A former Florida deputy confessed to killing two women, including his wife, within months of each other more than 45 years ago, resulting in the closure of two cold cases. On Dec. 31, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said that one of its former deputies, John Greer, was confirmed to be the suspect behind the murder of 25-year-old Adele Easterly. It was around 1:40 a.m. Nov. 5, 1979, when Greer, who was on duty and on patrol radioed dispatch to report he discovered a murder. Greer said he found Easterly, a clerk at the Farm Store on Highway 17 in Punta Gorda, and said she'd been murdered. Easterly had been shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, once in the back and once in the head. Despite the thorough investigation and potential suspects identified, not enough evidence was found to establish a "solid suspect." In the decades following Easterly's murder, cold case investigators said they would learn why the sheriff's office couldn't find who did. The sheriff's office said "many" investigators and commanders at the time of Easterly's murder were "concerned" with Greer. Some believe he could've been responsible for Easterly's death but could never back up their suspicions with "substantial" evidence. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/florida-deputy-cold-case-1979-john-grer-adele-easterly-charlotte-county/67-2745c486-c0b6-4b2f-b6e5-9b3ed52b9e00