Bio

Daniel Lee Zirkle was born on August 10, 1968. He grew up in Virginia. Not much is widely reported about his early childhood or family life. However, it is noted that he had a tumultuous relationship with Barbara Shifflett, who would later become the mother of his daughter, Christina. Zirkle and Shifflett lived together for about six years. During this time, Zirkle had various run-ins with the law. He faced multiple charges, including domestic violence and violating protective orders that were put in place due to his abusive behavior.

In the early months of 1999, Zirkle's relationship with Shifflett began to deteriorate. Shifflett broke off their relationship and obtained protective orders against him. Zirkle was often angry about the breakup. He was arrested for violating these orders after committing acts of violence against Shifflett. After spending a couple of months in jail, Zirkle began to plan his revenge on her and her daughters.

After his release, conflict escalated between Zirkle and Shifflett. Court records and testimonies reveal that Zirkle had expressed violent thoughts about the family during his time in jail, indicating he wanted to harm them in retaliation for his feelings of abandonment. This backstory of violence and threats framed the tragic events that would happen later in his life.

Zirkle's struggles with the law and personal relationships paint a picture of a man with deep-seated issues. These issues eventually led to the tragic outcomes for his family. He was ultimately charged with two murders before being sentenced to death, but those details pertain to a later period in his life.

Murder Story

On August 2, 1999, Daniel Lee Zirkle murdered his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Jessica Shifflett, and his 4-year-old daughter, Christina Zirkle, in Rockingham County, Virginia. Jessica was babysitting Christina at their home when Zirkle broke in. Jessica confronted him and said he was not supposed to be there. When she refused to let him take Christina, Zirkle stabbed Jessica in the neck with a serrated knife, killing her.

After killing Jessica, Zirkle kidnapped Christina. He called Barbara Shifflett, the mother of both girls, while driving to Page County and told her, "Live in hell, bitch." Zirkle drove Christina to a mountain overlook in the George Washington National Forest. There, he stabbed her to death with the same knife he used on Jessica. Zirkle then attempted to take his own life.

Emergency responders later found Zirkle, alive but wounded, alongside Christina's body. He confessed to the murders shortly after his arrest. Zirkle was charged with the capital murders of both girls and pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2000. He was sentenced to death for each murder and was placed on death row.

Zirkle was executed by lethal injection on April 2, 2002, in Virginia. His final words expressed sorrow for the pain he caused. He did not request a final meal and waived his appeals, indicating a desire to accept his punishment.