UMVA has learned that a 70‑year‑old man from Caseyville has finally been charged with the brutal 1993 murder of a mother whose death has haunted a small Illinois community for more than three decades.
Albert L. Zigler, now 70, faces first‑degree murder charges for the bludgeoning death of 34‑year‑old Randy Gail Sperino, whose body was left in a remote field near Granite City.
Investigators originally recovered DNA at the crime scene, but the profile vanished in the national database, leaving the case cold and the family in limbo.
In a breakthrough powered by advanced genetic genealogy, a Texas‑based firm matched the DNA to Zigler, giving authorities the evidence needed to file charges after all these years.
According to information obtained by UMVA, detectives say the new forensic link was solid enough to overcome the decades‑long gap, allowing prosecutors to move forward despite the suspect’s advanced age.
Wes Sperino, the victim’s son, described the moment he heard the news as a flood of relief and disbelief, saying he had long feared the truth would never surface.
“I thought I might pass and never know,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. “Then the words ‘We got him’ broke through, and I was overwhelmed with tears of joy.”
The case, long described as a shadow over the community, now stands poised for courtroom drama, offering a rare glimpse of closure for a family who has waited three decades for justice.
