A Little Slow Statement Unhinges The Easters

Kelli Peters never expected her role as the head of the PTA would cause talk show-worthy headlines, but that's exactly what happened to the mom after a chance meeting with a couple called the Easters.

Peters made an innocent statement to Mrs. Easters, and she took it completely wrong. It happens. The problem is, when Peters tried to explain herself, Mrs. Easters only became more enraged.

Easters son lollygagged behind other students at release time. Peters apologized to Mrs. Easters when she arrived at her car with her son, saying her son was "a little slow."

A Big Misunderstanding

WELL… the mother, Jill Easters, thought Peters was calling her son intellectually disabled. She went ballistic on Peters right then and there, even though Peters tried to explain herself.

Jill and her husband, Kent Easter, were affluent attorneys in Irvine, California, until Jill decided to become a stay-at-home mom and write true crime novels. She dared to let anyone speak to her or about her son in such a way.

Infuriated and determined to show Peters she was not one to mess with, Jill filed a lawsuit claiming Peters had threatened to kill her and began stalking her. The court dismissed the lawsuit. Easter complained to the school, but they, too, sided with Peters.

Now enraged because no one took her side, Jill was more determined than ever to get payback.

Peters Drug Setup

The Irvine Police Department surrounded Peters desk at Plaza Vista school one day, saying an anonymous tip led them to believe she was at work around students inebriated and had drugs in her vehicle.

Peters knew the allegations were false and quickly handed her car keys over to police, urging them to search it and see for themselves.

Police found a clear plastic baggie filled with 17 grams of marijuana sitting on the front seat of the vehicle. They also found baggies containing 29 Vicodin pills and 11 Percocet pills along with a ceramic pipe.

Peters told police she had no clue how the drugs got in her car. She was hysterical about the entire incident and police were skeptical of the anonymous call, considering Peters had been in the office at her desk around coworkers when the caller stated she was driving erratically. Police also noted that she did not appear to be under the influence. They searched her home, turning up no evidence of drug use or sales, not even baggies. She also passed a drug test she willingly took.

Police asked if she could think of anyone who might be trying to frame her. Peters immediately gave them the name Jill Easter.

Evidence gathered during the investigation pointed to Jill Easter. Her husband’s cell phone had been used near Peters apartment on the morning of the call. They found CCTV footage of Kent entering the hotel from where the anonymous call had been made. During a search of the Easter home, police also found the same brand and type of baggies as the narcotics in Peters’s car.

Jill happened to be having an affair and police convinced the married fireman to wear a wire to discuss the case. She said plenty. Police also found the Easter’s DNA all over the seized drugs.

Easters Found Guilty

The Easters were found guilty in civil and criminal court. Kent served as his own lawyer. Both Jill and Kent denied touching the drugs or plating them in the vehicle. However, they both were found guilty of felony charges. They lost their licenses to practice law and were ordered to pay $5 million in damages to Peters.

Resources/Learn More:

https://abovethelaw.com/2016/05/lawyer-who-helped-plant-pills-in-revenge-plot-loses-law-license-mind/

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-framed/#chapter1

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