Former deputy accused of killing store clerk and his wife nearly 46 years ago

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (TCN) -- Investigators have identified a suspect in the death of a store clerk that occurred more than four decades ago when the alleged killer worked as a deputy.

According to a Dec. 31 news release from the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, in the early hours of Monday, Nov. 5, 1979, Deputy John Greer found 25-year-old Adele Easterly deceased at the Farm Store on Highway 17 and North Washington Loop Road. Easterly had sustained gunshot wounds to her back and head. Authorities were unable to identify a suspect at the time, and the case went cold.

The sheriff's office said many "investigators and commanders were concerned" about Greer, and some "believed he could be responsible for Adele’s death but lacked substantial evidence to back up their suspicion." Deputies said Greer exhibited "strange behavior."

Seventy-one days before the discovery, in a separate incident, Greer reported that his wife, Jackie Greer, shot herself. The investigation was inconclusive, and there was no evidence to suggest foul play, but officials "suspected something was not right about the incident."

On Oct. 3, 1980, Greer was suspended from his position while under investigation, and he resigned the same day. Cold case investigators believe he was under investigation after one of his female acquaintances was found dead in her vehicle in a wooded area in September 1980. The sheriff's office said the acquaintance's "body was too decomposed to determine the cause of death," and there were no signs of trauma. However, investigators located empty pill bottles and suspected she overdosed. They also found a suicide note. The woman's husband reportedly told authorities that Greer "had been following his wife around and was coming to their house while on duty and attempting to have sexual relations with her." Deputies said there are no records to confirm whether this is why Greer was under investigation.

Nearly seven years after finding Easterly's body, detectives reportedly interviewed one of the victim's friends, who said she feared coming forward "because she was afraid of a deputy." The friend allegedly told officials Easterly was dating a Charlotte County deputy who "would visit her on night shift and bring his gun into the Farm Store to 'protect' her."

According to the sheriff's office, Greer had a personal double barrel 12-gauge shotgun in his vehicle, which was the same type of weapon the victim was killed with. Deputies often carried personal guns in their patrol vehicles at the time.

Easterly allegedly told her friend the deputy she was dating was married, and she tried to end their relationship. The deputy reportedly told the victim that he told his wife he wanted a divorce, and she took his service revolver to kill herself. The deputy allegedly said he and his wife fought over the weapon before it went off, fatally hitting her.

Approximately two weeks before Easterly's death, the victim informed her friend she was afraid of the deputy. A detective brought up John Greer's name to Easterly's friend, and she believed that to be the name of the deputy Easterly was dating.

In November 1986, a Broward County Sheriff's Office investigator reexamined Greer's wife's death scene and couldn't confirm if it was suicide or homicide. Greer had reportedly told deputies he was asleep when he heard a "pop" and noticed smoke coming out of the closet. He went inside and allegedly found his wife deceased. However, the investigator found evidence of blood in the doorjamb, suggesting the closet was open at the time of the shooting.

The sheriff's office current cold case unit formed in 2009, and detectives featured Easterly's case in 2016. In 2019, a former Sheriff's Office Explorer came forward and told authorities Greer had sexually assaulted her multiple times and threatened to kill her. According to deputies, the explorer said that during one of the assaults, Greer told her to "ask them dead b--ches like Adele Easterly what happens when they say no to me."

The explorer said she was working dispatch when Easterly's body was found in the Farm Store. She allegedly observed Greer enter the east side door of the sheriff's office complex with an apparent gun, and "he looked disheveled." The explorer reportedly noticed Greer had one of his gloves off and saw "something on his bare hand that could be blood."

Detectives developed probable cause to arrest Greer and continued the investigation to secure a conviction. Greer had reportedly been living in Kingsport, Tennessee, for several years and lived at an extended care facility. Investigators went to Kingsport to interview Greer in April 2023, and he was bedridden at the time and was only able to provide brief answers. Greer allegedly confessed to shooting Easterly and his wife. However, detectives weren't able to conclude whether he shot his wife intentionally or if it was an accident.

According to the sheriff's office, authorities determined Greer would never be healthy enough to stand trial, "but the deaths of Adele Easterly and Greer’s wife were confirmed to have been at the hands of John Greer." He died on March 2 at the age of 77.

MORE: