Photo: Netflix
The new Netflix docuseries is already causing some controversy.
By Olivia Jakiel — Written on Aug 31, 2020
I Am A Killer: Released just hit Netflix on August 31, and the three-part docuseries revolves around convicted murderer Dale Wayne Sigler, who killed Subway employee John Zeltner in Arlington, Texas in April of 1990. Originally, Sigler was sentenced to death over the killing of Zeltner; however, his sentence was changed to life in prison three years after his original sentencing.
Under Texas law, he became eligible for parole after thirty years and then became just one of seven murderers “to have walked from a Texas death row to freedom.” The Netflix docuseries follows Sigler trying to adjust to life outside of prison after his 2019 release.
Where is Dale Wayne Sigler today?
After serving nearly 28 years in a Texas prison for murdering John Zeltner, Dale Wayne Sigler was released on parole and has since been trying to reacclimate into society — a second chance he is forever grateful for.
“If I would’ve been executed, I would’ve deserved it,” Siegler said in the first few minutes of Episode 1. “But God, I like to believe, had a bigger plan and a purpose for me.”
“I’m a walking miracle, whether you want to accept it or whether you don’t,” he continued. “You can’t take that from me.”
While serving time in prison, Dale Wayne Sigler "found God" and became an ordained minister. He dedicated his life to God and continues to do so to this day. After his release, Dale Wayne Sigler moved in with his prison pen pal Carole Whitworth, an older woman who he developed a strong mother-son bond with while serving time.
At the end of the docuseries, viewers are told Dale Wayne Sigler had found a job at a ranch; however, it was then revealed that he had left that job and was looking for a new one while still living with Carole Whitworth.
Why did Dale Wayne Sigler kill John Zeltner?
“In order to understand the whole story, you have to understand where it all originated from,” Dale said.
After having a rough childhood and being exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Dale turned to a life of crime at a very young age. He started using drugs and alcohol as a teen and committed a bunch of petty crimes, including multiple burglaries and shoplifting charges.
By age 20, Dale moved to Arlington, Texas and was living on streets and continued to abuse drugs and alcohol. He also relied on stealing in order to survive.
After a day of “drinking beer, whiskey, smoking marijuana, smoking speed, and doing lines of speed,” Dale told a friend that he was so messed up that he could rob a place. His friend gave him all the information about his workplace — a Subway sandwich shop — and another friend handed Dale a .45 gun.
Dale robbed the Subway and took $400 from the cash register, then shot employee John Zeltner in the back and head six times. Shortly after bragging to his friends about the murder and robery, he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for the pre-meditated murder.
Does John Zeltner’s family forgive Dale Wayne Sigler?
To put it lightly, no, the family of John Zeltner does not forgive Dale Wayne Sigler for his crimes, as John is dead and Dale gets to walk free despite the fact he took their family member’s life. Social media users who have already binged the series are also outraged over Dale's release from prison.
"This show I am a Killer ..Released on Netflix has pissed me off," one Twitter user wrote. "All these innocent and non-violent people incarcerated & this man who openly admitted to killing someone in cold blood gets released & documentary money. I hate it."
John Zeltner was gay, acccording to his family — did that play into his murder?
John’s half-brothers also mentioned that he was gay, and question whether that played a role in why Dale killed him, as it was reported that the two men actually knew each other. It’s interesting to note that while Dale says he has no issues with the “choices” people make in their personal lives, he believes that “homosexuality is an abomination,” which has people thinking that the murder of John Zeltner was more than just a crime of opportunity.
"Forest and John Harlan Zeltner reject any attempt by Dale Sigler to blame their brother for his own murder," a title card at the end of the series reads. "They remain strongly opposed to the decision to release him from prison."
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.