82-Year-Old Killed and Buried in Concrete — Handyman Arrested

Marcia Norman was known as the glue of her family. Full of life, with plans for the future, the 82-year-old grandmother vanished in early April — only to be found days later buried beneath a shed, wrapped in tape and partially encased in concrete. Authorities say her handyman, 47-year-old Jeffrey Zizz, is to blame.

A Handyman Turned Murder Suspect

Norman was last seen on April 1, 2025, when she had dinner with Zizz at her Tenino, Washington home. Four days later, she was reported missing.

At first, Zizz was just a person of interest. But when surveillance footage and a disturbing document reportedly found at his home came to light, the handyman quickly became the prime suspect.

Detectives used license plate cameras to track Zizz's red Ford F-350 visiting Norman's home at suspicious hours on April 2. Meanwhile, video surveillance at Zizz's house showed no sign of him — because, prosecutors believe, he crawled out the window to avoid detection.

What They Found Next Was Worse

Search warrants executed at Zizz's residence uncovered a chilling five-page letter. According to court documents, it detailed a burglary and sexual assault of a woman referred to only as "customer." While no sexual assault has been confirmed in Norman's case, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said the letter bore similarities to the crime, NBC News reported.

Norman's body was found on April 9. Cadaver dogs led authorities to a shed Zizz was building at a job site in Olympia. Underneath it, in a shallow grave, was Norman — her wrists and ankles bound, her body showing signs of blunt force trauma, and evidence she had been tortured with a pneumatic nail gun.

Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said it was the worst case he had seen in his career. "Her onset from injury to death was not instant. It was hours," he told NBC News.

A Disturbing History Emerges

Zizz had a prior conviction for child molestation and was on community custody at the time of the murder. After Norman's disappearance, he fled the state, stealing a car and heading to Montana, where he was arrested on April 7 for a probation violation. He was extradited to Washington on April 13 and formally charged shortly after, NBC News reports.

Zizz is facing two counts of first-degree murder — one for premeditation, the other felony murder — along with first-degree kidnapping and unlawful disposal of human remains. An arraignment is scheduled for May 6.

A Family Devastated

Norman's family is left shattered. She was "the one that brought us together," they said in a statement shared by the sheriff's office, per PEOPLE.

The motive behind the killing remains murky. But Sheriff Sanders offered a grim theory: "If I had to guess ... it's because the suspect that we have in custody is a violent person," as reported by NBC News.

References: Jeffrey Zizz charged in kidnapping, murder of WA grandmother | Missing Grandma Was Found Buried in Shed, Tortured with Nail Gun — and Cops Say They Found Handyman's Letter | Suspect used nail gun in killing of elderly Washington woman, coroner says