The mother of a New York City correction officer exclusively spoke to Eyewitness News to plead for help finding the killer who shot her son five years ago.
BreakingCheck here for school closings and delays in NY, NJ and CT
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 11:51PM
Chanteé Lans speaks to both the mother of the victim, and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, with the latest developments in the case.
QUEENS (WABC) — The mother of a New York City correction officer exclusively spoke to Eyewitness News to plead for help finding the killer who shot her son five years ago.
John Jeff was off-duty and leaving a party in Springfield Gardens, Queens when he was gunned down in August 2020, just blocks from where he lived.
The case has since gone cold.
Prosecutors are sharing new surveillance video of the shooting.
The New York City Rikers Island Correction Officer was 28 years old.
“John was killed right here where we’re standing,” Jeff’s mother Beverly Ford said.
His grieving mother whose son followed in her footsteps, as a retired Rikers Island Correction Captain, gathered with relatives and friends in John’s honor.
“John was a good guy, he was a great guy, he’s really missed. I miss him,” Ford said.
“That was my big brother. He was my savior. He was my protector,” Jeff’s sister Jayliyah Arnold said.
“Why did you go out that night bro?” friend Andre Anderson said.
Gunshots and screams can be heard in the newly-released surveillance video by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
“Someone punched his car as he turned onto Defoe, he got out of his vehicle and I guess an altercation happened and he was shot 8 times, once in the head,” Katz said.
Katz says someone also took off with Jeff’s service weapon and shot him with it.
It was never recovered at the scene.
“It was hard. It’s still hard, we push through every day but it’s hard,” Arnold said.
Investigators say Jeff was off-duty and had just left a party around 3 a.m. early Saturday, August 15th, 2020.
They say he was trying to move his car out that was blocked in.
“He asked two people behind him, two cars behind him, it was a black Mercedes and a blue BMW,” Katz said.
“I hope that whoever it is that’s involved with it or if you do know something just speak up. Do the right thing,” Anderson said.
It’s not just John Jeff’s family and the Queens District Attorney searching for those responsible, Crime Stoppers has now upped their reward from $10,000 to $30,000 for anyone with information leading to an arrest and prosecution.
COBA President Benny Boscio released a statement.
“Five years ago, Correction Officer John Jeff was shot and killed, while off duty in Queens. He was only on the job for two years and at 28 years old, he had his entire life ahead of him. We stand firmly behind Officer Jeff’s Family in their pursuit to bring his killer to justice. Along with NYPD Crime stoppers, we have put up a $30,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of Officer Jeff’s family. We thank Queens DA Melinda Katz for utilizing every resource available to keep this case alive.”
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
The mother of a New York City correction officer exclusively spoke to Eyewitness News to plead for help finding the killer who shot her son five years ago.