A Washington state handyman is going through costs in reference to the death of a missing woman whose stays have been buried and partially encased in concrete beneath a shed he allegedly constructed, authorities mentioned.
Jeffrey Zizz, 47, faces charges of first-degree homicide, first-degree kidnapping, and illegal disposal of human stays, Thurston County officers introduced throughout an April 21 information convention. These costs are anticipated to be formally filed by April 23, and extra costs might observe because the investigation continues, mentioned prosecuting legal professional Jon Tunheim.
Zizz, who was beforehand convicted of kid intercourse crimes, is accused of killing Marcia Norman, 82, in early April, in accordance with authorities and courtroom information. Norman had disappeared “beneath suspicious circumstances” from her residence close to Tenino, a small metropolis of almost 2,000 about 15 miles south of Olympia, mentioned the Thurston County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Authorities started the investigation on April 4 after receiving a missing person report from Norman’s household, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned. Her household reported that that they had not heard from Norman since April 1, however each her automobiles remained parked at her residence.
Zizz was later arrested in Missoula, Montana, and was taken into custody for an alleged probation violation tied to his baby intercourse crimes, in accordance with Sheriff Derek Sanders. He was then extradited to Washington state and booked into Thurston County Jail, the place he stays held with out bail.
In a statement released April 20, Norman’s household described her as an “engaged member of her neighborhood and household” who was “vigorous with plans for the longer term” and “beloved by many.”
“Our household has skilled the lack of our heart,” Norman’s household mentioned. “Marcia was the one which introduced us collectively. Our household is grieving and on the lookout for methods to honor her reminiscence.”
Marcia Norman, 82, of Tenino, Washington. She was final heard from on April 1, 2025. She was reported lacking days later and her stays have been present in Olympia on April 9, 2025.
Timeline of investigation into Marcia Norman’s disappearance
In the course of the April 21 information convention, Sanders offered a timeline of the investigation after Norman was reported lacking. Sanders mentioned investigators discovered that on April 1, Norman had dinner with Zizz — who was recognized as her handyman and was the final recognized particular person to see her on the time.
On April 4, patrol deputies and investigators have been dispatched to Norman’s residence after her son and neighbor reported her lacking. Investigators decided that “circumstances at her residence weren’t including up” and returned the subsequent morning to safe some areas of curiosity, Sanders added.
Investigators additionally performed interviews all through that day and spoke to Zizz, who had been cooperative on the time, Sanders mentioned. The sheriff famous that Zizz had offered solutions that “made sense,” which brought on the investigation to stall.
However proof from a license plate studying digicam system caught Zizz “in a lie,” Sanders mentioned, including that investigators have been in a position to execute search warrants within the case. Zizz later failed a polygraph examination on April 5 and requested an legal professional throughout his second interview with investigators.
Whereas investigators performed the search warrants on April 5, they seized Zizz’s truck and searched his storage unit and trailer, in accordance with Sanders. Investigators additionally searched his dwelling and seized a number of gadgets, together with a five-page letter that “meticulously deliberate out a housebreaking and sexual assault of a girl who was known as his buyer,” Sanders mentioned.
Between April 6 and April 9, Sanders mentioned investigators continued to look suspicious areas and performed searches over close by McIntosh Lake. On April 7, investigators sought a warrant for Zizz’s alleged probation violation however found that he had fled the state with a roommate’s truck.
“We later discovered that that truck struck an elk close to the Idaho-Montana border, and at that time, we started mobilizing and asking for help from Idaho State Police and the Missoula regulation enforcement,” Sanders mentioned. “Later that night, we discovered that (Zizz) was taken into custody with the help of Missoula regulation enforcement.”
On that very same day, particular cadaver canine have been despatched to a property in Olympia and searched a shed that investigators had discovered Zizz constructed the day after Norman was reported lacking, in accordance with authorities. Sanders mentioned a second search was performed on April 8, by which two out of the three cadaver canine indicated that human stays have been seemingly current on the shed.
Authorities then moved the shed and excavated the bottom beneath it on April 9, finding human stays about 18 inches underground in a shallow grave with “concrete poured excessive,” in accordance with Sanders.
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Native coroner reveals Marcia Norman’s reason for dying
Sanders mentioned an post-mortem of the human stays was performed by the county coroner’s workplace on April 10. The coroner’s workplace later confirmed that the remains were of Norman.
Norman’s speedy reason for dying was “mixed blunt drive and penetrating, sharp drive accidents of the top,” mentioned Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock. He added that different important situations that contributed to her dying have been a number of blunt drive accidents to her torso and extremities.
The post-mortem additionally revealed that Norman’s accidents have been the results of being assaulted by one other particular person, and that the accidents have been inflicted whereas she was alive, in accordance with Warnock. The coroner’s workplace discovered no proof of sexual assault, however Warnock mentioned check outcomes are nonetheless pending.
“Our focus transferring ahead goes to be on Marcia, the life she lived, her household — who’s going to proceed to stay in her title — and the investigation … that ensures that justice is looked for her,” Sanders mentioned on the information convention.
A person is serving 45 years for homicide. He just confessed to killing another woman.
Suspect pleaded responsible to baby intercourse crimes in 2021
Court docket paperwork beforehand obtained by USA TODAY discovered that Zizz pleaded responsible to molesting three kids, who have been all beneath the age of 15, in October 2021.
Zizz pleaded responsible to 2 counts of second-degree baby molestation and communication with a minor for immoral functions, in accordance with courtroom paperwork filed in August 2022.
Zizz was prohibited from proudly owning a firearm or going close to his victims till October 2032 and in addition ordered to serve six years of community custody, or supervised launch and rehabilitation, courtroom information present. He was sentenced to just about 9 years in jail however was launched after 11 months as a result of him receiving credit score for time served, in accordance with courtroom information.
Contributing: Saleen Martin, USA TODAY
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Marcia Norman case: Washington state handyman charged with murder
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