1994 Florida cold case cracked: Pregnant 20-year-old's accused killer arrested

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida man has been arrested in the 1994 cold case murder of a 20-year-old pregnant woman who was stabbed to death in her apartment, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). 

Cold case cracked

The backstory:

On April 17, 1994, 20-year-old Tina Heins was brutally killed in her Mayport apartment, according to the JSO. Officers said she had been stabbed more than two dozen times. 

Investigators also discovered that Heins was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed. Her husband was on duty at Naval Station Mayport during the time of the murder. 

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

Tina Heins' brother-in-law, Chad Heins, reported her murder. Chad Heins was later convicted of her murder. However, nearly 11 years into his life sentence, Chad Heins was released after DNA evidence from the scene did not come back as a match for him.

Michael Ziegler (Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

Latest Updates:

Detectives continued to investigate, and they eventually determined 52-year-old Michael Ziegler was Tina Heins' killer. Officials said Ziegler was no stranger to Tina; he was her husband’s close friend. Ziegler even stood next to the Heins couple on their wedding day, according to an arrest report.

On Aug. 28, a grand jury indicted Ziegler for first-degree murder. On Sept. 4, Ziegler was arrested in Covington, Georgia, more than 300 miles from where he allegedly killed Tina Heins. 

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

Last week, the JSO picked Ziegler up from the Newton County Detention Center and brought him back to Jacksonville. He is now behind bars at the Duval County Jail.

What they're saying:

"While Ziegler cut Tina’s life short, her legacy lives on," the JSO said in a Facebook post. "Her family in Wisconsin has established a scholarship in her honor."

What you can do:

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the JSO at (904) 630-0500.