Jeffery “Jo Jo” Zolliecoffer

Jeffery “Jo Jo” Howard Zolliecoffer, 23, was last seen alive late on the evening of September 7, 1989, at Goodies II, a bar formerly on Sumner Street in Waterloo; witnesses gave conflicting accounts of whether he left on his own or was forced out by several men. He was reported missing on September 9. On September 15, a child playing along the Cedar River discovered his body, wrapped in a quilted blanket, bound with copper wiring, and weighted down with two cement blocks; police believe it took several days for the body to rise to the surface. An autopsy found Zolliecoffer had been shot three times, including a fatal shotgun blast to the back of the head. Investigators have pursued numerous leads over the years without making an arrest; Zolliecoffer's family has been divided over the motive, with some believing it was drug-related and others insisting he was firmly against drug use. A $1,500 reward remains active through Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers.

Waterloo, IA · Black Hawk County

• 1989: Case opens — victim reported missing or found.
• Documented milestones (renewed investigation, media coverage, family advocacy) to be added as sourced.
• Present: case remains unresolved. No named suspect has been convicted.

• Victim identity, age, and the September 7–15, 1989 timeline, per Iowa Cold Cases and the Iowa Attorney General's cold case files.
• No arrests have ever been made in the case, per the same sources.
• A news photograph published as part of the 2015 “Gone Cold: Exploring Iowa's Unsolved Murders” statewide newspaper project identifies Zolliecoffer.

• Whether Zolliecoffer left the bar willingly or was forced out was never resolved; witness accounts conflicted.
• The motive for the killing remains disputed even within Zolliecoffer's own family.

• Iowa Cold Cases — case summary
• Iowa Attorney General's Office — Unresolved cold case bulletin
• North Platte Telegraph, reprinting “Gone Cold” — “Waterloo murder from 1989 remains unsolved”
• Project Cold Case
• Murder Accountability Project
• NamUs