Photo: Lee County Jail
A man sentenced to death in relation to his conviction for the killing and rape of an 11-year-old girl and her babysitter more than three decades prior elbowed his attorney in the face and was tackled by security before flashing what appeared to be the word "killer" etched on his teeth in the courtroom on Monday (June 26), Daily Mail reports.
Joseph Zieler, 61, was convicted in relation to the deaths of Robin Cornell, 11, and Lisa Story, 32, both of whom were raped and suffocated during the incidents in 1990. Zieler faced a judge and asked for cameras in the courtroom to be taken down before cursing and elbowing his own attorney, Kevin Shirley, in the face before being tackled by three bailiffs.
The incident took place while Zieler was still in handcuffs and appeared to attempt to deliver a message to his counsel.
"It seemed like he didn't want our conversation to be picked up by the microphones. So he waved me down and I bent over, and he struck me. The Bailiffs were extremely quick to respond and eliminated any future threat," Shirley told FOX 4 Now.
Zieler was escorted out of the courtroom seconds later, at which point he flashed the message etched on his teeth, according to Daily Mail. A Lee County, Florida, jury had previously recommended the death penalty in May.
Zieler was expected to plead against the jury's recommendation before he assaulted his attorney. The 61-year-old was arrested in relation to the 1990 cold case murders in 2016.