Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is again asking the public to help break open the 2020 killing of off-duty correction officer John Jeff, renewing a plea on June 27, 2026, for anyone with information to come forward. The homicide, which unfolded in Jamaica, Queens, has remained unsolved for six years, and prosecutors say fresh tips could finally move the case. Katz’s latest appeal continues a long-running effort by the DA’s Cold Case Unit to pore over old evidence and surveillance footage in hopes of finding something investigators might have missed the first time around.
In a post on X, Katz urged people to DM @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS and wrote, “It is never too late for justice.” She also used the hashtag #ColdCaseUnit to spotlight her office’s ongoing push to revisit unsolved killings across Queens.
If you have any information about the shooting death of John Jeff, an off-duty Correction officer who was murdered in Jamaica six years ago, please contact @NYPTips via DM, or by calling 800-577-TIPS.
— Queens DA Katz (@QueensDAKatz) June 27, 2026
It is never too late for justice.#ColdCaseUnit pic.twitter.com/SKBmonWNYA
How prosecutors say the shooting unfolded
According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, at around 3 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2020, Jeff was riding as a passenger in a black Chevy Malibu that briefly stopped at a fire hydrant near the corner of Defoe and Ridgedale Streets. The DA’s account says Jeff exchanged words with people in multiple vehicles, got out of the Malibu twice during those disputes, and was then struck by gunfire. He was pronounced dead at 3:37 a.m.
Investigators recovered 13 shell casings along with other ballistic evidence, which suggested that shots came from at least two firearms. Jeff’s service weapon was not recovered at the scene, according to prosecutors.
Surveillance footage and reward
Prosecutors publicly released nearby security camera footage in February 2025 in an effort to stir up new leads in the stalled investigation. As reported by QNS, the DA’s office is offering a $30,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
How to pass along tips
Anyone with information can call 1-800-577-TIPS, send a message to @NYPDTips on X, or submit an anonymous report through the NYPD Crime Stoppers portal. The NYPD Crime Stoppers site details how tips are handled and notes that eligible submissions can qualify for rewards.
Katz created a Cold Case Unit in 2020 to reexamine long-unsolved homicides in Queens, and her office has said public outreach and social media campaigns are key parts of that strategy. The renewed call for tips in John Jeff’s killing is another attempt to match old evidence with new leads and evolving forensic tools.
