LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA: A rapist, who is also a killer, reportedly said “Damnit, I missed” after hitting his lawyer in the face with his elbow in the courtroom. Joseph Zieler attacked attorney Kevin Shirley inside the courtroom on Monday, June 26 before he was sentenced to death for the May 1990 rape and murder of 11-year-old Robin Cornell and her babysitter, Lisa Story, 32.
Describing the moment when the attack happened, Shirley told The Mirror, “Throughout the trial, Mr Zieler would seek to confer with me, and since I was seated the farthest from him, he would wave me over and frequently called me 'Mr Shirley.’ For this particular occasion, he waved me over and called me 'Kevin,' and he seemed to be in haste.”
‘I’m sure I’ve upset clients along the way’
“I assumed it was because the microphones were there and he did not want anyone to hear what he was going to say to me. So, I leaned my head down, and I was facing a little bit away from him,” the lawyer shared, who was punched “near the right eye” by his client. He also claimed, “At some point during that, he said, 'Damnit, I missed.’”
Shirley then went on to say, “I'm just happy he didn't strike my co-counsel or, more specifically, our mitigation specialist. She was seated at the time, and he was closer to her until I walked over near him.” Though the attorney claimed to be sure Zieler’s agitation was not because of the judgment, he did not give the exact reason why he took such a step.
He, however, mentioned, “I’m sure I’ve upset clients along the way. I’ve handled 10s of thousands of cases, so I’m sure there’s more than one person out there that’s pissed off at me.” Shirley also stated, “I wish I could have defended myself — not necessarily punching him back, but at least I could have fended off his swing at me. That was the only embarrassing part not seeing it coming.”
‘I don’t think he’s going to survive’
Despite the bad experience, the lawyer has decided not to step back from defending alleged criminals. He told the publication, “Somebody has to step up and defend. We have no idea how many people are sitting behind bars that have no business being there. There are other organizations fighting the good fight and trying to free those people, and I’m just trying to do what I can to make sure they don’t get there in the first place.”
Shirley concluded while speaking of Zieler’s fate as he added, “He’s 61 years old, he’s not in good health, and I don’t think he’s going to survive. I do not personally believe Mr Zieler will be alive when he becomes eligible to have his sentence carried out.”
Who is Kevin Shirley?
As per reports, Shirley was a prosecutor before beginning his work as a criminal defense attorney. He studied at Florida State University to get a degree in Juris Doctor (JD). He is also a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of South Florida.
