Offender Record · OFF-2026-189
Robert Joseph Zani (photo from the Radford University biography)
Robert Joseph Zani
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'2"
Born
1944
Custody
Unknown
States
TX, MO, US, MX
Distinguishing featuresHeight listed as 6'2" in document
Custody
Sentenced to 99 years in Texas Department of Corrections for Vizard murder; denied parole in 1988; current status unknown without access to Texas DOC inmate locator
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Robert Joseph Zani was convicted of the 1967 murder of George Vizard, a convenience store employee in Austin, Texas, and sentenced to 99 years in the Texas Department of Corrections in 1981. Zani was also convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, Gladys Zani, in 1982, receiving a 99-year sentence in Oklahoma, though that conviction was overturned on appeal in 1986. He was indicted for the 1979 murder of Julius Alfred Dess, a real estate agent, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Zani's wife served as an unwilling accomplice in at least one killing.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 23, 1967, Austin, Texas
Murder with malice / First-degree felony murder
Travis County, Texas; Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, Texarkana · Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texarkana · Arrested Mar 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 99 years in Texas Department of Corrections
George Vizard, a 23-year-old convenience store clerk, was shot twice with a .357 Magnum handgun that Zani had purchased in 1966. Vizard had one bullet wound in his left bicep and a second in his back. Zani had previously worked at the store and knew its routines, the safe combination, and cash amounts. He moved Vizard's body into the cooler after the killing.
SourcesZani v. State; Zani v. District Court; Death Row Case in Dallas County Puts Hypnosis on Trial as 'Junk Science'; ZANI v. STATE (767 S.W.2d 825); Radford University serial killer biography: Zani, Robert Joseph
Offense date Jul 07, 1979, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Second-degree murder (after retrial)
Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals · Oklahoma courts · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 99 years (overturned on appeal 1986-03-31)
Gladys Zani, age 56, was killed in her Tulsa home on July 7, 1979 and dismembered. Initially there was a missing person case in 1974, but the victim was actually murdered in 1979. The body was disposed of partially on rural property several miles from her home and partially transported via band saw. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 1986 due to prosecutorial errors and denial of speedy trial.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Zani, Robert Joseph; Death Row Case in Dallas County Puts Hypnosis on Trial as 'Junk Science'; Robert Joseph Zani
Offense date Dec 04, 1979, Corpus Christi, Texas
Murder of real estate agent (Julius Alfred Dess)
Nueces County, Texas · Charged (pending) Charged (pending)
Julius Alfred Dess, age 73, a real estate agent, was shot three times in the head with a .25 caliber handgun while showing property to Robert Zani and his wife posing as buyers. Three dollars and credit cards were removed from his possession. The body was transported several miles and buried in a shallow grave in Nueces County. Zani was indicted by grand jury on July 21, 1980, but the case against him for this murder appears to have remained pending, with no trial record located.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Zani, Robert Joseph; Zani v. State (Accomplice Immunity); Robert Joseph Zani
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
1
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
2
Victims suspected
Active years
1967–1979
Victim profile
Men, Elderly, Acquaintances, Family members
Stated motive
Financial gain
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Education
bachelor
Marital history
Married
Children
2
Military discharge
honorable
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Arrested Zani on March 28, 1980 for credit card fraud; investigated 1967 Vizard murder
Tulsa County District Attorney's Office · OK
Prosecuted murder of mother Gladys Zani (1979 murder); conviction overturned 1986
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals · OK
Reviewed second-degree murder conviction; conviction overturned March 31, 1986
Atascosa County District Attorney's Office · TX
Negotiated immunity agreement with Zani's wife regarding Dess murder
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals · TX
Affirmed 1967 Vizard murder conviction; reviewed multiple appeals
