Suvechha Sarkar
In October 2005, the quiet neighborhood in Smyrna, Georgia, was shaken to its core when Kasi Alane Peek was shot dead in her home. Her untimely demise raised multiple questions, eventually leading the authorities to connect the crime to the previous two murders that took place on June 13, 1996. What ensued was an investigation that ultimately revealed John William Peek, Kasi’s husband, as the person responsible for those deaths. These cases come into focus on NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Omission,’ focusing not only on the crime itself but also on the impact it had on those left behind. It also features interviews with their loved ones and the detectives who worked tirelessly to solve the cases.
John Peek Was Considered the Prime Suspect in the Death of His First Wife and Her Friend
John William Peek was born in 1952, and after completing his education, he joined the IT department at Lockheed Martin. At his workplace, he crossed paths with Carol Marlin, and they soon began dating. Shortly after, they got married and settled down in Marietta, Georgia. On June 13, 1996, 46-year-old Carol went to her friend, Margaret L. Ginn’s house after making dinner plans. On that same day, John called the authorities to report Carol missing, as she hadn’t returned home. Reports state that he told the authorities that Carol drove a blue-colored Camry. According to official records, detectives discovered the remains of Carol and Margaret at the latter’s home, where they were beaten to death.
When the investigation began, John reportedly claimed that his relationship with Carol was completely fine. According to official records, when John was questioned about his whereabouts on June 13, he claimed that he had purchased food from a fast-food restaurant before returning home. When he was reportedly asked if he suspected anyone, he claimed that Carol had received an anonymous letter threatening her only a week before her murder. In the meantime, the authorities reportedly discovered an invoice in Carol’s hand, with her co-worker and friend, Barry Webb’s name on it.
Court records specify that when Barry was questioned, he claimed that on the night of June 13, John had broken into his home. When John was interrogated about it, he claimed he was there to search for Carol, as per reports. However, it raised questions since he didn’t mention the incident during his first interview. Police records revealed that the investigators learned John was the beneficiary of a life insurance policy on Carol, which amounted to $700,000. The authorities reportedly considered John the prime suspect. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence against him, he was not charged with the murders. Over the next few years, the case eventually grew cold.
Recurring Financial Pattern Revealed John to be the Killer of Kasi, Carol, and Margaret
As time went on, John eventually met Kasi Alane Devenport in 1999. Soon, they grew close and just eight months later, they tied the knot in May 2000. According to reports, John and Kasi were happy in their married life until 2004, when things took a turn when she allegedly found out that he was having an affair. Following that, she reportedly moved to her own home in Smyrna, Georgia. Kasi’s family members stated that, although she had moved out of her and John’s home, she hoped to work out their relationship. Unfortunately, on October 2, 2005, Kasi was shot dead in her bedroom with a .30 caliber rifle. As authorities dug deeper, her sister, Jaquidon Kruger, informed them that John’s first wife, Carol, had also been killed.
In his statements, he reportedly claimed that he was working at his house that evening. Reports state that when detectives questioned John about Kasi’s murder, he denied knowing anything about the crime but mentioned that his first wife had also been killed years earlier. According to investigative records, Kasi’s family filed a civil lawsuit against him, prompting detectives to look into his financial records. The official reports state that it revealed that while John and Kasi were living separately, he kept her life insurance policy active by double-paying the premiums. Ultimately, law enforcement connected the murder of Kasi with Carol and Margaret’s due to similar financial patterns and the way of killing. John was arrested in October 2005 and was charged with the murders of Kasi, Carol, and Margaret.
John Peek is Serving His Sentence at a State Prison Facility Today
Following his arrest, John Peek avoided a trial by deciding to enter a guilty plea. He ultimately pleaded guilty to the 1996 murders of Carol and Margaret and the 2005 killing of Kasi. The prosecution presented a case where they claimed that John committed the murder out of financial motive to collect the insurance payout of both his wives following their deaths. Additionally, court records indicate they presented his financial records to the court, along with multiple pieces of circumstantial evidence. With the guilty plea, John was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder. In April 2007, he was finally sentenced to three concurrent life imprisonment terms without the possibility of parole. As of writing, John is serving his time at the Wilcox State Prison in Abbeville, Georgia.
Read More: Where is Daniel Bartelt Now? Update on the Killer
