Convicted murderer Joseph Zieler in court for harassing victim’s mother

Joseph Zieler, convicted double-murderer, returned to court for threatening the mother of his youngest victim.

Jan Cornell, who was a witness at his trial, received multiple letters from Zieler. According to the State Attorney, Zieler threatened Cornell.

Zieler told Cornell he would drag her all the way to the Supreme Court and that she’d spend the rest of her life in a courtroom. In another letter, He accused Cornell of sleeping with him.

During the trial, Zieler admitted to sending the letters.

He faces the death penalty for the murder of Cornell’s daughter, Robin Cornell, 11, and family friend Lisa Story, 32. Story was babysitting Robin the night of May 9, 1990, when Zieler broke into the Cornell home. He beat, sexually assaulted and murdered them.

The letters to Cornell are at the center of the most explosive testimony during the trial.

“You thought that this was appropriate to send the 11-year-old’s — that was murdered — mother,” the state attorney said.

“Well, nobody would listen to me, so I was trying to defend myself,” Zieler said.

Zieler showed up to court without a lawyer, so he was appointed a public defender to represent him and continued Wednesday’s hearing.

A judge will decide if he will face death for his murder and sexual battery convictions after a jury recommended the punishment.