{"id":11336,"date":"2026-05-27T06:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T06:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=11336"},"modified":"2026-05-27T06:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T06:33:16","slug":"illinois-man-albert-zigler-charged-in-cold-case-murder-of-randy-gail-sperino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=11336","title":{"rendered":"Illinois man Albert Zigler charged in cold case murder of Randy Gail Sperino"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" 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\/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>For more than three decades, the murder of Randy Gail Sperino haunted investigators in southern\u00a0Illinois\u00a0\u2014 a cold case centered on a young woman beaten to death and left in a rural field while her killer seemingly vanished without a trace.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators spent decades chasing leads and revisiting evidence, but the case remained unsolved.<\/p>\n<p>Now, prosecutors say a breakthrough in forensic genealogy and decades-old DNA evidence finally cracked the case wide open.<\/p>\n<p>Madison County State\u2019s Attorney Tom Haine announced\u00a0first-degree murder\u00a0charges Tuesday against Albert L. \u201cBuddy\u201d Zigler, 70, of Caseyville, in connection with Sperino\u2019s 1993 killing, calling the arrest \u201can important step toward justice in a case that has remained unresolved for more than three decades.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile nothing can erase the pain experienced by Miss Sperino\u2019s loved ones, we hope this development provides some answers after so many years,\u201d Haine said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities say Sperino, 34, was found dead Nov. 9, 1993, in a field in unincorporated Granite City after suffering what court records describe as \u201cmassive blunt force trauma to the head.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Albert L. \u201cBuddy\u201d Zigler, 70, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 1993 killing. <span class=\"credit\">Madison County State\u0092s Attorney\u0092s Office<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Randy Gail Sperino, 34, was found dead Nov. 9, 1993, in a field in unincorporated Granite City after suffering what court records describe as \u201cmassive blunt force trauma to the head.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Madison County State\u0092s Attorney\u0092s Office<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For years, investigators chased leads, re-interviewed witnesses and repeatedly tested\u00a0DNA evidence recovered during\u00a0the original investigation, but the case remained unsolved.<\/p>\n<p>That changed when investigators turned to\u00a0forensic genealogical DNA, an advanced investigative technique that traces family connections through genetic evidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis case demonstrates the extraordinary value of modern investigative tools such as forensic genealogical DNA,\u201d Haine said. \u201cAdvances in technology and science\u00a0are creating opportunities to solve cases that, years ago, might never have been solved.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to Haine, Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor recognized the potential of forensic genealogy years before the\u00a0technology became mainstream in cold\u00a0case investigations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeven years ago, Sheriff Connor had the foresight to know that a new investigative tool, even though it was just emerging, might be able to provide a breakthrough in this investigation,\u201d Haine said. \u201cThe sheriff and his investigators never wavered in seeking justice in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Haine credited generations of investigators for refusing to let the case go cold for good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese tools are only effective because of the dedication, persistence, and professionalism of investigators who are willing to revisit evidence, follow leads, knock on doors, conduct interviews and continue pursuing the truth, no matter how much time has passed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Madison County State\u2019s Attorney Tom Haine announces the charges against Zigler during a press conference on May 26, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Madison County State\u0092s Attorney\u0092s Office<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Court documents allege Zigler later admitted to investigators that he picked Sperino up in Granite City, beat her with a metal bat or steel pipe at his residence and dumped her body in a field.<\/p>\n<p>Zigler has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder alleging he intentionally beat Sperino with a bludgeon, causing her death. Prosecutors are seeking to keep Zigler behind bars pending trial, arguing the charges involve a violent and non-probationable offense.<\/p>\n<p>An arrest warrant filed in Madison County Circuit Court shows Zigler remains in custody.<\/p>\n<p>At an initial court appearance Tuesday, Associate Judge James Hackett appointed a public defender to represent Zigler and scheduled a detention hearing for Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News Digital reached out to the Madison County Sheriff\u2019s Office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/27\/us-news\/illinois-man-albert-zigler-charged-in-cold-case-murder-of-randy-gail-sperino\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For more than three decades, the murder of Randy Gail Sperino haunted investigators in southern\u00a0Illinois\u00a0\u2014&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[349],"tags":[3468,1325,948,1622,10889,2539,230,950,10888,10890,10887],"class_list":["post-11336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-albert","tag-case","tag-charged","tag-cold","tag-gail","tag-illinois","tag-man","tag-murder","tag-randy","tag-sperino","tag-zigler"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889.jpg",1200,799,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-768x511.jpg",640,426,true],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-1024x682.jpg",640,426,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889.jpg",1200,799,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889.jpg",1200,799,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-1115x715.jpg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/128803889-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=349\" rel=\"category\">Blog<\/a>","tag_info":"Blog","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}