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Death row inmate Tommy Zeigler fighting for freedom after 50 years
Tommy Zeigler’s attorneys say new DNA and forensic evidence could have changed the outcome of his 1976 murder trial.
ORLANDO, Fla. - An 80-year-old man who has spent nearly five decades on Florida’s death row is awaiting a judge’s decision on whether newly presented evidence warrants a new trial.
William Thomas "Tommy" Zeigler, convicted in a 1976 quadruple murder, appeared in court this week as his defense team argued that DNA results, bloodstain analysis and other forensic findings undermine key elements of the prosecution’s original case.
What's New:
Attorneys emphasized they were not required to prove Zeigler’s innocence, only that the evidence could have changed the outcome of his trial.
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The state countered that the new information does not exonerate Zeigler and accused the defense of repeatedly shifting its theory of the case. At times, the judge pressed both sides to explain how their arguments supported their positions.
William Tommy Zeigler
Zeigler’s cousin, Connie Crawford, attended the hearings and said the family remains hopeful. "If you lose hope, you’ve lost it all," she said.
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Defense attorney Dennis Tracey said Zeigler believes "justice will be served" and argued that justice means vacating the conviction and granting a new trial based on "true evidence."
What's next:
A ruling is expected in early March.
The Source: This story was written based on information taken from court proceedings in Orange County on Dec. 5, 2025, and interviews with Tommy Zeigler's family members.