Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Deadly Omission’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the primary focus is on the double homicide of Carol Marlin and Margaret Ginn that took place in 1996. When the news of the murders broke out, it sent shivers down the spine of the entire community while the victims’ families felt a wave of grief take over them. It took the authorities several years and another murder to get to the bottom of the case and catch the perpetrator. The episode also consists of exclusive and insightful interviews with the family and friends of the victims, who talk about their experiences and the aftermath of the case.
Carol Marlin and Margaret Ginn Were Found Dead in the Latter’s Apartment
In 1950, Carol Marlin was born into a seemingly loving household, which also consisted of her sister, Susie Sutton. The 46-year-old program planner at Lockheed was married to John Peek, who was employed in the IT sector. She was good friends with her former coworker, Margaret L. Anderson Ginn, who was born to Julian Paul Anderson and Nettie Mae Bell Watkins Anderson on April 4, 1932, in Georgia. While growing up, she lost her six-year-old sibling, Julian James “Jimmy” Anderson, in 1939. Later on in her life, Margaret met the love of her life, Thomas Eugene Ginn. As their romance intensified over time, the two got married in the presence of their loved ones.
Over the course of their marriage, they welcomed their son, Russell Sterling Ginn, into the world. Unfortunately, Thomas passed away in 1985, leaving her widowed. Carol and Margaret had plans to meet up for dinner on the night of June 13, 1996. However, when the former did not return home to her Marietta residence that night, her husband got worried and reported her missing to the police. While the police searched for the two missing friends, John found out Margaret’s address from Lockheed and drove to her residence, only to find his wife’s blue Camry parked outside the property.
Upon arriving at Margaret’s residence, the police took permission from one of her relatives and broke into the house when nobody answered the door. As soon as they entered inside, they discovered Carol’s body in the dining area and Margaret’s body in the bedroom. As the investigators and medical examiners inspected the bodies, they learned that both of them had been bludgeoned fatally in the head. The detectives also noticed that the killer locked the door and placed a document in Carol’s hand before fleeing the scene. Without wasting any time, a double homicide investigation was launched.
Detectives Could Not Gather Enough Evidence Against the Killer
First things first, the investigators brought John Peek in for questioning to understand the dynamic of his marriage with Carol Marlin. He claimed that their marriage was fine, and on the fateful night, he was out eating at a fast food chain before heading home. Besides that, there were a few inconsistencies in his story, making him a prime suspect in the case. Upon digging deeper into Carol’s coworkers at Lockheed, the police learned that one of her coworkers, Barry Webb, had called 911 on the night of the murders after an intruder allegedly broke into his basement.
When it was known that John Peek was the one who had broken into Barry’s house, the police questioned him, and he said that he was only looking for his wife. What made the authorities suspect John even more was the fact that Carol had made him the primary beneficiary of her $700,000 life insurance policy, which was in her mother’s name earlier, just a couple of weeks before the murders. Upon finding the potential motive for murder, the detectives began digging deeper into his life to gather evidence against him but failed to do so. Thus, due to a sufficient amount of evidence, they could not press charges and have him arrested.
Another Murder in 2005 Led to the Sentencing of the Killer
After going cold for several years, the case was brought back to life when 44-year-old Kasi Peek was found shot to death inside a Smyrna residence near Marietta, Georgia, on October 2, 2005. As it turned out, she was the second wife of John Peek, who was once again at the center of a murder investigation. As per reports, the two had met each other in 1999 and got married nearly eight months later, in May 2000. Although they were described as a happy couple, John reportedly cheated on her four years after they exchanged vows. Hurt and angry, Kasi understandably moved out of their house but still clung to the hope of making the marriage work somehow.
When the investigators interrogated him and asked him about his whereabouts at the time of the murder of Kasi, John claimed that he was busy working on his house in Allatoona. Despite combing through his home in search of evidence, they could not gather anything incriminating that could directly connect him to the homicide. Thanks to the civil lawsuit pursued by Kasi’s sister and brother-in-law against John, the police were able to find some suspicious behavior regarding the financial records of Kasi. John apparently double-paid her insurance just to make sure that it would not get canceled after their separation.
The detectives remembered that a similar pattern and financial motives were uncovered during the homicide investigation of John’s first wife. After having enough evidence against him, the detectives arrested and charged him with the murder of three women — Carol Marlin, Margaret Ginn, and Kasi Peek. Unexpectedly, he ended up pleading guilty to all three murders and received three life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Read More: Kasi Peek: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
