Following the brutal murder of lead singer Mia Zapata, the three surviving members of The Gits, Andy Kessler, Matt Dresdner, and Steve Moriarty, joined with Joan Jett (with the full support of Kenny Laguna) to form a new band, EVIL STIG, to perform a series of live benefit concerts to fund the private investigation into Zapata’s death. EVIL STIG is Gits Live backwards. The benefits eventually led to an album, also called EVIL STIG, which was a combination of live and in-studio recordings. All proceeds from the concerts and album went to fund the investigation and to support the non-profit self-defense group “Home Alive”.
Cold case detectives from Seattle were eventually able to match DNA to a suspect and the individual was sentenced to 36 years in prison in 2004.