A handyman in Washington is confronted with charges in connection with the death of a missing woman whose remains were buried and partially encapsulated in concrete under a barn that he reportedly built, the authorities said.
Jeffrey Zizz, 47, is confronted with charges of murder in the first degree, kidnapping of the first degree and illegal removal of human remains, Thurston County functionaries announced during a press conference of April 21. These costs are expected to be formally submitted on April 23, and additional costs will be able to follow if the investigation continues, said Public Prosecutor Jon Tunheim.
Zizz, who was previously convicted of children's crimes, is accused of killing Marcia Norman, 82, early April, according to authorities and court reports. Norman had disappeared “under suspicious circumstances” from her home near Tenino, a small city of almost 2,000 about 15 miles south of Olympia, said Thurston County Sheriff's office.
Authorities started the investigation on 4 April upon receipt of a missing personal report from the Norman family, said the Sheriff office. Her family reported that they had not heard of Norman since 1 April, but both vehicles remained parked in her home.
Zizz was later arrested in Missoula, Montana, and, according to Sheriff Derek Sanders, was taken into custody due to an alleged probationary breach bound to the sexual crimes of his child. He was then extradited to the state of Washington and booked in the prison of Thurston County, where he holds without bail.
In a statement issued on April 20, the Norman family described her as a “involved member of her community and family” who “was full of life with plans for the future” and “loved by many”.
“Our family has experienced the loss of our center,” said the Norman family. “Marcia was the one who brought us together. Our family mourns and is looking for ways to honor her memory.”
Marcia Norman, 82, Van Tenino, Washington. She was last heard from April 1, 2025. She was missing days later and her remains were found in Olympia on April 9, 2025.
Timeline of research into the disappearance of Marcia Norman
During the press conference of 21 April, Sanders gave a timeline of the investigation after Norman was reported missing. Sanders said that researchers heard that Norman dined with Zizz on 1 April – who was identified as her handyman and was the last known person to see her at the time.
On April 4, patrol representatives and researchers were sent to the Norman home after her son and neighbor reported her missing. Researchers found that “circumstances in her home do not add” and the next morning returned to secure some areas of interest, Sanders added.
Researchers also conducted interviews all day and spoke with Zizz, who had been cooperative at the time, Sanders said. The sheriff noted that Zizz had given answers that were 'logical', making the research turned.
But evidence of a camera system for reading the license plate Zizz “in a lie,” said Sanders, adding that researchers could carry out in the case in the case. Zizz later succeeded in a polygraaf investigation on April 5 and asked for a lawyer during his second interview with researchers.
While researchers carried out the search orders on April 5, they grabbed the truck of Zizz and searched his storage unit and trailer, according to Sanders. Researchers also looked for his house and handle various items, including a letter of five pages that “carefully planned a burglary and sexual abuse of a woman called his customer,” said Sanders.
Between April 6 and April 9, Sanders said that researchers continued to search for suspicious areas and performed searches about nearby McINTOSH Lake. On 7 April, researchers sought an order for the alleged probation period of Zizz, but discovered that he had fled the state with the truck of a roommate.
“We later learned that that truck hit a moose near the border with Idaho-Montana, and at that moment we started mobilizing and to ask for help from the Idaho State Police and the Missoula law enforcement,” Sanders said. “Later that evening we learned that (Zizz) was taken into custody with the help of the Missoula police.”
On the same day, special cadaver dogs were sent to a property in Olympia and searched a barn that researchers had heard that Zizz was missing the day after Norman was missing, according to the authorities. Sanders said that a second search was performed on April 8, in which two of the three cadaver dogs indicated that human remains were probably present on the barn.
Authorities then moved the barn and dig out the ground underneath on April 9, the locating human remains about 18 inches underground in a shallow grave with “concrete poured over the top,” said Sanders.
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Local coroner reveals the cause of death of Marcia Norman
Sanders said that an autopsy of the human remains was performed on 10 April by the office of the County Coroner. The coroner's office later confirmed that the remains were of Norman.
The immediate cause of death of Norman was “combined blunt power and penetrating, sharp power injuries of the head,” said Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock. He added that other important circumstances that contributed to her death were several blunt power wounds on her hull and extremities.
The autopsy also revealed that the injuries of Norman were the result of attacked by another person and that the injuries were inflicted while she lived, according to Warnock. The office of the coroner found no evidence of sexual violence, but Warnock said that test results are still being treated.
“Our focus is moving on Marcia, the life she lived, her family – who will continue to live in her name – and the investigation … that ensures that justice is sought for her,” Sanders said at the press conference.
A man serves 45 years for murder. He just announced that he killed another woman.
The suspect argued guilty of child crimes in 2021
Judicial documents that were previously obtained by USA Today discovered that Zizz is guilty of molesting three children, all of whom were younger than 15 years, in October 2021.
Zizz is guilty of two counts of second -degree child abuse and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, according to judicial documents submitted in August 2022.
Zizz was forbidden to possess a firearm or to go near his victims until October 2032 and also ordered to serve the community of the community for six years, or guided release and rehabilitation, according to court reports. He was sentenced to almost nine years in prison, but was released after 11 months because he received the credit for the time served, according to the court reports.
Contributions: Saleen Martin, US today
This article originally appeared on USA Today: Marcia Norman Case: Washington State Handyman accused of murder
