JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A murder committed 31 years ago has been traced back to a Covington resident, who is now facing first-degree murder charges.

Michael Ziegler, 52, was arrested in Covington on Sept. 4 for the murder of Tina Heins in 1994. 

Tina Heins, who was 20 years old and 15 weeks pregnant at the time, was killed in her apartment in Mayport, near Jacksonville, Fla., on April 17, 1994. She was sexually assaulted and stabbed 27 times, and parts of her apartment were reportedly set on fire, per the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).

During the attack, Tina Heins’ husband was on duty at Naval Station Mayport. Her brother-in-law, Chad Heins, who lived with them at the time and reported her murder to the authorities, was charged with the crime.

“Tina’s brother-in-law, Chad Heins, said he was asleep in the living room when he woke to the fires and extinguished them before he went into the bedroom to find Tina on her bed, covered in blood,” said Melissa Nelson, Florida State Attorney, in a Sept. 25 press conference with the JSO. “Chad Heins called 911. The investigation and evidence at that time pointed only to Chad Heins.”

Chad Heins was convicted of Tina Heins’ murder in 1996 and was handed down a life sentence. 

However, in 2007, Chad Heins was released.

As technology advanced, DNA investigations became more plausible, and investigators were able to determine that the preserved DNA evidence from the scene of the crime traced back to Ziegler—not Chad Heins.

“For three decades, Ziegler remained under the radar,” Nelson said. “But his biological footprint endured, and with persistence and advancements in science, we finally caught up to him and caught him.”

Though Ziegler is now a Covington resident and retired merchant marine, he served at Naval Station Mayport in Florida in 1994. Officials say there is proof that Ziegler knew Tina Heins well.

“Ziegler was no stranger to Tina; he was her husband’s close friend and even stood next to the Heins couple on their wedding day,” the statement read.

On Aug. 28, a grand jury indicted Ziegler on first-degree murder and sexual battery charges. His Sept. 4 arrest was the result of the combined effort of the U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force, Georgia State Patrol, Newton County Sheriff’s Office and Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.

Ziegler has since been extradited from the Newton County Detention Center to the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility in Jacksonville.

Per a booking report from the JSO, Ziegler faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of sexual battery. 

A spokesperson with the Florida State Attorney’s Office confirmed that Ziegler and his attorney submitted a plea of ‘not guilty’ on Oct. 14. A pretrial has been scheduled for Nov. 12. 

Anyone with additional information about the case is urged to contact the JSO at 904-630-0500.