Illinois man, 70, charged in 1993 cold-case killing of mother found beaten to death in field
More than 30 years after an Illinois mother was found beaten to death in a rural field, authorities on Tuesday announced murder charges against a 70-year-old suspect in a cold case that investigators say never stopped haunting the community—or the victim's family.
Albert L. Zigler, 70, of Caseyville, Illinois, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 1993 killing of Randy Gail Sperino, 34. Sperino was bludgeoned to death and her body dumped in a field in unincorporated Granite City, Illinois.
The case had gone cold for decades, but a breakthrough came when Othram, a Texas-based forensic genealogy company, analyzed DNA evidence recovered from the scene. The sample had been entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) but yielded no matches at the time. Using advanced genetic genealogy, Othram identified Zigler as a suspect.
Investigators said sufficient evidence was developed to support the charges, even after the passage of more than three decades. The arrest marks the latest in a growing number of cold cases solved through forensic genealogy—a technique that has also been credited in high-profile cases such as the Idaho student murders and the Rachel Morin killing.
Wes Sperino, Randy Sperino's son, told local outlet KMOV that he never thought an arrest would come. “I thought I might pass and never know, but that all changed thanks to these guys behind me and to my side,” he said. “I was ecstatic and then I had immediate tears of joy, and I was just shocked that I was hearing the words of, ‘We got him.’”
Zigler is being held pending a court appearance. The case underscores how persistent law enforcement work and evolving technology can bring closure even decades after a tragedy.
Original article source: Fox News