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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2017)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 52 SECTION A SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 $1.00 Murder conviction overturned IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE MURDER: • Peter and Lisa Zielinski's martial problems begin ratcheting up. • Lisa tells Peter she wants a divorce. By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes The Appeals Court of Or- egon has overturned the 2013 murder conviction of Peter Zielinski who was charged with the shooting death of his wife, Lisa, in January 2011. The court issued the opin- ion on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Peter Zielinski pleaded guilty to shooting and killing his wife in 2013 and was sentenced to SUNDAY, JAN. 9, 2011 Peter discovers email exchanges between Lisa and the co-worker. When confronted, Lisa admits to an affair and says she wants to leave Peter and plan a future with the new love interest. Peter calls the wife of the co-worker and forwards one of the emails to Lisa's boss and co-workers. • Peter discovers hundreds of text messages between Lisa and a co-worker, including at least one that contradicts a prior claim. • The Zielinskis attend a marriage counseling session. When the counselor asks Lisa what she hopes to achieve, Lisa responds, “Nothing.” he didn't want the couple's daughter to discover his body. phone to contact police at 7:12 a.m claiming his “wife needed an ambulance.” TUESDAY, JAN. 11, 2011 After a fi ght, Lisa leaves the couple's home and Peter claims to have put his gun to his head intending to commit suicide. He says he stopped himself because WEDNESDAY, JAN. 12, 2011 (Day of the murder) Peter told the court he was “at his wits end.” Lisa shook her head in disgust when Peter tried to hug her. He went to get a glass of water and instead went to his closet and pulled out a .40-caliber gun. He found Lisa in the bathroom and shot her in the head. Peter takes the couple's daughter to her carpool and arrives outside the Keizer Police Department where he uses an emergency MONDAY, NOV. 18, 2013 After previously pleading not guilty to the crime, Peter changes his plea to guilty with the stipulation that he can appeal. life in prison with the possibil- ity of parole after 25 years, but his plea included the right to appeal. In the opinion issued by the court, Judge P.J. Armstong wrote that the facts of the case were undisputed. However, by not allowing expert testimony that would have cast Zielin- ski as being affected extreme emotional disturbance and suffering from anxiety disor- der, the lower court had over- stepped the intent of the law. MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 Peter is indicted for the murder of his wife. TUESDAY, NOV. 19, 2013 Judge Dale Penn sentences Peter to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20, 2017 The Oregon Court of Appeals overturns the conviction – saying the court erred when it did not allow expert testimony about Peter's mental state during the crime – and sends it back to Marion County Circuit Court. “(The) defendant’s anxiety disorder, as explained in this case, bears a closer resem- blance to physical illness or KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Lakepoint Community Church volunteer Mark Sykes paints the face of Adrian Angel during Servefest Sunday, Sept. 24. The church's annual event offers numerous free services as an outreach project. More photos from the event are on Page A10. PAGE B1 Please see MURDER, Page A8 MHS to hold parking forum Ready to serve Gridders surge at McKay By ERIC A. HOWALD and HERB SWETT Of the Keizertimes McNary High School is planning a public forum on parking issues at the school and the impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The forum is slated at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, in the McNary High School library, 595 Chemawa Road N. Principal Erik Jespersen, Keizer Police Chief John Teague, Keizer City Manager Chris Eppley and Mike Wolfe, chief operations offi cer for the Salem-Keizer School District will all be on-hand to discuss options and plan a path for- ward. “We're going to talk about the current reality and what are Aloha, ladies PAGE A2 Please see PARKING, Page A8 New law will attempt to curb distracted driving Submitted Purple irises reach for the sky at sunset in fi elds just north of Keizer. nset in fi elds just north of Keize. KFD joins battle of Eagle Creek blaze By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes Keizer Fire District picked a heck of a time to get back on the confl agration list. Sean Cummings, the district's only certifi ed engine boss, had just returned from seven days on the Chetco Bar fi re when he along with three other Keizer fi refi ghters, Timothy Coburn, C.J. Thorne and Jason Perkins, were called to Eagle Creek to join a Marion County task force. Chetco Bar and Eagle Creek, according to the United States Forest Service, were at one point the No. 1 priority fi res in the nation. The Keizer crew arrived in Cascade Locks Monday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m., two days after the fi re that started with teenagers throwing fi reworks near Please see KFD, Page A7 By RANDOM PENDRAGON Keizertimes Intern ib- Distracted driving contr of se rea inc st ge lar the uted to s ha on eg traffi c fatalities Or r- ave on d an seen in a decade, hurt or age eight people are driver d cte tra dis a by killed s are tor isla each day. Oregon leg nds tre se tho il hoping to curta . law with a new use On Oct. 1, Oregon Ho g kin ma Bill 2597 takes effect holding it illegal to drive while devices ic on ctr ele or using tablets, such as cell phones and built- or excluding hands-free some are ere in devices. Th of use the ing lud inc exceptions, ge A7 Please see LAW, Pa A doggone good show PAGE A4 Powder Puffs take fi eld PAGE B3
