Kasi Peek was a vibrant and outgoing woman whose life was marked by ambition, warmth, and dedication to those around her. Born in Georgia, Kasi was known by her family and friends for her joyful personality, constant smile, and strong sense of independence. Her murder in 2005 not only shocked the community of Smyrna, Georgia, but also played a pivotal role in exposing a pattern of violence that led to the unraveling of two unsolved murders from nearly a decade earlier.
Kasi’s life and tragic death were central to the events explored in Dateline NBC’s episode Deadly Omission. Her story is not just one of loss, but of how one woman’s death ultimately helped bring long-overdue justice to multiple families.
- “Deadly Omission”: Dateline Unravels a Chilling Georgia Mystery January 25 2026
- Who is John Peek & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background
- Who was Carol Marlin & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Background
- Who was Maggie Ginn & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Background
Contents
A New Chapter That Turned Dark
Kasi met John Peek in 1999 at a party. At the time, John was a widower whose first wife, Carol Marlin, had been murdered under suspicious circumstances three years earlier. Kasi, a divorcee herself, was drawn to him, and the two began dating. They married in May 2000 after an eight-month courtship.
In the early years, their marriage appeared stable. Kasi maintained close ties with her family and remained active in her community. However, as time passed, cracks in the relationship began to form. In 2004, she discovered that John was having an affair. Heartbroken but still hopeful for reconciliation, Kasi moved out of their home and began living alone, maintaining some contact with her husband in the hopes they could rebuild what they had.
Friends and family later said Kasi had sensed something wasn’t right. Though she wanted to believe her marriage could be repaired, the distance between them continued to grow. What Kasi didn’t know was that she was following a tragic path already traveled by John’s first wife.
Her Murder in 2005
On October 2, 2005, Kasi Peek was found dead in her Smyrna condo. She had been shot in the back. The crime scene was arranged to suggest a break-in, but investigators quickly noted signs of staging. There was no forced entry and no items were stolen.
John Peek, once again, placed the 911 call and tried to appear as a concerned spouse. He told police he had been working at his other property in Allatoona and knew nothing of Kasi’s whereabouts that day. But detectives were suspicious. The circumstances of her death bore striking similarities to those of Carol Marlin and her friend Maggie Ginn in 1996 — both killed in Marietta, just miles away.
Kasi’s family, particularly her sister Jaquidon Kruger, became relentless in demanding answers. Their persistence helped bring renewed attention to the cold cases tied to Peek’s past. As law enforcement followed the trail, the evidence linking Peek to all three murders became undeniable.
Her Legacy and the Road to Justice
Kasi’s murder became the catalyst for reopening two long-dormant investigations. When John Peek was arrested in late 2005 and later pleaded guilty in 2007, it was Kasi’s case that served as the turning point in finally holding him accountable.
Her family remembers her as a woman full of life, deeply loved, and immensely missed. She had hopes for a better future, even after the breakdown of her marriage, and never imagined that the man she once trusted would betray her in the most violent way.
Today, Kasi’s story stands as a symbol of how truth can emerge even after years of deception. Through her loss, justice was achieved not just for her, but also for Carol Marlin and Margaret Ginn. Kasi Peek’s memory lives on in those who refused to stop searching for the truth.