PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former Florida sheriff's deputy has been identified as the suspect in a 1979 cold case that left a store clerk dead, authorities announced Tuesday. The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office named former Road Patrol Deputy John J. Greer as the suspect in the death of 25-year-old Adele Easterly. Greer reported finding Easterly dead in the Farm Store in Punta Gorda, 25 miles outside of Fort Myers, in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, 1979. A medical examiner discovered that Easterly was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun — once in the head and once in the back. ‘Coffee break bandits’: Robbery suspect helps self to free coffee while holding up a Motel 6, video shows Suspicions poured in over Deputy Greer throughout the years given earlier investigations and other "strange behavior," but no substantial evidence backed up the suspicions, the sheriff's office explained. Months earlier, in late Aug. 1979, Deputy Greer — who was off-duty at the time — called to report that his wife, Jackie Greer, shot herself at their Port Charlotte home. A lack of evidence could not prove his involvement in this incident. A year later, in September 1980, a woman who was an acquaintance of Deputy Greer was found dead in her Ford Mustang in a wooded area in Port Charlotte. Her body was too decomposed to determine a cause of death, but it was suspected she had overdosed, given empty pill bottles in the vehicle. According to officials, the woman had a legitimate-looking suicide note. However, her husband claimed that Greer had been following her around and was trying to engage in sexual relations with her while showing up at their home. ‘Star Wars’ actor Angus MacInnes dies at 77, family says Greer eventually resigned from the sheriff's office, after being suspended, in October 1980, while under investigation for unrelated activities. In 1986, a friend of Easterly came forward and disclosed that Easterly mentioned dating a Charlotte County deputy, who would visit her on night shifts and bring his gun to "protect her." That gun was a double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun. According to the friend, when Easterly became aware that Greer was married, she tried to break off the relationship. Easterly reportedly told her friend that Greer asked his wife for a divorce, after which he claimed she threatened to shoot herself. Greer said the pair fought over the gun, it went off, and his wife was killed. Easterly then mentioned to the friend that she was afraid of the deputy. In November 1986, detectives looked into the death of Greer's wife but couldn't determine if it was a suicide or homicide. In 2016, detectives interviewed a former sheriff's office Explorer, who claimed she had been sexually assaulted several times by Greer and that he threatened to kill her. During one assault, the deputy allegedly told the woman to "ask them dead b------ like Adele Easterly what happens when they say no to me.” The Explorer told officials that the night Easterly died, she had watched Greer walk into the sheriff's office's complex with a long gun, looking disheveled, with something on his hand that appeared to be blood. In April 2023, detectives traveled to Kingsport, Tennessee, where Greer had been living for several years. At this time, he was in an extended care facility, was bedridden, and could only give short answers. However, authorities said Greer admitted to shooting Easterly and killing his wife, although detectives could not discern whether the wife's shooting was accidental or intentional. ‘He died a hero’: Man killed by father on Christmas Eve while saving pregnant fianceé, mother says According to the sheriff's office, detectives determined Greer was responsible for the deaths of Easterly and his wife, but his rapid health decline meant he could never stand trial. On March 2, 2024, Greer died at the age of 77. John Greer, photographed in 1947 (Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office) "I have always said that we will not hide from our past, no matter how dark. This case shows that we will always seek the truth, even when we may not like what we find," Sheriff Bill Prummell said. "I want to be clear that this individual does not represent the overwhelmingly great men and women who have worked for this agency over our century-plus of existence. I am angry at the scar he has left on our reputation, but I am even more upset about the people he hurt through his vile actions. My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones." After leaving the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, authorities said Greer worked at police and sheriff's offices "usually near the west coast of Florida" and Detectives are continuing the investigation into Greer to determine if he was connected to any other violent crimes in Florida, as well as other states. As of this report, no other victims have been identified.