‘Death was not instant. It was hours’: Handyman ‘meticulously planned’ murder of ‘customer’ found encased in concrete, police say

A Washington handyman accused of murdering an 82-year-old woman allegedly tortured her for “hours” earlier burying her assemblage successful factual and fleeing the state.

Jeffrey Zizz, 47, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and unlawful disposal of quality remains aft helium was named arsenic a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the lawsuit of the decease of Marcia Norman, 82, whose assemblage was recovered encased successful factual underneath a shed connected different property. Zizz, who had been successful custody connected abstracted charges, was reportedly the past idiosyncratic to spot Norman live aft the 2 had meal plans connected April 1.

When Norman went missing, Zizz was questioned by constabulary doubly earlier grounds seemingly caught him successful a lie.

In a press conference connected Monday, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders elaborate immoderate of the grounds that led to the apprehension of Zizz for the alleged execution and kidnapping of Norman. As previously reported by Law&Crime, Zizz and Norman, who were connected affable terms, had made meal plans for April 1. According to court documents obtained by section ABC affiliate KOMO, Zizz reportedly told constabulary erstwhile helium was questioned that helium and Norman had meal that evening and helium went location astir 9 p.m.

Sanders said that automatic licence sheet readers, known arsenic Flock cameras, caught Zizz’s conveyance driving toward Norman’s spot astatine 3:04 a.m. connected April 2 and again astatine 7:03 a.m. Court documents said that Zizz’s mentation for the 2 trips was that helium needed to retrieve tools and past a trailer.

During the property conference, Sanders stated that Zizz took a polygraph test, which helium “failed, highly poorly.” He requested an lawyer during his 2nd interview.

KOMO besides reported connected the grounds described successful the documents, including “a five-page typed letter. The missive appeared to beryllium a meticulously planned retired burglary/sexual battle of an big woman, identified arsenic a ‘customer.'” When asked by a newsman astir immoderate correlation betwixt the missive and what happened to Norman, Sanders said determination were “similarities,” but his bureau was inactive withholding accusation owed to the ongoing investigation. He called the missive “extremely disturbing.”

The tribunal documents besides elaborate a chilling brushwood betwixt Zizz and Norman that reportedly occurred earlier this twelvemonth that Norman had relayed to her household members. Norman reportedly told them that she woke up successful the mediate of the nighttime to find Zizz astatine the ft of her bed. An apprehension study obtained by KOMO stated that Norman “told Zizz that it was inappropriate for him to beryllium determination and helium needed to leave.”

Norman besides reportedly told her lad that “she spoke with Zizz and made it wide to him that they were to support a nonrecreational narration and helium was [told] not to transverse those boundaries again.” The alleged incidental was not reported to police.

According to the apprehension report, erstwhile asked astir the incident, Zizz reportedly “admitted that this had happened, helium stated that helium went into (Norman’s) country and portion she was sleeping, helium rubbed her shoulder, wanting to talk with her.” The study besides stated that “Zizz told detectives that helium did person thoughts astir (Norman) romantically.”

During the property conference, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock stated that Norman’s origin of decease was “combined blunt unit and penetrating unit injuries of the head,” which were accompanied by “multiple blunt unit injuries to her torso and extremities.” He added that the “injuries were inflicted portion Miss Norman was alive,” and aboriginal explained, “Her onset from wounded to decease was not instant. It was hours.” He did accidental helium believed Norman was dormant erstwhile she was buried.

Warnock said, “In our enactment of work, we spot and witnesser galore things. And this probe is 1 you cannot unsee. I person been with the coroner’s bureau for astir 25 years, with 19 years arsenic the coroner, and this is the worst lawsuit I’ve witnessed.”

When asked astir a imaginable execution weapon, Warnock said arsenic it related to the penetrating unit injuries, helium suspected a “pneumatic nailer,” commonly known arsenic a nail gun. He besides believed that those peculiar injuries occurred during the hours that Norman was inactive alive.

Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said Norman’s injuries were “consistent with torture” but was not prepared to accidental conclusively that Norman had been tortured earlier her death.

When it came to Norman’s remains yet being found, Sanders said her assemblage was recovered connected a “totally abstracted property” that Zizz was “also conducting concern on.” Court documents noted that “wrapped astir (Norman’s) wrists and ankles were agelong achromatic Velcro straps, arsenic good arsenic grounds that she had been bound anterior to death.”

Tunheim stated that an arraignment for Zizz was scheduled for May 6. During his quality connected April 21, a justice ordered that helium beryllium held without bond.

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