- [49:11]
Detective
I mean, I don't, you know, I.
- [49:12]
Joseph Zeiler
Think, you know, you go into a hospital field on babies and, you know, bad, unfortunately, things lead to other things, you know, and I just don't think that anybody means to start out inherently bad.
- [49:28]
Detective
No, I. I totally agree with you.
- [49:31]
Joseph Zeiler
Totally agree with you. Yeah. And, you know, and I've been doing these investigations for a long time, and, you know, I. I've talked to a lot of people who actually have done very bad stuff. And, you know, and I've talking to them, they're just not, you know, they're. They're not the evil monster that people may even think they are. They just. They are something that may. They may be someone who did something bad. But I, you know, you know, like me and you are having this conversation. They're not a bad person sitting in front of me.
- [50:02]
Mike Boudet
For the record, he was using a hypothetical situation about another person. He said, they are not a bad person sitting in front of me because Joseph was a different story. There's no way the detective is sitting there thinking that the man across from him was anything other than evil, knowing what he did to Lisa's story and Robin Cornell.
- [50:26]
Joseph Zeiler
No, I agree. I agree. I think, you know, everybody has a story to tell and, you know, they.
- [50:32]
Detective
Got a history and there's reasons for.
- [50:37]
Joseph Zeiler
You can't find other people for your, for your reasons. And I would never begin to try to make any kind of excuses for, you know, anything like that. It's just that people just don't start out inherently bad. It's just the way it is. Nobody's born with the bad spoon in their mouth.
- [51:02]
Mike Boudet
Did Joseph really believe in accountability or was he just setting the stage for sympathy at his trial? During the trial In May of 2023, testimony from a psychiatrist painted a different picture. Zeiler's strict, authoritarian father combined with a head injury that caused memory loss and depression created a volatile mix of repression and anger. To the expert, this wasn't about being born evil, but about how a lifetime of unchecked damage can warp a person's mind.
- [51:39]
Jan Cornell
This is a complicated person to grow up with when you're supposed to be.
- [51:42]
Joseph Zeiler
Learning about, you know, rules of society.
- [51:45]
Mike Boudet
And being frightened to break rules in.
- [51:47]
Joseph Zeiler
The home because of the risk to.
- [51:48]
Jan Cornell
Yourself, so, so I think that makes.
- [51:50]
Joseph Zeiler
Him very confused regarding his father.
- [51:54]
Mike Boudet
But for the families of Lisa Storian, Robyn Cornell, no amount of psychological insight could undo the harm Joseph had caused. Lisa, who had just moved into Jan Cornell's apartment, was remembered by her boyfriend as a kind, thoughtful person with a bright future ahead of her. One of the few gifts she, she left behind was a watch she was going to give him for his birthday. It was engraved with love from Lisa and was never recovered. It was stolen from the crime scene by this killer who also caused unspeakable harm to an 11 year old girl in her final moments. This was Lisa's boyfriend at the time remembering what happened in 1990.
- [52:42]
Joseph Zeiler
She was a very outgoing person, vivacious personality, very caring, compassionate, a lot of fun to be around. She was just a good old all American girl, hard worker. We had planned on getting married around her birthday in the middle of September. Did you actually set a date?
- [53:02]
Detective
Yes, sir.
- [53:03]
Joseph Zeiler
September 15.
- [53:05]
Detective
When's your birthday?
- [53:06]
Joseph Zeiler
May 11.
- [53:08]
Detective
The day after she was found deceased, right? Yes, sir.
- [53:12]
Joseph Zeiler
I don't know. My heart was broken, you know, and I loved her very much. Still do.
- [53:20]
Mike Boudet
Lisa's boyfriend wasn't the only one to take the stand during the trial. Of course, Jan Cornell gave a heart wrenching testimony. Most of the time, defense attorneys don't allow their clients to take the stand. But Joseph Zeiler was so adamant that he was innocent that there was no stopping him. But of course, he was not expecting his own incriminating words to come back and bite him in the ass between September 8 and 15, 2016, Joseph Zeiler made five recorded calls to his girlfriend, Bonnie, Nicely from jail. He focused on directing Bonnie to get him out of jail, telling her to claim he was too incapacitated to flee. Tell the bondsman you're my caretaker, he said, and get power of attorney so you can access my safety deposit box. As the calls went on, Zyler's calm instructions turned even more specific. If anything comes down that is upsetting you, if anything embarrassing comes down, you need to pack a bag and run, he warned her. The house is going to be converged on. Do you understand what we're talking about? Back in 1990, I did go through this before, and nothing bit me in the ass, so there's a very good chance it won't. These cryptic references, along with repeatedly saying that he would deal with it if his past caught up with him, gave detectives a window into Joseph's thoughts. On September 22, Joseph called Bonnie in a panic. Cape Coral cops are trying to pin some shit on me. Bonnie, who had no idea he was a killer, was visibly shaken and later agreed to meet with detectives. The calls revealed what his interviews hadn't. Joseph wasn't just hiding something. He was terrified of what was about to come to light. He started out calmly thinking he had control of the courtroom and claiming that an unknown blond hair found at the scene must have belonged to his brother. But when it was pointed out that blood analysis determined he was the killer, his demeanor shifted dramatically. The man who had once calmly told detectives that he didn't believe people were born bad now faced the the courtroom with defiance and cruelty and sometimes the middle finger. His testimony was less about defense and more about provoking and blaming.
