EXCLUSIVE: America’s longest-serving dying row inmate, Tommy Zeigler, and his battle for exoneration after practically 50 years behind bars on a homicide conviction, are getting the documentary therapy courtesy of award-winning administrators David Van Taylor (A Perfect Candidate) and Marlon Johnson (River City Drumbeat).
Producers on the movie, Blood and Judgment (w/t), embody Andy Breckman — the four-time Emmy nominee identified for creating the hit USA Network comedy collection, Monk — and Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver from Left/Right, a North Road firm (The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears).
Blood and Judgment asks whether or not Zeigler is a felony mastermind, or the sufferer of an ingenious frame-up. Its story is thrust into movement on Christmas Eve 1975, as a a number of murder unfolds in a locked furnishings retailer outdoors of Orlando, Florida. Amid the chaotic, bloody crime scene — 4 our bodies, eight weapons, 28 bullets — a younger detective quickly settles on a shocking suspect. Police arrest retailer proprietor Tommy Zeigler, hospitalized with a .38 wound by means of his intestine.
Convicted and sentenced to dying months later, Zeigler has twice come inside hours of the electrical chair, although all through the many years, he’s persistently maintained his innocence. Over the many years a professional bono group of legal professionals, a non-public investigator, a true-crime creator and others have uncovered main points with the case — together with a disappearing witness, a lacking will, a sedated juror and a homophobic whisper marketing campaign — which will add as much as an elaborate frame-up by the true perpetrators. And nonetheless, state authorities have steadfastly opposed the DNA testing Zeigler insists will exonerate him. Until now.
Last month, a choose ordered testing to proceed nearly half a century after the murders. One of the nation’s high forensic labs is correct now inspecting proof, together with blood spatter, fingernail scrapings, vomit and extra. Results are anticipated by the summer time.
The turning level in Zeigler’s battle for testing got here in 2021, when progressive prosecutor Monique Worrell rode a Black Lives Matter wave to change into Orange County’s elected chief prosecutor. Worrell, who’s Black, had beforehand investigated the case of Zeigler, who’s white, and informed the filmmakers that it reveals “the criminal legal system is a machine, and anyone can get caught in that machine.” Worrell’s workplace labored with Zeigler’s legal professionals to launch the proof for testing, overcoming intense pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legal professional basic.
It was Breckman who first introduced Ziegler’s story to Van Taylor, with the latter then pitching the group at Left/Right. Johnson, a Florida-based filmmaker, joined the group quickly after manufacturing started. The group has independently financed the challenge and adopted the unfolding story over the course of the final 5 years, with unique behind-the-scenes entry to key gamers.
Van Taylor informed Deadline that “this project was compelling from the get-go, but our bet was that one day the courts would agree to testing. That day has finally come.”
Breckman added that “with its Sherlock-style ‘locked room’ mystery, this story has blown my mind for decades. It’s like a real-life Knives Out. I can hardly wait for state-of-the-art DNA testing to reveal what really happened.”
“This is a five-decade-long true crime story, a forensic mystery, and a modern-day social-justice thriller, all rolled into one,” stated Druckerman in closing. “And we’re perfectly poised to capture the final chapter, where everyone’s questions should finally be answered.”
Van Taylor is an IDA Award winner and News & Documentary Emmy nominee whose characteristic credit embody To Tell the Truth, Advise & Dissent, A Perfect Candidate and Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest. He’s additionally directed and produced on such collection as Death Row Stories, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones and Intervention, amongst others.
Johnson is a SXSW Audience Award nominee who has directed and produced documentaries together with River City Drumbeat, Symphony in D and Deep City.
Breckman’s collection Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub, aired for eight seasons on USA Network from 2002-2009. He extra lately created the comedy The Good Cop, starring Tony Danza and Josh Groban, for Netflix. Additional writing credit embody the 2001 Jerry Zucker comedy Rat Race and Saturday Night Live.
IDA, News & Documentary Emmy and Peabody Award winners Druckerman and Tarver based Left/Right in 2005. Other notable latest titles exec produced by the duo embody Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, The New York Times Presents and The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth.
Left/Right is represented by WME; Breckman by CAA and three Arts Entertainment.
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