Decades Later, Former Florida Deputy Confesses to Murdering His Wife and a Store Clerk

In 1979, Florida deputy John Greer reported that his wife had fatally shot herself, and a few months later, he found the body of another woman, store clerk Adele Easterly, who had been shot. Decades later, Greer admitted to killing both women during an interview with authorities in 2023 while living in a care facility in Tennessee. He died in 2024 at age 77. Greer had resigned from the sheriff’s office in 1980 amid an internal investigation regarding his actions with another woman, who possibly died by suicide. Investigators suspected foul play in his wife’s death but lacked evidence at the time. When Easterly’s death was re-investigated, a woman from a youth program revealed that Greer had sexually assaulted her and threatened her. Detectives developed probable cause for Greer’s arrest after interviewing former coworkers and associated individuals, ultimately questioning him at the care facility where he confirmed his involvement in both deaths. It is still unknown whether Jackie Greer’s shooting was intentional or accidental. The sheriff’s office plans to further investigate Greer’s potential involvement in other crimes as he had worked for additional law enforcement agencies following his time in Charlotte County. The case serves as an example of the department’s commitment to seeking the truth, even when it reveals a dark past.

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