Authorities in Washington State have uncovered chilling new details in the murder case of 82-year-old Marcia Norman, whose body was found buried beneath a shed and covered in concrete. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that a letter found at the suspect’s home allegedly outlined a planned burglary and sexual assault targeting a woman described as his “customer.”
The suspect, 47-year-old handyman Jeffrey Zizz, who had worked for Norman, was arrested on April 7 in Missoula, Montana, and extradited to Washington on April 13. He is currently facing charges of murder, kidnapping, and unlawful disposal of human remains. Formal charges are expected by May 6, according to Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim.
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Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock released a report revealing that Norman suffered horrific injuries caused by a pneumatic nailer, commonly known as a nail gun. “Her onset from injury to death was not instant. It was hours,” Warnock said, calling it the worst case he’s seen in his career, according to Law & Crime.
Norman was reported missing on April 4 after her family grew concerned over suspicious circumstances. She was last seen alive on April 1 — the same night she reportedly had dinner with Zizz, according to Sheriff Derek Sanders.
On April 9, cadaver dogs led deputies to Norman’s remains, buried in a shallow grave under a shed. Ground-penetrating radar confirmed the grave site before recovery efforts began.
During a search of Zizz’s home, investigators found a five-page letter that allegedly outlined a plan to burglarize and sexually assault a female “customer.” Sheriff Sanders stated, “There are similarities” between what was written in the letter and the evidence found at the crime scene. “The letter that they uncovered is extremely disturbing,” he added.
Although no evidence of sexual assault was found, the contents of the letter are now a critical part of the ongoing investigation. A motive for the brutal killing has not been confirmed, but Sanders said, “If I had to guess at this point in time, it’s because the suspect that we have in custody is a violent person.”
Zizz had initially been interviewed during the early stages of the missing persons investigation and gave what appeared to be reasonable answers. However, a license plate reader later placed him in Olympia the night of the murder, contradicting his alibi.
“That was the first step in which we were able to put him into a lie and then expand further,” Sanders said. Zizz is currently being held in custody and is scheduled to be arraigned on May 6.
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