Ex-Deputy Accused Of Killing FL Store Clerk 45 Years Ago

PUNTA GORDA, FL — A former Charlotte County deputy who died in early 2024 is now being accused of shooting and killing a Punta Gorda store clerk 45 years ago.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday identified Road Patrol Deputy John J. Greer as the man accused of killing 25-year-old Arcadia resident Adele Marie Easterly — who he had been dating — in 1979.

Easterly died at a store located at Highway 17 and North Washington Loop Road. This came after Greer's wife, Jackie, was shot and killed in their home under suspicious circumstances, authorities said.

At some point during their investigation into Easterly's death, detectives working the cold case found probable cause to arrest Greer, who had relocated to Kingsport, Tennessee, authorities said.

The 77-year-old retired deputy, who had moved into an extended care facility, had been monitored by detectives for years, authorities said.

In April 2023, Charlotte County detectives traveled to Kingsport and interviewed Greer, who was bedridden, authorities said. The former deputy was only able to give short answers to the detectives' questions, authorities said.

"He appeared to understand questions but could not carry on long conversations. When asked directly if he shot Adele Easterly and his wife, Jackie, Greer admitted to shooting them," authorities said in a news release.

Authorities said they do not know if Greer purposely or accidentally shot his wife.

Detectives determined "Greer’s health was seriously compromised," most likely keeping him from ever leaving the care facility, authorities said. Greer would be unable to stand trial in the deaths of Easterly and his wife, authorities said.

Greer died on March 2 at the Kingsport care facility, authorities said.

What Happened?

Around 1:45 a.m., Nov. 5, 1979, authorities said Greer called in a homicide to Charlotte County's dispatch center. He told dispatch that a store clerk had been murdered, authorities said.

The store was located in Greer's patrol area, where he worked during the midnight shift, authorities said.

The medical examiner's office determined Easterly had been shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, once in the head and once in the back, authorities said. No casings were found at the scene, authorities said.

Years passed with no clear suspect, authorities said. Investigators considered Greer to be a suspect in Easterly's shooting death, but authorities said they "lacked substantial evidence to back up their suspicion."

Authorities said a probe earlier in the year, coupled with Greer's odd behavior, made other deputies suspicious.

Greer's wife, Jackie, died on Aug. 27, 1979. Authorities said Greer, who was off-duty at the time, notified the sheriff's office and told them she had shot herself in their Port Charlotte home.

Authorities said Greer told them he was asleep when he heard a "pop." Smoke billowed from a closet, and when he awoke to check, he saw his wife had been shot, authorities said.

"An investigation was completed, and although investigators suspected something was not right about the incident, there was no evidence to prove the case was anything other than suicide," authorities said in the release.

Authorities said Greer found Easterly's body 71 days after his wife's death.

Seven years after Easterly's death, in 1986, authorities said his friend spoke with them. By this time, they said Greer had resigned from the sheriff's office in 1980.

The friend told them Easterly had been dating a Charlotte County deputy who would visit her on night shift and protect her with a gun.

Greer was known to carry a personal double barrel 12-gauge shotgun in his car, authorities said.

Easterly told the friend she became aware the deputy was married and tried to break up with him, to which the deputy responded his wife wanted a divorce, authorities said.

"He said his wife took his service revolver and was going to shoot herself. They fought over the gun, and it went off, and his wife was killed," authorities said in the release.

Easterly had expressed being scared of the deputy, authorities said. Her friend told law enforcement "she believed (John Greer) to be the name of the deputy Adele was seeing," authorities said.

Though a Broward County Sheriff's Office investigator, in November 1986, could not determine if Greer's wife's death was a suicide or homicide, authorities said she could not have died in the manner that Greer explained. This was supported by the lack of blood splatter on the inside of the door, authorities said.

"There was evidence of blood in the door jam, which would prove the closet door was open at the time of the shooting," authorities said in the release.

A Third Woman Dies

In October 1980, Greer was placed "under investigation for other activities" and resigned from the sheriff's office after being placed on suspension, authorities said.

This came after a woman's body was found in a Ford Mustang in a wooded area of Port Charlotte. Authorities said the woman, who was found dead on Sept. 29, 2980, was an acquaintance of Greer.

Her husband reported her missing nine days earlier, authorities said.

Though a cause of death was not determined due to decomposition, authorities said an empty pills bottle led them to believe she overdosed on pills. A suicide note was also found, authorities said.

By the husband's account to authorities, Greer was accused of following the woman and attempting to have sexual relations with her at her home while he was on duty.

Authorities said they believe the open probe into Greer caused his resignation, though there are no substantiated records to support the theory.

Florida Probe Leads To Tennessee

After the formation of a Cold Case Unit, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office released details to the public in hopes of leads.

Authorities said the post led to a former sheriff's office explorer who told them she had been sexually assaulted by Greer multiple times and that he threatened to kill her.

"During one sexual assault, Greer told her to 'ask them dead b------ like Adele Easterly what happens when they say no to me.' The explorer was working in dispatch the night Adele Easterly was found dead ..." authorities said.

"She observed Greer drive into the sheriff’s office complex and continue to the east side of the building before entering. The east side was the sheriff’s entrance, where the locker room was located; the deputy entrance was typically on the west side. Greer entered the east side door, and the Explorer saw him with what appeared to be a long gun in his hand, and he looked disheveled. She also noticed one of his gloves was off, and he had something on his bare hand that could be blood (Greer was known to wear black gloves while on duty). When Greer saw her, he either motioned or told her to get back into dispatch. After a few minutes, he drove from the east side of the building to the west side and came back inside. He looked like he just showered."

After his resignation, Greer reportedly worked for a few other law-enforcement agencies near Florida's west coast before becoming a pilot and relocating to Kingsport, where authorities said he was under police surveillance before dying.

“I have always said that we will not hide from our past, no matter how dark," Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the release.

"This case shows that we will always seek the truth, even when we may not like what we find. I want to be clear that this individual does not represent the overwhelmingly great men and women who have worked for this agency over our century-plus of existence. I am angry at the scar he has left on our reputation, but I am even more upset about the people he hurt through his vile actions. My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones.”