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The upcoming episode of NBC Dateline, titled The Music Box, will cover the heinous assault and murder of 24-year-old Lisa Ziegert in 1992. The case remained unsolved for over two decades until the evolution of DNA technology helped authorities confirm the identity of the killer.
However, the killer was caught in the most unimaginable of ways and the episode will delve deeper into the case that sent shockwaves through the state of Massachusetts. Catch the upcoming episode on NBC on July 9, 2022 at 9/8c as it will feature an in-depth exploration of the murder and its aftermath on Ziegert's family and the community at large.
Here's all you need to know about what happened to Lisa Ziegert ahead of NBC Dateline's coverage.
NBC Dateline: The Music Box - Who was Lisa Ziegert?
Lisa Ziegert was a 24-year-old resident of Agawam, Massachusetts who had recently graduated from college in 1992 and was working as a teacher's assistant. She had a night job at Brittany's Card and Gift Shoppe in Agawam, which is where she was last seen on April 15, 1992, just a few days before Easter.
Her mother, Dee Ziegert, described Lisa as a special person who was vivacious, outgoing, and full of fun. She was well-loved by her students at the school and had a good rapport with her colleagues. The news of her death changed the town of Agawam forever and fear gripped the residents.
NBC Dateline: The Music Box - What happened to Lisa Ziegert?
On April 16, 1992, as per routine, Zeigert's co-worker Sophia Maynard showed up to open the shop. To her surprise and eventual dread, the shop was never closed and Lisa's car was still in the parking lot. The lights were on, a radio was playing in the background, and Lisa's keys and purse were left behind.
Sophia went looking for her co-worker in the storeroom and found the back door ajar with several boxes toppled over. She called for help and within a few minutes, investigators arrived at the scene. Robbery was ruled out as the cash register was untouched and despite hours of scouring the nearby area, the cops were unable to find Lisa.
On Easter Sunday that year, a man hiking alongside his dog found a woman's body in the woods. He reported the body and the woman was confirmed to be Lisa Ziegert. She was brutally stabbed seven times, with inches long and deep wounds found on her shoulder, throat, and upper left leg.
Her blood-soaked clothes had been pulled down to her ankles, and the autopsy report later confirmed that she had been s*xually assaulted. Cuts on her hands revealed that she had not backed down without a fight. Foreign DNA, blood, and sperm cells were found all over her clothes and body.
NBC Dateline: The Music Box - Lisa Ziegert's case took 25 years to find closure
Weeks and months after the tragic discovery of Lisa Ziegert's murder, there was still no prime suspect in the case. For 25 years, the case remained cold until 2016, when police began revisiting cold cases and opening up investigations again.
In September 2017, then 50-year-old Gary Schara was confirmed as the killer through a DNA match. Police received letters written by Schara wherein he had confessed to his 25-year-old crime and offered an apology to Ziegert's family as well as to his girlfriend at the time, who had delivered the letters to the authorities.
Don't forget to tune in to the whole story on NBC Dateline's The Music Box on July 9, 2022 at 9/8c.
