Rachel Dowden, a 28-year-old Black woman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a devoted mother of two described by her father as a "bright light in this world." Her friends and family knew her as an amazing person whose children meant the world to her. She worked at a Cricket Wireless store in Bellevue, where her boss said she was part of a "big family."
For years, Rachel lived in fear of her ex-boyfriend, DeAngelo Zieglar, with whom she shared a child.
In a February 2020 request for a protection from abuse order (PFA), she wrote, "I'm afraid he will find me and cause harm physically or kill myself and my mother. He is very emotionally unstable." A judge granted her a three-year PFA in November 2021, and she legally purchased a Smith & Wesson handgun for her own protection. Despite the order, Zieglar continued to harass her. On January 6, 2022, he confronted Rachel at her South Side home, pistol-whipped her, and stole her handgun.
On the evening of January 19, 2022, Zieglar called Rachel’s workplace to ask when the store closed. After her shift ended, he and another man followed her as she walked to her bus stop at the intersection of Lincoln and Sheridan avenues in Bellevue. At approximately 8:28 p.m., as Rachel waited for the bus, Zieglar approached and shot her multiple times with her own stolen gun before fleeing. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
Investigators used surveillance footage from the area and a Port Authority bus to identify Zieglar. The man who had been with him told police that when he asked Zieglar why he had shot Rachel, Zieglar "just smiled and gave no explanation." Zieglar was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and weapons charges. At the time of the murder, he was already wanted on an escape charge for leaving a renewal center in December 2021.
Prosecutors initially filed notice to seek the death penalty, citing several aggravating factors, including the PFA violation. After a series of legal challenges regarding the state’s moratorium on capital punishment, prosecutors eventually agreed to drop the death penalty as part of a plea deal.
In January 2026, DeAngelo Zieglar, then 29, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery, burglary, simple assault, and terroristic threats. During sentencing, Rachel’s sister stated that her life was "lived in constant fear." Another sister shared the last text message Rachel sent, just a half-hour before her death, detailing Zieglar's harassment. Zieglar was sentenced to a total of 30 to 60 years in prison and ordered to have no contact with Rachel's family or any witnesses.
