Kriti Mehrotra
When Kasi Peek was found dead inside her Smyrna, Georgia, home in October 2005, the entire community was left shell-shocked. That’s because the devoted family woman had been heinously killed, and in such a way that investigators were certain it was personal. However, as explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Omission,’ no one could have ever imagined that her case would soon be linked to a double homicide from 1996. It took authorities a while, but they were ultimately able to ascertain that her killer was also the person behind Carol Marlin and Margaret Ginn’s murders.
Carol Marlin and Margaret Ginn Were Fatally Bludgeoned Following a Dinner Together
It was on April 4, 1932, when Margaret “Maggie” Ginn was born to Nettie Mae Bell Wakins and Julian Paul Anderson as one of their two children in Georgia. She thus spent her formative years in a loving home alongside her younger brother Julian James “Jimmy” Anderson, which soon became full of affection, resilience, and support. After all, Jimmy sadly passed away at the age of 6 in 1939 after a freak accident on his grandfather’s farm in Danielsville, Madison County. According to records, he fell while riding a wagon, and a heavy piece of lumber or timber from it fell on top of his head, crushing his skull instantly. As per reports, he died on the spot, and there was no way of reviving him.
Margaret was hence no stranger to loss, but it only made her live her life with gusto while keeping the memories of those she lost alive in her heart. She eventually tied the knot with a man named Thomas Eugene Ginn, with whom she welcomed a son, Russell Sterling Ginn, in 1957. They led a good life together, that is, until the husband also untimely passed away at the age of 55 in 1985. Maggie subsequently took on all responsibilities and soon even landed a spot at Lockheed Martin, which is where she first came across Carol Marlin and developed a friendship with her. Although there was a significant 18-year age gap between Maggie and Carol, they were great friends. So, the former knew the latter had a common-law husband, John Peek, who also worked at the same company in the IT Sector.
By all accounts, the couple led a normal life surrounded by loved ones in Marietta, Georgia, but everything changed for them all in 1996. That’s when the 64-year-old mother of one and the 46-year-old wife had decided to go out for dinner on June 13, 1996, but neither returned home. Josh reported his wife missing that same night when she didn’t come home at the expected time, kick-starting an extensive yet quick search for them. We assert “quick” because Maggie and Carol’s remains were located at the former’s house a short while later, with both women having been bludgeoned in the head. Carol’s injuries were much more severe, though, making officials theorize that maybe she was the assailant’s real target and that maybe Maggie was just collateral damage, but alas, there was nothing to confirm or deny it.
Kasi Peek Was Found Shot to Death in Her Bed
Born on December 24, 1960, in Dallas, Texas, Kasi Devenport Peek was one of Betty and William Devenport’s two daughters. Unfortunately, she lost her mother in 1993, following which she and her sister Jaquidon Devenport became even closer and did everything they could for their father. On a professional front, she was a computer programmer for Matria Health Care and eventually settled in Smyrna, Georgia. She had tied the knot in the early 1990s, but that union didn’t work out, only for her to then fall head over heels in love with John Peek after first coming across him in 1999. The couple had a whirlwind romance before tying the knot in a beautiful ceremony in May 2000, 8 months after their first meeting. They seemed to be an idyllic couple by all accounts, but the reality was reportedly much different.
It was on October 2, 2003, when John dialed 911 in a panic, claiming he had just found his wife dead on their bed after coming home from work. When officials arrived at the scene, they noticed she was lying on her side with a bullet wound to the back, which was later confirmed to be her cause of death. According to her autopsy, the 44-year-old had been shot with a .30 caliber rifle, which led officials to classify her death as an “overkill” owing to how intense the gunshot would have been at close range. They also ascertained that while the crime initially appeared to be a robbery gone wrong, owing to the fact that the room was in complete disarray, that was not the case because nothing was missing.
Investigations Into Kasi Peek’s Case Also Helped Crack the 1996 Double Homicide
The moment officials realized Kasi Peek’s death was not a result of a robbery gone wrong at the hands of an intruder, they zeroed in on her personal life and relationships. That’s because the “overkill” suggested she was harmed by someone who knew her closely and intimately. It was then that it came to light that her and John’s marriage was far from perfect as they were recently estranged. According to records, she had discovered his infidelity sometime in 2004, driving her to choose an independent life following many arguments. However, as per her loved ones, she still had hope that they could one day reconnect and rekindle their romance until they were back to being happily married.
As if that’s not enough, Kasi’s sister also told investigators how John’s common-law wife had also been murdered alongside a friend in 1996, but the case was never solved. Upon looking into it, investigators found out that John was a suspect in the matter owing to Carol having named him the primary beneficiary of her $700,000 life insurance policy just two weeks prior. Her policy was reportedly originally in her mother’s name, so the sudden change felt a little off. At that time, John vehemently denied culpability, and because there were no witnesses or DNA evidence, he was never arrested or charged in connection with the matter. Investigators questioned John in 2005 for Kesi’s case, and he again denied having any hand in her demise, but he did point fingers towards the woman he was involved with.
He claimed that she owned a rifle and might have a motive in terms of her possible jealousy of the history he had with Kesi, but the other woman had an alibi corroborated by officials. The focus hence shifted back to the husband, with the breakthrough coming months later when investigators discovered a pattern of sorts. They learned that he had been double-paying the victim’s $500,000 insurance to ensure it wouldn’t be canceled while they were estranged. With this, along with additional circumstantial evidence from the 1996 case, indicating that he had allegedly lied about his whereabouts on the night of the murder, he was charged with three homicides. In the end, he pleaded guilty to all three murders in exchange for the death penalty to be off the table. So, he is now serving life in prison.
Read More: Where is John Peek Now? Update on the Killer
