On September 15, 1989, the body of 23-year-old Jeffery “Jo Jo” Zolliecoffer was discovered in the Cedar River near Waterloo, Iowa, following a report from a child who believed he had found a mannequin. Upon police arrival at 6:40 p.m., they identified the body as Zolliecoffer, who had been shot three times, including a fatal shotgun wound to the back of the head. His body was found wrapped in a quilted blanket, secured with copper wiring, and tied to two cement blocks, suggesting a deliberate effort to conceal it. Investigators believe that Zolliecoffer’s body took several days to rise to the surface after having been submerged.
Zolliecoffer was last seen alive on the evening of September 7, 1989, at Goodies II, a bar located on Sumner Street. Reports regarding his departure from the bar are conflicting; some witnesses claimed he left willingly, while others suggested he was forcibly removed by several men. He was reported missing two days later, on September 9. An autopsy conducted the day after his body was found confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound to the head, leading Waterloo Police Sgt. Lyle Ames to classify the death as a homicide.
Over the years, police have pursued numerous leads in the case, but no arrests have been made. The circumstances surrounding Zolliecoffer’s death have left his family divided in their theories regarding the motive, with some believing it to be drug-related while others assert that Zolliecoffer was staunchly against drug use. Despite the passage of time, his family continues to seek closure and hopes that new information may emerge to bring justice to Zolliecoffer’s tragic case.
