FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Chapman
Phone: (904) 255-3004
Cell: (904) 524-6626
ChapmanD@coj.net
January 31, 2024
DUVAL COUNTY JURY FINDS ZIEGLER GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER
State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Steve Ziegler guilty of Second-Degree Murder. With the verdict, Ziegler faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Kevin Blazs will sentence Ziegler during a future hearing.
On June 4, 2023, officers with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were called to an Edgewood Avenue pawn shop in reference to a stabbing. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue pronounced the victim deceased on scene. Video surveillance from the area shows Ziegler going into the pawn shop and asking to sell his knife for bus fare. An employee declined to buy his knife but gave Ziegler money for the bus. After leaving the store, Ziegler walked across the street and sat at the bus stop for 30 minutes until the victim arrived and sat down. The video shows limited interaction between the victim and Ziegler for the following 30 minutes. Ziegler then stood up and stabbed the victim twice without any provocation. Ziegler ran from the scene and tossed the knife behind the shop. Crime scene detectives recovered the bloody murder weapon.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Jay Plotkin and Blake Adams.