SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The suspect in the 1992 abduction, rape and killing of a Massachusetts teacher’s aide has changed his plea to guilty.
Gary Schara pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Lisa Ziegert (ZEE’-guhrt).
Lisa Ziegert. (Family photo)
Ziegert was a teacher’s aide at Agawam Middle School when she disappeared from her second job at a card and gift store where she was working alone. Her body was found in a nearby wooded area four days later.
The case remained unsolved until the now 50-year-old Schara was arrested in September 2017 after testing confirmed his DNA matched evidence found at the crime scene.
Schara had previously pleaded not guilty.
Gary Schara (Photo Courtesy: Agawam Police)
When the judge asked Schara if he knew he was giving up his right to a jury trial, he said “Yes, I do.”
(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)