On the evening of March 14, 1996, 29-year-old Cindy Michelle Marzano left her job after her 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. shift, with plans to meet an acquaintance, Karl Lee Myers. The two had spoken twice while she was at work and had arranged to meet for coffee afterward. She was seen with a man, presumed to be Myers, at a Denny's restaurant for about thirty minutes after she clocked out at 9:09 p.m. This would be the last time she was seen alive.
Early the next morning, at 12:30 a.m.
on March 15, 1996, Cindy Marzano's body was discovered floating face down in the water at the Highway 33 Landing near the Port of Catoosa. Her blouse and bra had been pulled up, and her body showed signs of a violent struggle. She had sustained multiple injuries prior to her death, including bruises on her forehead, left arm, neck, thigh, and leg, as well as cuts on her face and an abrasion between her shoulder blades. The cause of her death was determined to be asphyxiation.
The investigation quickly focused on Karl Lee Myers. When first questioned, Myers denied having seen Marzano that night. However, he later changed his story, admitting that they had met at Denny's for coffee but claiming he was home by 11:45 p.m. and denying any physical contact. As the evidence mounted, he once again altered his account, admitting to having consensual sex with her. A pivotal breakthrough came from DNA evidence, as spermatozoa found in her body matched Myers's DNA. Further damning testimony came from a fellow inmate, Sidney Byrd, who stated that Myers had confessed to killing two women, explicitly admitting to strangling Marzano.
Myers was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During his trial, the prosecution presented the compelling evidence against him, including his conflicting statements and the DNA match. An inmate's testimony detailed a chilling confession from Myers. Following his conviction, the jury found the existence of four aggravating circumstances and sentenced him to death. Karl Lee Myers was also convicted of the 1993 murder of another woman, Shawn Marie Williams, whose body was found in the same area. He remained on death row until he died of suspected natural causes in prison.
