Man who was facing death penalty for charges of killing his ex-girlfriend receives up to 40 years

BELLEVUE, Pa. — A man who was facing the death penalty for the murder of his ex-girlfriend received his sentence on Wednesday.

Court documents say that DeAngelo Zieglar, 29, of Bellevue, will serve no more than 40 years but no less than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting and killing 28-year-old Rachel Dowden.

Specifically, he pleaded guilty to a charge of murder in the third degree. He is also ordered to have no contact with any witnesses or surviving family members of the victim.

Dowden was found shot multiple times on the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue in January, 2022. She was rushed to a hospital, where she later died.

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Dowden was granted a protection-from-abuse order against Zieglar in November 2021 after police said he hit her in the head with a gun.

Zieglar also had an active arrest warrant at the time of the murder. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office was looking for him on an escape charge after he reportedly left the Renewal Inc #1 Center in Pittsburgh in December 2021.

Police used a bus surveillance camera to identify Zieglar as a suspect.

His criminal complaint said that when Zieglar was asked why he shot Dowden, he smiled and gave no explanation.

According to the court documents, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office filed a notice to seek the death penalty against Zieglar on April 14, 2022.

Had he not pleaded guilty to the crime, a trial was scheduled for Jan. 26.

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