Fear Thy Neighbor Premiered ‘Homeowner Hell’ on Investigation Discovery: Donald Easley Killed 2 Property Owners, Kenneth Vaughn & Laron Estes (June 29, 2015)

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jennifer Norris

ID Go: A couple settles in Josephine County, Oregon, where they learn their new neighbor has a deadly past. Now, as relations sour and tempers flare, blood will be spilled on this land…. -Homeowner Hell, Fear Thy Neighbor (S2, E11)

Date: September 7, 2013
Victim: Laron Estes, 59, Army veteran, former industrial welder, disabled
Offender: Donald Easley, 64, Army veteran (two tours), disabled
Location: Kerby, Oregon (Josephine County)
Circumstances: Laron collected junk & it annoyed neighbors, Laron cut down an apple tree for no reason, Donald killed his former neighbor, Laron’s dogs were barking all the time, Laron didn’t like cats in his vegetable garden, Donald put up lights for his mother’s safety but they were shining on Laron’s property & too bright, Laron put up plastic barrier to block light, Donald installed another light shining on Laron’s property, Donald started his diesel truck in the middle of the night and left it running for an hour or more, someone shot out Donald’s lights (they suspected Laron did it), Donald calls sheriff but Laron denies he shot out the lights, Donald had 13 security lights aimed at Laron’s windows and they couldn’t sleep, someone wounded two of Donald’s mom’s cats with pellet gun, Laron denies harming animals because he loves them, Donald called animal control about Laron’s dogs claiming Laron didn’t have licensing to breed dogs, Donald contacted media, animal control took some of the dogs & Laron was fined for ordnance violations, Laron could not breed the dogs anymore, Laron was described as unpredictable, others said Donald was the aggressor, Laron sprayed Donald’s mom with water and Donald threatened to kill Laron, Donald smeared Laron’s name in any way he could, Donald called the EPA about a polluted well on Laron’s property, Donald wouldn’t let Laron use his property to remove the debris from the well, someone removed a property stake from Laron’s land, surveyor told Laron about Kenneth Vaughn, Donald had same issues with Vaughn, they were both fighting over 3 or 4 feet of property, according to Donald’s mom, Kenneth stopped taking medications, Kenneth drew a gun on Donald and Donald shot him in self-defense, but some believe Donald was jealous of Kenneth and it was murder, Donald’s fence was on Laron’s property but he refused to move it, Laron started fearing for his life, some neighbors said Laron wasn’t a nice guy, Donald called the sheriff’s department over 200 times throughout the years, Donald told cops he hopes he never has to kill Laron, Laron received a letter from a psychiatrist at the local VA cautioning him that Donald threatened to kill him, VA advised him to contact the police immediately, Laron tried to get a restraining order with new information but the judge wouldn’t allow the letter from the VA due to rules of evidence, psychiatrist couldn’t be at hearing so restraining order was denied, Laron made a ‘murderer’ sign and it pointed to Donald’s property, Donald was very angry about the sign, Donald reached out to the media asking for help with Laron, local police still didn’t take any action, physical altercation occurred between Donald and Laron and Laron allegedly beat the crap out of him, attorney told Donald to get a restraining order and they were successful using elderly laws, police were concerned that someone was going to get hurt or killed, there was constant feuding, the restraining order amplified the fear and hatred between them, Donald started carrying a gun so he wouldn’t be beat up again, the cops said the threat was from both sides, they were both pointing guns at each other and making threats, Laron pulled Donald off a ladder while he was trying to poke holes in the privacy fence, Donald fired his gun at Laron, Laron’s family said Laron was on the ladder trying to tape up the holes in the fence, Donald claimed Laron was trespassing and called the police, Donald pointed his gun at him and as Laron was running from the scene, Donald fired his weapon twice and shot Laron once in the back, Laron bled out and died on his property, at trial Donald claimed self-defense after characterizing Laron as a bully.
Disposition: Easley found guilty of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life in prison

In the News:

Detectives arrested Donald Easley in Kerby Monday afternoon. The charges against Easley are murder and unlawful use of a firearm.Josephine County Chief Deputy District Attorney, Lisa Turner, says this is not a case of whodunnit? Last weekend police say Easley shot and killed his neighbor, Leron Estes.Estes’ wife told News 10 last week her husband was fixing a privacy fence and fell into Easley’s yard.Police say Easley fired at least one shot, killing Estes.This case, we know who did the crime, but then we have the other issues with in regards to are there going to be self-defense issues and other dynamics that may not be involved in other cases, Turner said.Easley is being held in the Josephine County Jail awaiting his arraignment, to be held tomorrow, Tuesday. The case will then go to the Grand Jury with self-defense being one of the main issues at hand for the prosecution and defense. -KTVL News10 (October 19, 2013)

