Cold case cracked as Illinois suspect charged in brutal 1993 killing of mother found slain in field

Cold case cracked as Illinois suspect charged in brutal 1993 killing of mother found slain in field

Albert L. Zigler, 70, was identified through a Texas-based genealogy company after DNA went unmatched for decades

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More than 30 years after an Illinois mother was found beaten to death in a rural field, authorities on Tuesday announced murder charges against a 70-year-old suspect in a cold case that investigators said never stopped haunting the community or the victim’s family.

Albert L. Zigler, 70, of Caseyville, Illinois, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 1993 killing of Randy Gail Sperino, 34.

In 1993, Sperino was bludgeoned to death and her body was dumped in a field in unincorporated Granite City, Illinois.

Albert Zigler is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Randy Gail Sperino. (Madison County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

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Investigators recovered DNA from the scene, but no matches were identified in Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), according to a report from local outlet KMOV. Othram, a Texas-based genealogy company, recently identified Zigler as the suspect.

Despite the passage of more than three decades, investigators said sufficient evidence was developed to support the charges against Zigler.

Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor announced the arrest at a news conference on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Madison County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

Wes Sperino, Randy Sperino's son, told the outlet he never thought an arrest would be made.

The victim's son, Wes Sperino, spoke at a news conference on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Madison County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

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"I thought I might pass and never know, but that all changed thanks to these guys behind me and to my side," Wes Sperino said. "I was ecstatic and then I had immediate tears of joy, and I was just shocked that I was hearing the words of, 'We got him.'"

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

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