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“The 25-year long search for answers is over.” That’s what Hampden DA Anthony Gulluni told the media on September 18, 2017 as he announced the arrest of Gary Schara, 48, in connection with the rape and murder of Lisa Ziegert in April 1992. The crime occurred in Agawam, Massachusetts. She was 24 years old. At that time, Schara would have been 23 years old.
Mass Live reports that Schara appeared in Rockville Superior Court in Vernon, Connecticut, on the morning of September 18 where he waived extradition. The suspect will be transferred to Massachusetts. The warrant for his arrest was issued on September 15 before he was taken into custody.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Schara Was Arrested at a Connecticut Hospital After Attempting Suicide
Police say a warrant was issued last wk for Gary Schara for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Lisa Ziegert.
Schara had earlier been treated at a hospital in Hartford for what Mass Live refers to as “unspecified medical issues.” The Hartford Courant reports that Schara was taken into custody at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Connecticut.
The suspect lives in West Springfield, Massachusetts. A statement from the Hampden DA says that Schara is believed to have fled Massachusetts after the warrant was issued. He was admitted to Johnson Memorial after attempting suicide.
2. Schara Has Been a Person of Interest in Ziegert’s Murder Since 1993
The Hampden DA says that investigators were given “hand-written documents” in which Schara admitted to killing Ziegert. Those documents were provided a person who was at Schara’s home on the night of September 13. Investigators had gone to his home to tell Schara that detectives were creating a DNA profile of the suspect in Ziegert’s killing. Schara was not at home at the time. He has been a person of interest in the case since 1993.
At a press conference on September 18, DA Gulluni said that DNA found at the crime scene proved that Schara was Ziegert’s killer.
On April 15, 1992, Ziegert was kidnapped from Brittany Card & Gift Shoppe where she worked. Her body was found on April 19 in a wooded area. Her throat had been cut and she had multiple stab wounds. In 2016, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni released a computer generated sketch of a possible suspect in the crime. At the time of her death, Ziegert had also been working as an assistant at Agawam Middle School. Ziegert was also a religious teacher at a Catholic church.
3. The DA Referred to Ziegert’s Murder as ‘One of the Most Notorious Unsolved Cases in Massachusetts’
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A spokesman for DA Gulluni told the Boston Globe that Ziegert’s murder ranks as “one of the most notorious unsolved cases in Western Massachusetts… There’s a significant amount of resources the DA provided to the case that… led to this new development. The Ziegert family has exuded nothing but grace and dignity throughout the process and we would love nothing more than to see closure for the Ziegerts and for Lisa.”
4. Ziegert’s Mother Said, ‘No Matter How Long it Takes, You Can Always Be Brought to Justice’
Ziegert’s mother, Diane, said in a statement afterwards, “No matter how long it takes, you can always be brought to justice.” Diane Ziegert also said,” We are so grateful and ‘happy’ is the wrong word, I can’t use the word ‘happy,” because in this situation, we’re not happy – but we are so grateful for the hard work and determination and faith that all of these investigators had over all these years. They never ever gave up on Lisa, and that is what we’re focused on.”
Agawam Police Chief Robert D. Campbell told the Republican in 2012, “I’ve lived this since 1992. There were so many leads. If you saw the files on this thing, you would measure it in pounds not pages. The twists and the turns, the ups and downs this investigation has taken, it’s a case that’s never far from everyone’s mind. There’s not a cop here who wouldn’t to see this solved.”
5. The Last Person to Ziegert Alive Was Her Sister, Lynee
Ziegert’s sister, Lynne, was possibly that last person to see Ziegert alive. Lynne Ziegert Rogerson told the Republican in 2012, “She was fine. She was in a fine mood. She was talking about school. My God the kids (at her school) adored her… There was nothing about that area that made me uneasy.”
Ziegert was also survived by her brother, David Ziegert, who lives in California and a younger sister, Sharon, who was a 17-year-old high school senior when her sister was killed.