The man suspected of killing his neighbor was in court Tuesday and he’ll be staying behind bars for a while. It’s been two weeks since Laron Estes was shot and killed, and Tuesday’s arraignment helped family to breath a sigh of relief. Donald Easley was in court, via video, where a judge denied bail. Estes wife, Barbara Hicks, says some of the weight lifted when she heard the person suspected of murder, will stay behind bars. Very grateful that I know he’s not going to be released, that we can all rest easy, she said. More than a week to arrest the Kerby man. Hicks says during that time she and neighbors feared for their lives. She knows it’s a long road through the court system ahead, but least she will able to go home and feel safe, it’s in god’s hands and it’s in the justice system right now and he will pay for what he’s done, Hicks said. Hicks came to court armed with support. Estes mother, and brother, were with there with her, to see the man they loved get justice. There’s a four letter word that describes Laron and it’s l-o-v-e, said Kathleen Devol Jackson, the victim’s mother.Estes was 59 when he died, he’s survived by not just his mother and brother, but a sister too and several step children. Loosing Estes widowed Hicks for the fourth time in her life, I’m lost, without, I love him and miss him very much, she said. A viewing will be held on Sept.21st, 2013 at Hull and Hull Church in Cave Junction. If you would like to help the family with final expenses you can donate at any Washington Federal Bank to the Laron Estes Memorial Fund. -KTVL News10 (October 19, 2013)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘For the Money Honey’ on Investigation Discovery: Kelly Gissendaner & Lover Murdered Army Veteran Doug Gissendaner (September 26, 2014)

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Jennifer Norris

Full Episode: For these women, one good man wasn’t enough. An army wife didn’t want a soldier but a squad. -For the Money Honey, Deadly Women (S8, E11)

Army veteran Doug Gissendaner was murdered by his wife Kelly and her lover Gregory Owen in Auburn, Georgia on February 7, 1997. Doug met his wife Kelly in 1989 in Georgia. Kelly was a party girl and had already been married for six months and divorced when she met Doug. She had a child from her previous marriage and Doug welcomed the child with open arms. Within two months, they were married and then Kelly got pregnant. Doug loved being a father, husband, and family man. Then Doug joined the Army and got stationed overseas in Germany. While Doug was away, Kelly resorted to her old ways and started partying at the clubs on base. Kelly loved being on base with soldiers since the military base was a ready supply of men. It was reported that Kelly was so promiscuous on base that eventually she was asked to leave and her and the children were sent back to the United States. In 1991, Doug returned home from his enlistment in the Army. He decided to forgive his wife and they reunited. Shortly after the reunification, Doug learned that Kelly was pregnant with someone else’s child. He was disappointed to say the least as he wanted to keep his family together. Divorce was inevitable. But after three years of being alone, Doug was desperate to be with his family again. The couple remarried and moved in together. Doug put up with Kelly so he could be a family man and provider to the children. Kelly wanted a house so Doug bought her one. What Doug didn’t realize is that Kelly was having an affair with 25 year old Gregory Owen. Kelly approached Owen about three months prior to the murder and asked him to get rid of Doug. Owen didn’t take her seriously initially and suggested she simply divorce him.

Doug Gissendaner, US Army Veteran

On the day of the murder, Kelly drove Owen to her residence in Auburn where he would wait for Doug with a knife and a nightstick that she provided to him. Kelly went out drinking with her friends to establish an alibi. Owen ambushed Doug when he got home and forced him into his own vehicle. He then took him to a remote wooded area where he forced him on his knees, hit him on the head from behind with the nightstick, and stabbed him in the neck ten times. Owen paged Kelly after he was done. Kelly showed up to the crime scene, demanded to see the body, and used gasoline, an accelerant, to set Doug’s car on fire. Kelly Gissendaner reported Doug missing to the police the following day. Investigators suspected Kelly immediately because they believed she was not being truthful. They found Doug’s body eleven days later. Kelly eventually admitted to police that she was having an affair with Gregory Owen and this tip led investigators to the man who would eventually confess to the murder of Doug Gissendaner. Owen was tormented with guilt and felt manipulated and used. As a result, Owen testified at Kelly’s trial that she wanted to cash in on an insurance policy and become the outright owner of the marital home. In exchange for his testimony, Gregory Owen was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in twenty-five years. Kelly Gissendaner maintained her innocence but was found guilty of malice murder and sentenced to death in 1998. She lived her prison life in solitary confinement and was executed by the State of Georgia on September 30th, 2015. Kelly Gissendaner wanted things her way no matter the cost and conveniently had her husband killed after he bought her a house.

Investigation Discovery:

ID Go: For these women, one good man wasn’t enough. A middle-aged woman used looks to prey on elderly gentleman; an army wife didn’t want a soldier but a squad; and a serial wife cooks up meals to die for. These Deadly Women married for the money, honey. -For the Money Honey, Deadly Women (S8, E11)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

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Tag Archives: Episode 11

Fear Thy Neighbor Premiered ‘Homeowner Hell’ on Investigation Discovery: Donald Easley Killed 2 Property Owners, Kenneth Vaughn & Laron Estes (June 29, 2015)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘For the Money Honey’ on Investigation Discovery: Kelly Gissendaner & Lover Murdered Army Veteran Doug Gissendaner (September 26, 2014)