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Man Arrested For 1992 Agawam Rape, Murder

AGAWAM (CBS) -- An arrest has been made in the rape and murder of a young woman in Agawam 25 years ago.

Gary E. Schara, 48, of West Springfield was arrested and charged with the murder, aggravated rape, and the kidnapping of Lisa Ziegert from 1992. Officials said forensic testing has confirmed that he was Ziegert's killer.

coldcase
Gary. E. Schara (Photo Courtesy: Agawam Police)

On April 15, 1992, 24-year-old Ziegert, a middle school teacher, was abducted in the early evening while she worked at a card shop in Agawam, according to police. The next morning she was reported missing by the store's clerk who found the shop open, lights on, with Ziegert's belongings still inside, and her car parked where it was the night before.

Four days later, Ziegert's body was found in the woods about four miles from the shop.

Lisa Ziegert
Lisa Ziegert. (Family photo)

A single source male DNA profile was developed by investigators last year with evidence taken from the scene.

Hampden County prosecutors had released a sketch of a suspect that was created by using the genetic markers in that DNA to come up with the man's race, hair, eye and skin color, and other physical features.

Lisa Ziegert suspect sketch **DO NOT ALTER/EDIT**
(Image credit: Parabon-Snapshot)

Investigators then began to focus on trying to match the DNA with individuals who were identified as people of interest in years prior when DNA testing had not been available.

Police said, "on the evening of Wednesday, September 13, as a part of this effort, Massachusetts State Police troopers attempted to notify Schara about this process, but he was not home and information was left with someone at the home. On the following day, an individual close to Schara contacted the Massachusetts State Police with information concerning Schara's involvement in the murder of Lisa Ziegert. This individual provided the state police hand-written documents, purportedly from and by Gary Schara, in which he admits to the abduction, rape, and murder of Lisa Ziegert."

Schara allegedly fled to Connecticut the next day and attempted suicide.

Search warrants enabled police to obtain a sample of Schara's DNA and test it against the murder evidence.

Officials thanked the Ziegert family and the public for their support and said Schara will face a judge soon.

"It's always been about justice for Lisa," said Lisa's mother, Dee Ziegert at the arrest announcement.

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