Source: Justia/Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Leagle/Court of Appeals of Texas, Texarkana, CourtListener/Texas Court of Appeals
Travis County Sheriff's Department · TX
Held Zani in Travis County Jail pending charges
Nueces County District Attorney's Office · TX
Charged Zani with murder of Julius Alfred Dess in Corpus Christi area
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) · US
Traced .357 Ruger Magnum used in Vizard murder to Oshman's store purchase
San Antonio Court of Appeals · TX
Affirmed conviction in Dess murder case; reviewed immunity claim
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit · US
Agency case 93-4228
Reviewed federal habeas petition filed by Zani
Source: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Travis County District Attorney's Office · TX
Prosecuted 1967 Vizard murder; Assistant DA Joseph 'Mad Dog' Turner led prosecution
Texas Department of Criminal Justice · TX
Holds Zani in state prison custody serving 99-year sentence for Vizard murder
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
MO
Buffalo, Missouri
approx. Aug 1976 – Feb 1979 · Moved to Buffalo, Missouri on August 6, 1976; neighbors reported erratic behavior; left town in February 1979
MX
Mexico City, Mexico
approx. Jun 1967 – Jul 1967 · Married Irma Serrano Reyes in Mexico City on June 28, 1967; adopted her two children
Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
approx. Mar 1980 – Mar 1980 · Arrested on March 3, 1980 for aggravated robbery and assault on his mother-in-law
TX
Austin, Texas
approx. 1962 – 1967 · Resided in Austin while enrolled at University of Texas
Austin, Texas
approx. 1965 – 1966 · Convenience store employee (Town and Country Store) prior to Vizard murder
Austin, Texas
May 1965 – Jun 1967 · University of Texas Library - clerical assistant, library assistant, and translator in archives section
Austin, Texas
approx. 1967 – 1967 · Resided in Austin at time of George Vizard murder, July 23, 1967
South Texas Medical Center, Texas
approx. Mar 1975 – Aug 1976 · Purchased house in south Texas on March 25, 1975; sold at loss and relocated in February 1979
San Antonio, Texas
approx. Sep 1979 – Nov 1979 · Lived in motel in San Antonio for approximately two months starting September 30, 1979
Austin, Texas
Mar 1980 – Mar 1980 · Arrested on March 28, 1980 for credit card theft in Austin, Texas; held in Travis County Jail
Texas
approx. Dec 1982 – present · Returned to Texas on December 28, 1982 to serve 99-year sentence for George Vizard murder in Texas Department of Corrections; denied parole in 1988
US
United States
Jul 1967 – Sep 1967 · U.S. Marine Corps officer training program; received honorable discharge after backing out · marines
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1980 .25 caliber handgun – .25 caliber handgun purchased March 14, 1980 in Texas
approx. 1980 – 1980
Used to shoot Julius Alfred Dess three times in the head on December 4, 1979
1966 Ruger Blackhawk – .357 Magnum revolver purchased July 23, 1966 from Oshman's Sporting Goods in Austin, Texas
approx. 1966 – 1967
Weapon used to kill George Vizard on July 23, 1967; recovered during investigation in 1980
Timeline
1944
Zani's parents divorced when he was less than one year old.
Feb 26, 1944
Robert Joseph Zani born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Sep 21, 1962
Zani enrolled at the University of Texas.
May 26, 1965
Zani hired as clerical assistant in main library at University of Texas.
Jul 23, 1966
Zani purchased a .357 Ruger Blackhawk handgun from Oshman's Sporting Goods in Austin, Texas.
Sep 1966
Zani promoted to library assistant at University of Texas.
Jan 01, 1967
Zani ran for student-body president at University of Texas, receiving 924 votes and finishing third.
Jun 01, 1967
Zani promoted to translator in archives section of UT library.
Jun 28, 1967
Zani married Irma Serrano Reyes in Mexico City; he adopted her two children and they later had two children of their own.
Jul 05, 1967
Zani joined U.S. Marine Corps officer training program.
Jul 23, 1967
Zani used a .357 Ruger to kill George Vizard, a 23-year-old convenience store clerk, in Austin, Texas.
Sep 15, 1967
Zani backed out of Marine Corps commitment and received honorable discharge.
Jul 1974
Zani murdered his mother in Tulsa, Oklahoma; body was never found initially (later determined killed July 7, 1979).
Mar 25, 1975
Zani purchased a house in south Texas.
Aug 06, 1976
Zani moved to Buffalo, Missouri; neighbors called police several times regarding his erratic behavior.
Feb 1979
Zani sold his house in Buffalo, Missouri at a loss and left town.
Feb 04, 1979
Zani wrote threatening letters to President Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy.
Jul 07, 1979
Zani killed his mother, Gladys Zani (age 56), in her Tulsa home; her body was dismembered and disposed of.
