FL FL- Tina Heins, 20, fatally stabbed @ home, April, '94, BIL, Chad Heins, arrested, DNA- Michael Shane Ziegler, 51, of GA, extradited to FL, Sep, 2025.

[dotr]

The Suspect in 1994 Murder of Tina Heins is Identified

Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1994 Murder of Tina Heins

dnasolves.com

''In April 1994, twenty-year-old Tina Heins was stabbed to death in the apartment that she shared with her husband, Jeremy Heins, in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeremy, who was in the Navy, was on active duty and aboard a ship the night of Tina's murder. Jeremy's brother Chad Heins, who was 19-years-old at the time, had recently moved to Jacksonville, and was temporarily living with Tina and Jeremy. On the night Tina was killed, Chad was asleep on the living room sofa when he awoke at approximately 5:45am to three small fires burning in the apartment. After extinguishing the fires and disabling the smoke alarm, Chad proceeded to check on his sister-in-law, when he found her body in her bedroom. Tina Heins had been stabbed 27 times.

Chad Heins was eventually arrested and convicted of Tina's murder in 1996. In 2007, after serving 11 years of a life sentence, DNA evidence led to the dismissal of Chad's case and he was released from prison. This DNA evidence, which was found in the apartment and on Tina, including under her fingernails, pointed to an unknown male suspect. An STR profile was developed and uploaded to CODIS, but there was no match to a known individual and the suspect's identity remained a mystery.

In 2021, Florida's Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the suspect. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified suspect. This investigation led to the positive identification of the suspect, who is now known to be 51-year-old Michael Shane Ziegler. Ziegler, a Navy veteran, was a close friend of Tina Heins's husband and was stationed near Tina Heins's residence at the time of her murder.

Michael Shane Ziegler was arrested on September 4, 2025, in Covington, Georgia, and was extradited to Jacksonville, Florida on September 18, 2025. Ziegler is now charged with murder and attempted sexual battery in the 1994 stabbing death of Tina Heins. Ziegler is being held with no bail.

Michael Ziegler never surfaced during prior investigations, making forensic genetic genealogy an important tool in helping to identify him as a suspect in the case.''

 

[dotr]

Innocence Project: Chad Heins

Nearly 11 years after he was wrongfully convicted of murdering his sister-in-law in northern Florida, Chad Heins was exonerated in 2007.

innocenceproject.org

''Nearly 11 years after he was wrongfully convicted of murdering his sister-in-law in northern Florida, Chad Heins was exonerated on December 4, 2007, due to DNA evidence proving that another man committed the crime.''​

Jacksonville authorities announce arrest of man in 1994 murder of Tina Heins, unborn baby

Authorities said Thursday that DNA was the key to finding the suspect in the cold case killing of a young mother and military spouse.

www.actionnewsjax.com

''On Thursday, August 28, a Duval County Grand Jury indicted Ziegler on murder and sexual battery charges.
Ziegler was living with his mother outside of Atlanta and is a retired merchant marine, Nelson said. In 1994, Ziegler was stationed at Mayport abord the USS Leyte Gulf, just like Jeremy was.

Nelson said Thursday that Ziegler was a very close friend of Tina’s husband Jeremy and was a witness at the couple’s courthouse wedding five months before Tina was killed.''

 

[vls12345]

The Suspect in 1994 Murder of Tina Heins is Identified

Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1994 Murder of Tina Heins

dnasolves.com

 

[JaxFlaGal]

View attachment 616381

The Suspect in 1994 Murder of Tina Heins is Identified

Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1994 Murder of Tina Heins

dnasolves.com

''In April 1994, twenty-year-old Tina Heins was stabbed to death in the apartment that she shared with her husband, Jeremy Heins, in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeremy, who was in the Navy, was on active duty and aboard a ship the night of Tina's murder. Jeremy's brother Chad Heins, who was 19-years-old at the time, had recently moved to Jacksonville, and was temporarily living with Tina and Jeremy. On the night Tina was killed, Chad was asleep on the living room sofa when he awoke at approximately 5:45am to three small fires burning in the apartment. After extinguishing the fires and disabling the smoke alarm, Chad proceeded to check on his sister-in-law, when he found her body in her bedroom. Tina Heins had been stabbed 27 times.

Chad Heins was eventually arrested and convicted of Tina's murder in 1996. In 2007, after serving 11 years of a life sentence, DNA evidence led to the dismissal of Chad's case and he was released from prison. This DNA evidence, which was found in the apartment and on Tina, including under her fingernails, pointed to an unknown male suspect. An STR profile was developed and uploaded to CODIS, but there was no match to a known individual and the suspect's identity remained a mystery.

In 2021, Florida's Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the suspect. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified suspect. This investigation led to the positive identification of the suspect, who is now known to be 51-year-old Michael Shane Ziegler. Ziegler, a Navy veteran, was a close friend of Tina Heins's husband and was stationed near Tina Heins's residence at the time of her murder.

Michael Shane Ziegler was arrested on September 4, 2025, in Covington, Georgia, and was extradited to Jacksonville, Florida on September 18, 2025. Ziegler is now charged with murder and attempted sexual battery in the 1994 stabbing death of Tina Heins. Ziegler is being held with no bail.

Michael Ziegler never surfaced during prior investigations, making forensic genetic genealogy an important tool in helping to identify him as a suspect in the case.''

I am so glad to read this! I just saw this on local News4Jax; here's their article that was published earlier today and updated this evening.

"[State Attorney Melissa] Nelson said her team’s detectives and forensic experts confirmed the match to Ziegler, who served with Tina’s husband in the Navy aboard the USS Leyte Gulf.

