Unsolved Murder of Jerry Colyer
Imagine doing what your family and friends say are “all the right things” in life. You graduate college, get married and start a family and you have a job and a clear career path. Now, imagine that someone violently cuts your life short just because they felt like it. And for little more than $200.
I wish I could tell you this story is rooted in imagination, but sadly it isn’t. The reality for Jerry Colyer was terrifying on a seemingly normal Thursday night back in 2016 as he worked the nightshift front desk at the Econo Lodge Motel in Chesterfield County, Virginia. As of 2026, his murder still remains unsolved.
Photo Credits: ABC8News, Family’s Go Fund Me page, 12 On Your Side, Obituary Brown’s Funeral Service
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Brown's Funeral Service. "Obituary for Jerry Colyer." Brown's Funeral Service, 2016, www.brownsfuneralserviceinc.com/obituary/jerry-colyer.
Chesterfield County Police Department. "Police Release Video to Highlight, Solicit Tips for 2016 Homicide Case." Chesterfield County, VA — CivicEngage, 16 Sept. 2021, www.chesterfield.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2229&ARC=5950.
Chesterfield County Police Department. "Chesterfield Unsolved: The Homicide of Jerry Colyer, Jr." YouTube, uploaded by Chesterfield County Police Department, 16 Sept. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-zT7kfx9Lk.
Costen, Jonathan. "Clerk Murdered During Armed Robbery at Chesterfield Hotel Was Beloved Son, Husband and Father." WRIC ABC 8News, 30 Sept. 2016, www.wric.com/news/clerk-murdered-during-armed-robbery-at-chesterfield-hotel-was-beloved-son-husband-and-father/.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Murder and Robbery Investigation." FBI.gov, U.S. Department of Justice, 2 May 2017, updated 16 Mar. 2026, www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/murder-and-robbery-investigation.
Lucas, Victoria. "'I Can't Stop Thinking About It': Brunswick Family Pleads for Answers in Loved One's 2016 Murder." WRIC ABC 8News, 17 Oct. 2024, www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-2016-murder-econolodge/.
NBC12 Staff. "Chesterfield Police Create Video Highlighting Unsolved 2016 Homicide." WWBT NBC12, 16 Sept. 2021, www.12onyourside.com/2021/09/16/chesterfield-police-create-video-highlighting-unsolved-2016-homicide/.
NBC12 Staff. "Police Arrest Suspect in 2016 Chesterfield Econo Lodge Murder." WWBT NBC12, 11 Apr. 2018, www.12onyourside.com/story/35453639/police-arrest-suspect-in-2016-chesterfield-econo-lodge-murder/.
River Country News. "FBI Richmond—2016 Murder of Jerry Colyer/Robbery of Econo-Lodge Motel, Chesterfield." River Country News, 21 Feb. 2020, rivercountrynews.com/fbi-richmond-murder-of-jerry-colyerrobbery-of-econolodge-motel-ch-p9031-189.htm.
Virginia State Police. "Chesterfield County PD – 201609290372 – Jerry Colyer." Virginia Cold Case Database, Commonwealth of Virginia, coldcase.vsp.virginia.gov/chesterfield-police-department/case/jerry-colyer/.
WRIC Staff. "Arrest Made in 2016 Murder of Chesterfield Motel Clerk." WRIC ABC 8News, 12 Apr. 2018, www.wric.com/news/crime/arrest-made-in-2016-murder-of-chesterfield-motel-clerk/.
WRIC Staff. "Chesterfield Police Seeks Assistance in Solving a 2016 Murder." WRIC ABC 8News, 7 Oct. 2024, www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-police-seeks-assistance-in-solving-a-2016-murder/.