Sep 30, 1979
Zani began living in a motel in San Antonio with his family for two months.
Dec 04, 1979
Zani shot real estate agent Julius Alfred Dess (age 73) in Corpus Christi, Texas during a robbery.
Mar 03, 1980
Zani arrested in Acapulco, Mexico for aggravated robbery and assault on his mother-in-law.
Mar 14, 1980
Zani purchased a .25 caliber handgun in Texas.
Mar 28, 1980
Zani arrested for credit card theft in Austin, Texas; held in Travis County Jail.
Jun 30, 1980
Zani convicted of credit card theft.
Jul 21, 1980
Zani indicted by grand jury for the murder of Julius Alfred Dess.
Sep 25, 1980
Zani indicted for the murder of George Vizard.
Mar 09, 1981
Trial for the murder of George Vizard begins.
Mar 18, 1981
Zani convicted of murder (date of verdict per some sources; April 15 per document timeline).
Apr 15, 1981
Zani convicted of the murder of George Vizard and sentenced to 99 years in the Texas Department of Corrections.
Dec 14, 1981
Zani convicted of second-degree murder of his mother in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Dec 07, 1982
Jury selection begins in the retrial of Zani's conviction for murdering his mother.
Dec 16, 1982
Jury convicts Zani of second-degree murder of his mother and sentences him to 99 years.
Dec 28, 1982
Zani returned to Texas to serve his 99-year prison sentence for the murder of George Vizard.
Mar 31, 1986
The murder conviction of Zani's mother was overturned by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
1988
Zani denied parole when initially considered by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Zani, Robert Joseph“Robert Joseph Zani born in Tulsa, Oklahoma; convicted of murder of George Vizard and sentenced to 99 years; convicted of second-degree murder of his mother and sentenced to 99 years; murder conviction of his mother was overturned in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 03/31/1986”
News report · Find a Grave ·
George John Vizard IV (1943-1967)“Robert Zani, a UT alum, was convicted 14 years after the July 23, 1967, murder of student activist and open member of the Communist party, George Vizard. Vizard was found dead in the convenience store where he worked (and where Zani once worked as well) with one bullet in his left bicep and a second in his back.”
News report · Murderpedia ·
Robert Joseph Zani“Robert Joseph Zani...Date of murders: 1967 - 1979...Date of arrest: March 28, 1980...Victims profile: His mother and multiple robbery victims, with a preference for real estate agents”
News report · Dallas Observer ·
Death Row Case in Dallas County Puts Hypnosis on Trial as 'Junk Science'“The jury convicted Zani of murder in March 1981. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. A year later, he was found guilty of murdering his mother. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the latter conviction in April 1986.”
Court record · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ·
Zani v. District Court“In 1981, Zani was convicted of first-degree felony murder for the 1967 murder of a convenience store clerk in Austin, Texas. He was sentenced to ninety-nine years imprisonment in the Texas Department of Corrections.”
News report · Amazon ·
The Zani Murders“In 1967, student activist George Vizard was slain at his convenience store job in Austin, Texas. In 1974, Gladys Zani disappeared from her Tulsa, Oklahoma home and was never seen again. In 1979, real estate agent A.J. Dess was robbed and murdered while showing property to a married couple.”
Court record · Leagle/Court of Appeals of Texas, Texarkana ·
ZANI v. STATE (767 S.W.2d 825)“This Court affirmed Robert Zani's conviction for the offense of murder with malice (in which he was sentenced to ninety-nine years in the Texas Department of Corrections)”
Court record · Justia/Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ·
Zani v. State (758 S.W.2d 233)“A jury found appellant guilty, and assessed his punishment at 99 years confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections.”
Court record · Justia/Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ·
Zani v. State (Accomplice Immunity)“The record reflects that appellant and her husband, Robert Zani, posing as prospective real estate buyers, robbed and killed Julius Alfred Dess, a real estate agent. Dess, after being lured to the realty site, was shot three times in the head with a .25 caliber pistol.”
Court record · CourtListener/Texas Court of Appeals ·
Zani v. State“Robert Zani appeals his 1981 murder conviction and ninety-nine year sentence. He was convicted of the 1967 murder of George Vizard, a convenience store clerk.”
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