Michael Ziegler was her husband, Jeremy’s, very close friend. In fact, he stood witness at their courthouse wedding just five months before Tina was killed,” Nelson said. “For three decades, Ziegler remained under the radar, but his biological footprint endured. And with persistence and advancements in science, we finally caught up to him and caught him.

Ziegler, now 52, was indicted on first-degree murder and sexual battery charges in Tina’s death on Aug. 28 of this year."

Arrest made in 1994 murder of Navy sailor’s pregnant wife. DNA evidence exonerated her brother-in-law 18 years ago

The murder of Tina Heins has been solved, nearly two decades after her brother-in-law was exonerated in the crime, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced Thursday.

www.news4jax.com

 

[JaxFlaGal]

The 2019 Project Cold Case article about the murder.

Tina Heins - Project: Cold Case

projectcoldcase.org

 

[JaxFlaGal]

The full announcement of the arrest:

 

[JaxFlaGal]

After brother-in-law freed in Tina Heins' 1994 Mayport stabbing, new suspect arrested

The 1994 Jacksonville cold case slaying of Tina Heins, whose brother-in-law Chad Heins was cleared and set free, now has a new suspect behind bars.

www.jacksonville.com

article is from local Jacksonville print media.

 

[Tricia]

I love Othram!

 

[JaxFlaGal]

Here's the State Attorney's Office press release- Grand Jury Indicts Man for 1994 Murder of Tina Heins

"State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County grand jury has indicted Michael Ziegler with First-Degree Murder and Sexual Battery in the 1994 killing of Tina Heins.

Just after 6 a.m. April 17, 1994, law enforcement responded to a Mayport apartment where they found Tina Heins stabbed to death on her bed. She had been stabbed 27 times. Multiple areas of the apartment were set on fire, which triggered the smoke alarm and alerted neighbors. 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 her on the bed covered in blood. Chad Heins called 911.

Heins’ husband was on duty on a Navy ship at nearby NAS Mayport. The investigation and evidence at the time led to Chad Heins being charged with her murder. He was convicted and his sentence later overturned after DNA evidence at the scene, and on Tina Heins, was determined not to be his.

The case was re-examined beginning in 2017. The DNA, consisting of a semen stain found on Tina Heins’ bed, skin tissue under her fingernails, and hairs found on her body, was tested. After additional technological advancements, a genetic profile was established in 2021 and through further testing and investigation, Ziegler was finally identified. Ziegler was also stationed at NAS Mayport and was a close friend of Heins’ husband.

The case has been investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office, FDLE, and NCIS, and supported by the U.S. Marshals, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, and Newton County Sheriff’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Alan Mizrahi and Jay Plotkin."

 

[othram]

Thrilled we could assist in this case.

 

[swanniee11]

WOW, Great job @othram This man caused so much heartbreak for an entire family and an innocent man sat in jail for years. Exact reason I have issues with the death penalty, I'm not against it but this is why I have issues. Praying for the family especially Chad Heins. Dear Jesus!

 

[doublestop]

I'd be interested to know how his brother being convicted of his wife's murder affected her husband's relationship with his family--and then to find out it was one of his best friends instead.

 

[Maat99]

Jeremy and Tina’s wedding with Ziegler on the right acting as witness. Unbelievable. Is this another case where a man murders a woman and then goes on to lead a “normal” life?

Authorities arrest family friend for Jacksonville woman's murder in 1994 cold case

www.actionnewsjax.com

 

[JaxFlaGal]

Thrilled we could assist in this case.

I am so glad that you were able to assist in this case! I remembered this case, and had hoped that one day her killer would be identified and brought to justice.

 

[Tricia]

We are going to discuss this case on our YouTube Channel tonight. Hopefully, we will have someone from Othram on at some point in the future to tell us more about the testing and the details of this case.
CLICK HERE at 10:30 PM Eastern to join us.

 

[Arkay]

Thrilled we could assist in this case.

You are true heroes.
Thank you for identifying her killer.

 

[sasha17]

The Innocence Project has a page about this case and explains more about what happened with Chad Heins: Innocence Project: Chad Heins

 

[vls12345]

About the arrested MZ:

"He was living with his mother outside of Atlanta, Georgia. He is a retired merchant marine," Nelson said.

Court records show Ziegler, whose Georgia arrest report says he also went by "Diggy," was scheduled for his first court appearance on Oct. 9, but on Sept. 24 his attorney Timothy Miller of Harris Guidi Rosner P.A. filed for a waiver of his arraignment opting instead for a written plea of not guilty.

After brother-in-law freed in Tina Heins' 1994 Mayport stabbing, new suspect arrested

The 1994 Jacksonville cold case slaying of Tina Heins, whose brother-in-law Chad Heins was cleared and set free, now has a new suspect behind bars.

www.jacksonville.com

 

[vls12345]

MZ's inmate details:

From:

https://inmatesearch.jaxsheriff.org/InmateSearch/InmateDetail/834615

 

[rvlvr]

Credit to Othram but also credit to the innocence project who helped free an innocent man from prison.

The case was re-examined beginning in 2017. The DNA, consisting of a semen stain found on Tina Heins’ bed, skin tissue under her fingernails, and hairs found on her body, was tested.

Why on earth wasn’t this stuff tested at the time of the crime? It’s not like Tina’s murder occurred in the 1970s, surely even by the standards of 1994 they had plenty to work with?

Is this another case where a man murders a woman and then goes on to lead a “normal” life?

I wonder if the killer knew that Chad was in the house? Would be quite a brazen crime to commit if so.