A family in Wisconsin is in shock after a judge overturned the conviction of a man who was previously found guilty in the cold case murder of a mother, executed in a style reminiscent of a hit.
Back in 2021, Miguel Cruz received a life sentence for his alleged role in the 2000 murder of 39-year-old Juanita Zdroik in Racine County.
The tragic case began on February 7, 2000, when Zdroik, a mother of three, was taken to a secluded highway and shot execution-style after she witnessed a double murder in Milwaukee.
Despite an intense investigation, the case remained unsolved until 2017, when Cruz was finally apprehended as a suspect.
A photograph captures Juanita Zdroik with two of her children. (Courtesy of Zach Zdroik)
“I was at work when I got the call that they had caught my mother’s killer,” shared Zach Zdroik, Juanita’s son, who was just 13 when she died, in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“I felt extreme relief that the man responsible for my mother’s murder, and ultimately for a lifetime of pain for my sister and I, is finally where he belongs,” Zdroik added. “It was very fulfilling for us.”
Miguel Cruz was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 for the 2000 killing of Juanita Zdroik in Racine County, Wis. (Racine County Sheriff’s Office)
However, after filing an appeal surrounding the credibility of DNA and a broader investigation into the members of the sheriff’s office’s conduct, Cruz was granted a new trial earlier this week.
“It was obviously heartbreaking, knowing that we have to deal with this again,” Zdroik said. “We’ve been very understanding throughout this entire process that has been years with the county and the legal system, so the fact that we saw the system itself fail us as a family was pretty disheartening.”
Despite Cruz ultimately winning his chance at appeal, the charges against him have not been dismissed – setting the stage for a second trial or, according to Zdroik, a potential plea deal.
Juanita Zdroik poses for a photo with her son, Zach. Zach was 13 years old when his mother was killed in Racine County, Wis., on Feb. 7, 2000. (Racine County Sheriff’s Office)
“Our voice doesn’t matter to the county or state at this point,” Zdroik told Fox News Digital. “Like, what are we doing here? A man that was proven to be there, multiple eyewitnesses saw him there and they testified against him, now that that is no good due to a corrupt history. But he’s gonna get off now and live a life that my mother wasn’t able to live. I mean, does that seem fair?”
Zdroik added that officials have told him Cruz’s possible plea deal could result in a 10-year prison sentence, which holds the potential of Cruz being released after just six months behind bars.
Juanita Zdroik was murdered in an execution-style shooting after witnessing a double homicide in Racine County, Wis., on Feb. 7, 2000. (Courtesy of Zach Zdroik)
“Who knows what is possible, I mean, I know this murder took place years ago,” Zdroik said. “I don’t know if he’s done anything else in between now and then that he was arrested for, or even not arrested for, to get away with murder, so who knows.”
However, no plea deal has been officially offered or agreed upon, according to Zdroik.
The ordeal has been especially taxing on Zdroik and his family, including his two sisters and children.
“[My mom] was the one person in this world that I knew always loved me,” Zdroik told Fox News Digital. “I’ve never had that love ever in my life, and I don’t think I’ll ever have it again. My mother was my world.”
“We’ve all had to struggle,” Zdroik added. “And live our lives in darkness and sadness because of this.”
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office, Racine County District Attorney’s Office and Cruz’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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