| Connecticut Post Newspaper Saturday, March 31, 2007 By - Daniel Tepfer ZAPATA GUILTY IN KISS KILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bridgeport - A Superior Court jury Friday CONVICTED Miguel Zapata of fatally shooting aToronto man six years ago. The 22-year-old city resident turned to his sobbing girlfriend sitting at the back of the courtroom and shrugged as the jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of MURDERING 24-year-old Zoltan Kiss, as well as: CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER AND POSSESSION OF A PISTOL WITHOUT A PERMIT!!!!!!!!!! But as the jurors were individually polled Zapata lost his composure, shouting, "I'm out of here!" and started to move toward the door. He was quickly surrounded by judicial marshals, who restrained him as the girlfriend shouted warnings. Pushed down into a seat at the defense table, Zapata began hurling insults at the prosecutor,Senior Assistant State's Attorney C. Robert. Satti. Judge Lawrence Hauser ordered Zapata held in lieu of $4 million and continued the case for sentencing to May 11. Zapata could face up to '95' years in prison. "I'll see you again, Satti, this isn't over with," Zapata vowed as he was led away. Satti credited the conviction to the work of Bridgeport Police and its Cold Case Unit. "And I want to thank the citizens who came forward and testified as well as the jurors for their hard work in reaching a difficult decision," he said later. The jurors, who were visibly shaken by the outburst, were escorted to their cars by marshals. They declined comment. Kiss's body was found slumped in a car on Pembroke Street in the early morning of Sept. 28, 2001. He had been shot at least 15 times, police said. Kiss had been visiting his girlfriend in Bridgeport, and police said he went out looking to buy the drug Ecstacy. But no witnesses to the slaying came forward in the immediate aftermath, and the case remained unsolved for five years. Kiss's mother, Eva, worked tirelessly to try to find her son's killer, and on each anniversary of his death would put up posters and knock on doors in the East Side neighborhood where he was killed, trying to convince witnesses to come forward. Eventually, Zapata's former girlfriend and another woman came forward to tell police that Zapata and Orema Taft of Bridgeport had killed Kiss. But police said their testimony came at a price, with threats by Zapata as they took the stand. One state witness who told police Zapata told him that he had admitted killing Kiss later recanted on the witness stand. |
 |
 |
| My Beautiful Only Child - at Birth |
| My Beautiful Only Child - as a Young Man |
| With much gratitude, respect and love, to all the Jurors, whose verdict helped put this animal behind bars, I hope for good! To State's Attorney Mr. Satti: I can never thank you enough, for what you have done, to bring this animal to justice. My heart is with you - ALWAYS! To the unlimited leg work, time and effort, and countless man hours: by the original Homicide Detectives, as well as the Detectives at the Cold Case Unit, Cap't. Lynn Kerwin, as well as many, many others - you all know who you are: through many years of tears, grief, pain and anguish: I and my parents, are forever indebted to you, for never giving up, and for seeing this case through.Special thanks to all the U.S. Marshalls, who kept my family safe.With love and much gratitude to Mr. Daniel Tepfer - Correspondent - CT. Post: you are a gifted writer, and a special friend. Thankyou, for seeing this through. May you all have peace in your lives, and love one another. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart and soul. Eva Kiss, Zoli's Mom, Toronto, Canada. |
| Sentencing for Zapata is on May 11th. May He Go Away - FOREVER!!!!!!! |