Mia Katherine Zapata (August 25, 1965 — July 7, 1993) was the lead singer of the Seattle punk rock band the Gits. She and three friends formed the band in 1986 and they eventually became popular with the grunge scene. They released two albums, Frenching the Bully and Enter: The Conquering Chicken. But tragedy struck in the summer of 1993 when Zapata was brutally raped and murdered. Despite being featured on Unsolved Mysteries, her murder remained unsolved for ten years. In 2003, DNA testing resulted in the arrest of Jesus Mezquia. He was convicted of her murder and subsequently died in prison.
Zapata was only 27 at the time of her murder, making her part of the "27 Club".note Today, she is remembered as a talented singer and feminist artist whose life was tragically cut far too short.
Tropes:
- The Band Minus the Face: After Zapata's murder, the remaining Gits formed a new band called The Dancing French Liberals of '48 and continued producing music before disbanding in the late 1990s.
- Genre Mashup: Zapata was a fan of singers like Billie Holiday and Ray Charles and their influence can be felt in some of the Gits' songs.
- Inside Joke: Her band's name, The Gits, was inspired by their love of British comedy and Monty Python's Flying Circus in particular.
- Metal Scream: Her style of singing earned comparisons with Janis Joplin (who also died at age 27).