- [55:56]
Joseph Zeiler
The only way my DNA could have gotten there was me sleeping with Jan Cornell and Leanne Deller. Did you sleep with Jan Cornell and Ms. Deler? It's possible because I was here. Well, now you were here. I mean, I was here in December 89. I testified to that earlier. And what I believe happened is I slept with Jan Cornell and Leanne Deller, and they were just too much of a pig not to wash your sheets. If it was January, February, March, April.
- [56:25]
Mike Boudet
May of 1990, and then.
- [56:28]
Joseph Zeiler
Well. Okay, I don't want to make it a compound question.
- [56:31]
Mike Boudet
Your DNA would have still been there five months later.
- [56:34]
Joseph Zeiler
Yes, and that's because they're pigs and they don't wash their sheets, right? Exactly. You know that. Well, I assume that, just like you're assuming that. But just so the record's clear, when.
- [56:47]
Mike Boudet
I said they're pigs and they wash their sheets. That's what you said.
- [56:49]
Joseph Zeiler
Absolutely.
- [56:51]
Mike Boudet
Whereas the interview room at the police station showed a meek, mild and well mannered person with head trauma and memory loss. Now his memory was suddenly sharp enough to recall that he had been in the area a few months before the murders and had slept with Jan. For the record, Jan had never slept with Joseph Zeiler in her lifetime. In fact, she'd never even seen him.
- [57:14]
Joseph Zeiler
Well, she's calling me a rapist and a murderer. So what? I can't. I can't write that. I mean, she's calling me a rapist and a murderer and I'm calling her a pig for not washing her sheets.
- [57:27]
Mike Boudet
The prosecutor got rid of any notion that this vile man Joseph should be taken seriously. None of his testimony is backed up by any evidence. All of the evidence actually points the.
- [57:39]
Joseph Zeiler
Other direction towards his guilt.
- [57:42]
Mike Boudet
Robin and Lisa's family still wonder even today about the true motive of the assault and murder. They wonder if he was stalking them. If they had unknowingly met him and caused him to want revenge. Or maybe this was just a simple burglary that had gone wrong. Maybe it was all three.
- [58:03]
Joseph Zeiler
What was his motive?
- [58:05]
Jan Cornell
If I had to explain why a.
- [58:08]
Mike Boudet
Child molester moles children because they're sick, I couldn't answer that. But the beautiful part is I don't have to answer that. I don't have to tell you why he did it.
- [58:21]
Jan Cornell
On May of 1990, he murdered them in Cape Coral.
- [58:26]
Mike Boudet
What was his motive? I don't care. Thank you. On June 26, 2023, Joseph Zeiler was sentenced to death for the 1990 murders of 11 year old Robin Cornell and 32 year old Lisa Story in Cape Coral, Florida. The sentencing followed a jury's recommendation for the death penalty with 10 out of 12 juries in favor. During the sentencing hearing, the once calm man who prayed every evening decided to elbow his attorney in the face, further proving that maybe he was inherently evil after all.
- [59:08]
Joseph Zeiler
Some people never get the opportunity to enjoy the things I've enjoyed. So I appreciate y' all being so kind to me. I understand the situation. No one starts out life in a bad way.
- [59:23]
Mike Boudet
No, this may be true, but they most definitely can end up in a bad way. During that same interview, he said one more thing that was both prophetic and chilling.
- [59:38]
Joseph Zeiler
Got the eyes of the Lord in there, don't you? Just a man trying to make his mind doesn't rule. People with blue eyes have that effect.
- [59:48]
Mike Boudet
Little Robin's eyes were blue. Joseph Zeiler's were not. Joseph Zeiler denied being born evil. He sat across from detectives and calmly insisted that he believed no one is inherently bad. But his actions could not have been more demonic. The violence he inflicted, the lives he stole and the families he shattered painted a picture that even he will never forget, whether he admits it or not. We hope you like that one. We think it's going to be one of the ones you remember for a long time. There's a few episodes of Sword and Scale that just can't get out of your head. You know, I think that was one of them. So you're welcome. By the way, if you really like the show and you want to help us out, if you want to support the arts, head over to swordandscale.com, download our app. It's available on Android or Apple devices, and subscribe to Plus. That's how you can make sure that we're gonna still be here next week. Hint, motherfucking hint. We also have a store, if you want to support us that way. Got shirts and hats and all kinds of shit. Go look at it. Store.sodd and scale.com. this story was written and researched by our producer, Valerie Vernon. That's it. I got nothing else. I'm just going to sit here till the music stops because It's a rule FCC 318, so. Oh, look, it's time. Okay, bye. Hey, it.