Man accused in 1994 fatal stabbing of pregnant woman after her brother-in-law was wrongfully convicted

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a 52-year-old man on suspicion of fatally stabbing a pregnant 20-year-old woman more than three decades ago.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, on April 17, 1994, Tina Heins was stabbed more than two dozen times in her apartment. She was reportedly 15 weeks pregnant at the time, and her husband was on duty at Naval Station Mayport.

The victim’s brother-in-law, Chad Heins, reported the incident and was later convicted of her murder. Authorities said he was released nearly 11 years into his life sentence after DNA found at the scene ruled him out as the killer.

Upon further investigation, detectives identified Michael Ziegler as the primary suspect. He was a close friend of Tina Heins’ husband. The sheriff’s office noted that Ziegler “stood next to the Heins couple on their wedding day.”

A jury indicted Ziegler on Aug. 28 for first-degree murder, and he was arrested on Sept. 4 in Georgia. The sheriff’s office recently announced that Ziegler was transported back to Jacksonville last week and is in custody at the Duval County Jail.

Heins’ family in Wisconsin reportedly “established a scholarship in her honor.”

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