You’ve probably seen the headlines. Maybe you caught the Lifetime movie or that intense 20/20 special. It sounds like a script a writer would get laughed out of a room for: two Ivy League-educated lawyers, living in a manicured Irvine cul-de-sac, decide to frame a PTA mom by planting a stash of drugs in her car.
All because of a comment about their son being "slow."
But this isn't fiction. The story of Jill and Kent Easter is a very real, very dark look at what happens when privilege, ego, and a terrifying lack of perspective collide. It wasn't just a "bad decision." It was a year-long campaign of harassment that cost a family their peace of mind and, eventually, cost the Easters their careers, their marriage, and their reputations.
The Comment That Started a War
It started back in 2010 at Plaza Vista Elementary. Kelli Peters, a well-liked volunteer who would eventually become the PTA president, was helping with the after-school pickup line. Jill Easter arrived to pick up her six-year-old son, but he wasn't right there.
Peters reportedly told Jill that her son was "a little slow to line up."
Honestly, in any normal world, that’s a non-event. But Jill Easter—a Berkeley Law grad—didn’t see it that way. She didn't hear "your son is taking his time walking." She heard an insult to his intelligence. She became obsessed.
Jill demanded the school fire Peters. She stalked the halls. She even filed a petition for a restraining order, claiming Peters was "stalking" her and had threatened her life. When the school and the courts didn't give her what she wanted, she didn't back down. She escalated.
📖 Related: The Galveston Hurricane 1900 Orphanage Story Is More Tragic Than You Realized
How Jill and Kent Easter Planned the Frame-Job
For about a year, things simmered. Then, in the early morning hours of February 16, 2011, the "plan" went into motion.
Kent Easter, a high-powered partner at a prestigious firm making $400,000 a year, drove to Kelli Peters’ home. While he was there, he planted a baggie containing marijuana, Vicodin, Percocet, and a used glass pipe behind the driver's seat of her unlocked car.
Later that afternoon, Kent went to a hotel near his office. He used a public payphone. He called the Irvine Police Department using a fake name and a thick, phony Indian accent. He told dispatchers he was a "concerned parent" who had seen a woman driving erratically and hiding drugs in her car.
He gave them the name. He gave them the license plate.
When police showed up at the school, they found the drugs exactly where Kent said they’d be. Kelli Peters was humiliated. She was pulled out of the school, questioned for hours, and forced to perform sobriety tests while other parents and her own daughter watched.
But here’s the thing: Peters didn't look like a drug user. She didn't act like one. And the responding officer, Charles Shaver, had a gut feeling that something was "off."
👉 See also: Why the Air France Crash Toronto Miracle Still Changes How We Fly
The Investigation That Toppled the Easters
The Easters were smart, but they weren't "criminal mastermind" smart. They left a trail a mile wide.
- DNA Evidence: Investigators found DNA from both Jill and Kent on the drug baggie and the marijuana pipe.
- Cell Tower Pings: Kent’s phone pinged near Peters’ home at 2:00 a.m. the night the drugs were planted.
- Surveillance Video: Police caught Kent on camera at the hotel business center right when the 911 call was made.
It was over. In 2012, they were both arrested.
The Fall of a Power Couple
The fallout was absolute. Kent tried to blame Jill during his trial, saying he was just a "weak" husband who went along with his "mastermind" wife’s plan. The jury didn't buy it.
Jill pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment in 2013 and served about 60 days of a 120-day sentence. Kent was convicted of the same charge in 2014 after a retrial and got six months.
They weren't just jailbirds; they were disgraced. Jill was disbarred in 2014. Kent followed in 2017. The man who once oversaw multi-million dollar securities litigations was suddenly a convicted felon living with his parents.
Life After the Scandal
By 2016, Kelli Peters finally got her day in civil court. A jury awarded her $5.7 million in damages. The Easters had reportedly tried to hide assets by transferring their house to Kent's father, but the court didn't care. They were ordered to pay for the "malice" they showed.
✨ Don't miss: Robert Hanssen: What Most People Get Wrong About the FBI's Most Damaging Spy
So, where are they now?
Basically, they’ve tried to disappear. They divorced shortly after the criminal trials. Jill Easter changed her name to Ava Everheart and even tried her hand at writing crime novels (ironic, right?). She briefly appeared on Dr. Phil to try and explain her side, but it mostly just reminded everyone why the case was so bizarre in the first place.
Kent Easter has largely stayed out of the spotlight, likely still dealing with the massive financial weight of that $5.7 million judgment.
Why This Case Still Matters
The story of Jill and Kent Easter is more than just a "crazy PTA story." It’s a cautionary tale about the "Irvine bubble" and the toxic side of helicopter parenting. It shows how easily people with power can convince themselves they are the victims, even while they are actively destroying someone else's life.
Kelli Peters survived. She wrote a book called Framed and continues to be a voice for those who have been bullied.
If you ever find yourself in a legal or personal dispute that feels like it's spiraling out of control, remember these steps:
- Document everything. Kelli’s consistency and the school’s records were vital.
- Trust the process, but get a lawyer. Peters had to fight for five years to get that civil judgment.
- Check your ego. Most "ruined" lives in these scenarios start with someone refusing to let a minor slight go.
The Easters had everything. They threw it all away over a six-word sentence. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just walk away.