HOMICIDE BUREAU ATTORNEY ANNA-SIGGA NICOLAZZI TAKES VIEWERS INSIDE THE FIGHT
FOR JUSTICE IN INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY’S NEW SERIES
TRUE CONVICTION
(Silver Spring, Md.) – Homicide investigations aren’t over when the suspect is in custody. It’s then that the next phase begins with
a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between the prime suspect and the prosecutor tasked with putting them behind bars. Pressure is high to solve the case, and few know that feeling better than Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, who spent 21 years as a prosecutor with the
Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, where she held a 35-0 success record in the Homicide Bureau. Nicolazzi brings her expertise to America’s leading true crime network, Investigation Discovery (ID), in
TRUE CONVICTION. The six-episode series follows Nicolazzi as she travels across the country to reveal how the nation’s top prosecutors tackled their toughest cases, taking viewers inside the fight for justice for
victims and their loved ones. TRUE CONVICTION sneak peeks on
New Year’s Day at 5/4c as part of ID’s PREMIERE NEW YEAR programming marathon. The season premieres
Tuesday, January 16 at 11/10c before moving in subsequent weeks to its regular timeslot of
Tuesdays at 10/9c.
“TRUE CONVICTION allows true-crime fans to follow along as armchair detectives in a whole
new way, providing intimate access to the prosecutors’ perspective as they recall their most hard-fought battles for justice,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “Anna-Sigga’s flawless
reputation for exposing the truth, while remaining a steadfast advocate for the victim, carries over to her role in
TRUE CONVICTION as she gets to the heart of each case.”
“I am honored to be hosting
TRUE CONVICTION and to be able to travel to small towns and large cities across America to highlight the incredible work my colleagues tirelessly carry out,” said Nicolazzi. “I’ve investigated similar cases; I’ve
had to make the difficult decisions and have also sat in their same seat in the courtroom. By using these common experiences as a lens for viewers, my goal is to bring these true crimes stories to life and tell them in a way that hasn’t been done before.”
TRUE CONVICTION explores real stories of how homicide cases are solved on the
street and won in the courtroom in a close cooperation between detectives and prosecutors. In each episode, Nicolazzi visits the scene of the crime, examines the case through the eyes of the prosecutor, and meets with key figures at the center of the case
including the loved ones and investigators. Along the way, Nicolazzi shares her personal reflections and insight into the case, connects elements of the story to her own experiences as a prosecutor, and reveals how the complex layers of each murder investigation
came together in the courtroom.
Cases examined in the first season of
TRUE CONVICTION are:
SNEAK PEEK: “A Match to Murder”
premieres Monday, January 1 at 5/4c
In March 2000, life couldn't be sweeter for 71-year-old Margarita Ruiz and her adult daughter Hope. They spend their days in the warm Florida sunshine caring for Hope’s two young children. Then one morning, a stranger arrives at the Ruiz home and senselessly murders both women. Detectives and family members are stunned and the case goes unsolved for six years. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious phone call from nearly 1500 miles away leads investigators to the killer. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi travels to Florida to revisit the shocking crime and talk with the dogged detective and tenacious prosecutor who ultimately won justice for the Ruiz family.
In March 2000, life couldn't be sweeter for 71-year-old Margarita Ruiz and her adult daughter Hope. They spend their days in the warm Florida sunshine caring for Hope’s two young children. Then one morning, a stranger arrives at the Ruiz home and senselessly murders both women. Detectives and family members are stunned and the case goes unsolved for six years. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious phone call from nearly 1500 miles away leads investigators to the killer. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi travels to Florida to revisit the shocking crime and talk with the dogged detective and tenacious prosecutor who ultimately won justice for the Ruiz family.
SERIES PREMIERE: “The Final Call”
premieres Tuesday, January 16 at 11/10c
Donna Decker returns home from work late on a Friday night and enters the grips of an intruder, who ties her up in the kitchen. She manages to free herself
and goes after him with a knife, but he grabs it and stabs her 17 times. He then shoots her husband, father-in-law and two-and-a-half-year-old son, who had earlier been handcuffed and hogtied in the bedroom. But a family friend who is present during the crime
is allowed to leave unharmed. Undefeated prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi revisits the case through the eyes of the lead detective and state attorney. Over six years, these men followed a tangled web of leads until finally they identified and convicted the
true killer.
MOVE TO REGULAR TIME:
“Witness to a Nightmare” premieres Tuesday, January 23 at 10/9c
The evening of March, 1990, seems ordinary for single mother Donna Willard. Her three children go to bed and her fiancée plans to come over later that night. But when a knock comes at the front door of her Southwest Philadelphia home, she finds herself instead face to face with a hooded gunman. He shoots Donna twice, killing her instantly, with her twelve-year-old son witnessing the murder from the top of the stairs. For months, the hunt for her killer leads investigators to a maddening series of dead ends. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi travels to Philadelphia to revisit the horrific crime and reveal how justice was finally won for the Willard family.
The evening of March, 1990, seems ordinary for single mother Donna Willard. Her three children go to bed and her fiancée plans to come over later that night. But when a knock comes at the front door of her Southwest Philadelphia home, she finds herself instead face to face with a hooded gunman. He shoots Donna twice, killing her instantly, with her twelve-year-old son witnessing the murder from the top of the stairs. For months, the hunt for her killer leads investigators to a maddening series of dead ends. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi travels to Philadelphia to revisit the horrific crime and reveal how justice was finally won for the Willard family.
