Lisa Ziegert

Real Name: Lisa Marie Ziegert
Nicknames: No known nicknames
Location: Agawam, Massachusetts
Date: April 15, 1992

Case

Details: Lisa Ziegert was a beloved teacher in Agawam, Massachusetts who taught special needs students at a local middle school. By all accounts, she cared for her students and connected with them. Her students remembered that she was always nice and willing to answer questions. At around 4:30pm on April 15, 1992, she left the school and went to a card and gift shop where she worked weekdays from 5 to 9pm. At 5:30pm, her sister, Lynne, visited her there. She left at 6pm and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
The next morning, Lisa's coworker, Sophia Maynard, arrived, as usual, to open up the store. She was surprised to see Lisa's car still in the parking lot and the store's "open" flag still hanging out. At first, she thought Lisa was there to help stuff balloons for the Easter weekend. However, when she went inside, she found no trace of her. Her car keys, pocketbook, and drawings were all left behind. Sophia went next door and called the police.
Investigators found signs of a struggle in the back store room, along with some spots of blood. A massive search began for Lisa, with the FBI involved. Tragically, four days later on Easter, her body was found in a wooded area on the edge of town. The location was two miles from the store. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. Since she was so well-loved, nobody could understand why she was murdered. Thousands stood in the pouring rain at her wake to mourn her death.
Investigators soon received three critical tips in this case. One came from a woman who was at the store at 8:20pm and found nothing unusual. A time-stamped receipt confirmed the time. The second tip was from a woman who came at 9pm and found the store open but appearing empty (when in fact, Lisa and her killer(s) were in the back store room). She heard sounds coming from it, presumably from Lisa's struggle with her killer(s). The final tip involved a third woman who was stopped at the intersection of Route 75 and Adams Street at around 9:15pm. While at the intersection, she saw a car with a man and woman struggling in the back seat. It was driving towards the area where Lisa's body was later found.
A memorial has been placed at the Agawam Middle School for her. There is a reward being offered for information in this case.
Suspects: The car described by the third woman was a late model, full sized Bronco or Blazer, and was either dark red or dark blue. It has never been found. Police have taken plaster molds of tire tracks left at the murder scene.
An unidentified man reportedly watched Lisa and other members of the Healthy Habits fitness center while they worked out. This happened shortly before her murder. Witnesses noted that he watched her closely, in a "perverted" fashion. The man was described as Caucasian, in his thirties (in 1992), 5'10", with a beer belly and wavy light brown hair. At the time, he wore work clothes and drove a red sports car. It is not known if he has any connection to her murder.
Edward Borgatti Jr., Lisa's boyfriend's roommate, was questioned regarding her murder. He is also the son of an Agawam police officer. He was working at a restaurant across the street from the store when Lisa vanished. However it is not known if he was ever considered a suspect in this case.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the October 27, 1993 episode. It was profiled on Crime Watch Daily during the investigation and documented on Dateline after it was resolved. Dateline also mentions Unsolved Mysteries as profiling it.

Suspect dna composite ziegert — Gary Schara (left) and composite

Results: Solved. When the Crime Watch Daily segment aired in 2015, investigators revealed that in the weeks prior to her abduction, Lisa had told people that she believed that she was being watched. She also asked several friends and relatives to visit her frequently, as she did not like being in the store alone. This led investigators to believe that her killer had been stalking her in the weeks up to her murder.
In December 2015, DNA found at the crime scene was sent to Parabon Nanolabs, a DNA forensic analysis service. Since then, the company has created a composite using DNA phenotyping. Based on their analysis, they determined that Lisa's killer was likely fair skinned with hazel or brown eyes and brown or black hair.
On September 18, 2017, it was announced that Lisa's killer had finally been identified. DNA evidence at the crime scene was matched to forty-eight-year-old Gary Schara, who has been a suspect in his case since 1993. Investigators recently tried to reinterview him, only to learn that he had fled. He was later found in a Connecticut hospital after he attempted to commit suicide. He was arrested and charged with murder, aggravated rape, and kidnapping. Along with the DNA evidence, investigators have stated that a witness gave them a handwritten note, believed to have been written by him. In the note, he confessed to her abduction, rape, and murder.
On September 25, 2019, Schara unexpectedly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Lisa's case. He admitted being responsible for her death. He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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Lisa Ziegert

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