EDWARDSVILLE – The importance of law enforcement never giving up on a murder case and the latest DNA technology were in full view on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, when charges were announced for a homicide committed 33 years ago in 1993.
First-degree murder charges were announced Tuesday, May 26, 2026, against Albert L. “Buddy” Zigler, 70, of Caseyville, Illinois, in the 1993 killing of Randy Gail Sperino, marking what the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said was the resolution of a 33-year-old homicide investigation.
“Despite the passage of more than three decades, investigators remained committed to pursuing justice in this case,” Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor said. “Through the dedicated and persistent efforts of investigators over the years, sufficient evidence was developed to support first-degree murder charges against Zigler.”
Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine said the case demonstrates “the extraordinary value of modern investigative tools such as forensic genealogical DNA.”
“Advances in technology and science are creating opportunities to solve cases that, years ago, might never have been solved,” Haine said.
The charges were announced May 26, 2026, by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office alongside Wes Sperino, the victim’s son, Connor, and Haine.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sperino was 34 when she was killed in 1993. Authorities said she was bludgeoned to death and her body was dumped in a field in unincorporated Granite City.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