“The Witching Hour”
premieres Tuesday, January 30 at 10/9c
It’s late by the time 26-year-old law student Tracey Schoettlin finishes her serving shift at a restaurant in downtown Birmingham, Ala. She clocks out
but never makes it home. The next day, her body is found beneath a bridge with 19 stab wounds, igniting a panic throughout the city and in the media. Investigators have no credible leads and the case goes cold. Then eight months later, a man shows up at the
detectives' door with mystical visions from God about the brutal murder. Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi heads to Birmingham to get a first-hand account of the investigation and to discover how prosecutors obtained justice for the Schoettlin family.
“The Devil in Dallas”
premieres Tuesday, February 6 at 10/9c
December 23, 1981, is supposed to be a happy day for Roxann Jeeves and her son, Kristopher. It’s the boy's fifth birthday and they have plans to tour
a candy factory. Instead, the day ends in unthinkable tragedy. Mother and son are brutally murdered together in a field outside Dallas. Their killer flees the scene and the case ultimately goes cold, but he leaves behind a critical piece of evidence that leads
Det. Larry Forsyth on an epic 20-year hunt. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi travels to Dallas to revisit the shocking crime and find out how justice was finally won for the Jeeves' family.
“Deception in the Desert”
premieres Tuesday, February 13 at 10/9c
An unidentified young woman is found murdered in the Arizona desert on Christmas Eve, 1988. Detectives soon learned her name, Cindy Monkman Apelt, who was reported missing by her husband the night prior. As investigators painstakingly piece together an account of Cindy's final hours, they move closer and closer to revealing her killer. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi revisits the shocking crime with the detectives and state attorney who solved the case and ultimately won justice for Cindy's family.
An unidentified young woman is found murdered in the Arizona desert on Christmas Eve, 1988. Detectives soon learned her name, Cindy Monkman Apelt, who was reported missing by her husband the night prior. As investigators painstakingly piece together an account of Cindy's final hours, they move closer and closer to revealing her killer. Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi revisits the shocking crime with the detectives and state attorney who solved the case and ultimately won justice for Cindy's family.
Fans can watch new episodes of
TRUE CONVICTION on InvestigationDiscovery.com.
Download ID’s TV Everywhere app on Android
and iOS to catch up on
all your favorite shows and browse the network’s entire library of true crime content.
TRUE CONVICTION
is produced for Investigation Discovery by Weinberger Media. For Weinberger Media, Scott Weinberger is executive producer. For ID, Lorna Thomas is senior executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Jane Latman is
executive vice president of development, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, and American Heroes Channel.
About Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi
Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi is a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, one of the largest and busiest offices in the country. She was Chief of Trials in the Homicide Bureau, and served in the office for 21-years, the last 16 of which in Homicide. Early on, Nicolazzi quickly climbed the ranks to reach the elite Homicide Bureau, where she specialized in multiple defendant and other complex cases. Nicolazzi has tried over 50 felony cases to verdict, and has never lost a murder case, resulting in a perfect 35-0 record as a homicide prosecutor. Additionally, the compassion and support she provides to victims families has become her hallmark. Notable cases Nicolazzi has tried include: the Fairfield College murder of football player Mark Fisher; the murder of Hunter College student Ramona Moore, the targeting and murder of Michael Sandy, the shooting death of New York City Police Officer Russel Timoshenko; and the murder of ABC news radio personality George Weber.
Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi is a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, one of the largest and busiest offices in the country. She was Chief of Trials in the Homicide Bureau, and served in the office for 21-years, the last 16 of which in Homicide. Early on, Nicolazzi quickly climbed the ranks to reach the elite Homicide Bureau, where she specialized in multiple defendant and other complex cases. Nicolazzi has tried over 50 felony cases to verdict, and has never lost a murder case, resulting in a perfect 35-0 record as a homicide prosecutor. Additionally, the compassion and support she provides to victims families has become her hallmark. Notable cases Nicolazzi has tried include: the Fairfield College murder of football player Mark Fisher; the murder of Hunter College student Ramona Moore, the targeting and murder of Michael Sandy, the shooting death of New York City Police Officer Russel Timoshenko; and the murder of ABC news radio personality George Weber.
Nicolazzi's cases and prosecutorial style have been profiled in numerous local and national news outlets, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Vanity
Fair, and she has frequently appeared as a legal analyst on multiple networks, notably FOX, ABC, CBS, CNBC and HLN. She also co-hosted Investigation Discovery’s six-part series, “Did He Do It,” alongside Darren Kavinoky in 2015. For the past 3 years, she
has served on the faculty of Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Program. She has also lectured locally and nationally and participates in multiple professional associations.
About Weinberger Media
Weinberger Media specializes in producing and developing non-scripted television programming that brings viewers into the world of crime, investigations, police and the judicial system. Best known for launching “On the Case with Paula Zahn,” the highly popular series just celebrated its 16th season and 200th episode on Investigation Discovery. CEO and Founder Scott Weinberger brings his personal experience to the company’s programming after serving for more than a decade in law enforcement in Florida, and later, as a three-time Emmy-award winning Investigative Reporter at WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV in New York.
Weinberger Media specializes in producing and developing non-scripted television programming that brings viewers into the world of crime, investigations, police and the judicial system. Best known for launching “On the Case with Paula Zahn,” the highly popular series just celebrated its 16th season and 200th episode on Investigation Discovery. CEO and Founder Scott Weinberger brings his personal experience to the company’s programming after serving for more than a decade in law enforcement in Florida, and later, as a three-time Emmy-award winning Investigative Reporter at WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV in New York.
About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories,” the always revealing network challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. One of our nation’s fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories,” the always revealing network challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. One of our nation’s fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/
