Retrial Finds Contra Costa Man Guilty In Wife's Shooting Death: DA

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A verdict was reached Friday in the retrial of a Pittsburg man in connection with the shooting death of his estranged wife nearly 10 years ago, the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office announced.

Kevin Jerome Easter, now 62 years old, was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the Aug. 7, 2013, death of Janice Easter in their Pittsburg residence.

The DA's Office retried the case after the original conviction was overturned on appeal in 2019.

During Easter's first trial in 2014, his defense attorney declared that Easter was not competent to stand trial for his crimes, which included a firearm enhancement and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Competency issues were renewed in 2015 by his defense, but a judge ultimately found him guilty and he was sentenced to 65 years and eight months in prison.

His appeal in 2019 reversed the conviction, resolved the competency issues, and returned the case to Superior Court for a retrial — where the prosecution prevailed in court, the DA's Office said.

"After many years, the victim’s family and the community have closure on a tragic and senseless murder," said Deputy District Attorney Jordan Sanders. 'This prosecution would not be possible without the hard work of the Pittsburg Police Department, the time and energy of the neighbors who came to testify about details which happened so long ago, and the victim’s family for having the strength to endure another trial. The overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt justified a conviction for first-degree murder."

Easter will be sentenced at a future date and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.