A Washington handyman is accused of murdering an 82-year-old woman, torturing her for “hours” before burying her body in concrete and fleeing the state.
Jeffrey Zizz, 47, was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful disposal of human remains after being identified as a person of interest in the death of Marcia Norman, 82, whose body was discovered encased in concrete beneath a shed on another property.
Zizz, who had been detained on separate charges, was reportedly the last person to see Norman alive after they had dinner plans on April 1.
When Norman went missing, police questioned Zizz twice before evidence revealed he was lying.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders described in a press conference on Monday some of the evidence that led to Zizz’s arrest for Norman’s alleged murder and kidnapping. As previously reported by Law&Crime, Zizz and Norman, who were on good terms, had planned dinner for April 1. According to court documents obtained by local ABC affiliate KOMO, when questioned by police, Zizz stated that he and Norman had dinner that evening and returned home around 9 p.m.
Sanders stated that automatic license plate readers, also known as Flock cameras, detected Zizz’s vehicle driving toward Norman’s property at 3:04 a.m. on April 2 and again at 7:03 a.m. According to court documents, Zizz’s explanation for the two trips was that he needed to retrieve tools, followed by a trailer.
During the press conference, Sanders stated that Zizz took a polygraph test and “failed, extremely poorly.” He asked for an attorney during his second interview.
KOMO also covered the evidence described in the documents, which included “a five-page typed letter.” The letter appeared to be a meticulously planned burglary/sexual assault against an adult woman identified as a ‘customer.'”
When a reporter asked if there was any connection between the letter and what happened to Norman, Sanders said there were “similarities,” but his office was still withholding information due to the ongoing investigation. He described the letter as “extremely disturbing.”
The court documents also described a chilling encounter between Zizz and Norman earlier this year, which Norman allegedly told her family members. Norman reportedly told them she awoke in the middle of the night to discover Zizz at the foot of her bed.
An arrest report obtained by KOMO stated that Norman “told Zizz that it was inappropriate for him to be there and that he needed to leave.”
Norman also reportedly informed her son that “she spoke with Zizz and made it clear to him that they were to keep a professional relationship and he was [told] not to cross those boundaries again.” The alleged incident was not reported to the police.
According to the arrest report, when asked about the incident, Zizz allegedly “admitted that this had happened, he stated that he went into (Norman’s) room and while she was sleeping, he rubbed her shoulder, wanting to speak with her.” According to the report, “Zizz admitted to detectives that he had romantic feelings for (Norman).”
During the press conference, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock stated that Norman died as a result of “combined blunt force and penetrating force injuries of the head,” as well as “multiple blunt force injuries to her torso and extremities.”
He went on to say that the “injuries were inflicted while Miss Norman was alive,” and that the “onset from injury to death was not instant.” “It was hours.” He did say he thought Norman had died when she was buried.
Warnock stated, “In our line of work, we see and witness a lot. And you can’t unsee this investigation. I’ve been with the coroner’s office for nearly 25 years, including 19 years as coroner, and this is the worst case I’ve seen.”
When asked about a possible murder weapon, Warnock stated that due to the penetrating force injuries, he suspected a “pneumatic nailer,” also known as a nail gun. He also believed that the injuries occurred while Norman was still alive.
Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said Norman’s injuries were “consistent with torture,” but he was not willing to say definitively that she had been tortured before her death.
When Norman’s remains were discovered, Sanders stated that her body was discovered on a “totally separate property” that Zizz was “also conducting business on.” According to court papers, “wrapped around (Norman’s) wrists and ankles were long black Velcro straps, as well as evidence that she had been bound prior to death.”
Tunheim stated that Zizz’s arraignment was scheduled for May 6. On April 21, a judge ordered that he be held without bond.
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