He Spent 13 Years in Prison for a Murder He Didn't Commit

In 1994, 20-year-old Tina Heins was found dead inside her apartment in Atlantic Beach, Florida. She had been stabbed 27 times. The apartment had been set on fire in three separate places. And the front door was left open. But the investigation quickly focused on one person: 19-year-old Chad Heins, Tina’s brother-in-law, who had been sleeping on the couch that night. Chad was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He maintained that he did not kill Tina. Years later, DNA evidence began to change everything. Male DNA recovered from Tina’s fingernails matched an unknown male profile found elsewhere in the apartment. The DNA did not belong to Chad or Tina’s husband, Jeremy. In 2006, Chad’s conviction was vacated. In 2007, prosecutors dismissed the case against him, and after more than a decade behind bars, Chad was finally free. But Tina’s killer was still unidentified. For years, investigators had a DNA profile—but no name. Then, decades after Tina’s death, forensic genetic genealogy gave investigators a new way to follow the evidence. In 2025, more than 31 years after Tina was killed, Michael Shane Ziegler was indicted in connection with her death and later arrested. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending in court. This is the story of Tina Heins—a cold case that began with three fires, an unexplained murder, and a young man sent to prison. And it ultimately became a story about DNA that refused to disappear. ⚠️ Important: Michael Shane Ziegler has been charged in connection with Tina Heins’ death and has pleaded not guilty. The allegations have not been proven in court. If you enjoy detailed cold cases involving DNA, forensic genetic genealogy, wrongful convictions, and investigations that take decades to reach a breakthrough, subscribe to Cold Case Unlocked. Music 🎵 © Kevin MacLeod #coldcases #solvedcoldcades #truecrime