Jill Easter — the Irvine, California attorney who plotted to frame a PTA volunteer for drug possession — has since reinvented herself under a new name, lost her law licence, and been ordered to pay millions in civil damages. Born Jill Bjorkholm Easter, she is today known as Ava Everheart, a name she adopted legally after her conviction. The question of what happened to Jill and Kent Easter today remains one of the most-searched chapters of this jaw-dropping true-crime saga.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Jill Bjorkholm Easter pleaded guilty in October 2013 to one felony count of false imprisonment and served 120 days in jail.
- Kent Wycliffe Easter was convicted at a retrial in September 2014 and sentenced to 180 days in jail.
- A civil jury awarded victim Kelli Peters $5.7 million in damages against the pair.
- Jill was disbarred; she later changed her name to Ava Everheart and worked as a consultant.
- The couple divorced and their three children also took the surname Everheart.
Profile summary
Full name | Jill Bjorkholm Easter (now Ava Everheart) |
Former occupation | Attorney (California State Bar, admitted 1998) |
Education | University of California, Berkeley (law degree) |
Conviction | Felony false imprisonment by deceit, October 2013 |
Sentence | 1 year jail (120 days served), 3 years probation, 100 hours community service |
Law licence | Disbarred, October 2014 |
Current name | Ava Everheart |
Children | Three (surnames legally changed to Everheart) |
Ex-husband | Kent Wycliffe Easter |
What started the Kelli Peters framing scandal?
Jill and Kent Easter were a seemingly accomplished couple, both holding law degrees from prestigious universities — Jill from Berkeley and Kent from UCLA. Jill Easter became upset after her son was not immediately available for pick-up after a tennis lesson, and accused Kelli Peters of negligence.
An Irvine police officer later explained that Peters said, "You're being slow," referring to falling behind in line — but the Easters interpreted it as Peters calling their son mentally slow. That misunderstanding lit the fuse.
The campaign against Kelli Peters
The Easters filed phony lawsuits against Peters and tried to get her fired from her volunteer job at the school. Finally, they resorted to planting pot and pain pills in Peters' car and then called the police, claiming a parent was seen driving erratically near the school.
In 2011, Easter, along with her husband Kent, planted Vicodin, Percocet, and pot in the car of Kelli Peters, whom they falsely claimed had left their son alone in an after-school daycare programme at Plaza Vista School.
Jurors later listened to Kent Easter's call to police, in which prosecutors say he used a phony name and at times a fake Indian accent to disguise himself.
How the Easters were caught
The items from Peters' car were processed as evidence, and lab technicians found DNA on them that matched both Jill and Kent. Police exonerated Peters after finding Kent Easter's DNA on a set of pills and other illegal substances found in the car.
Jill's lover, Orange County firefighter Glen Gomez, wore a wiretap to secretly record Jill, providing investigators with further crucial evidence. Irvine police put 20 detectives on the case at one time or another, and the lead investigator spent six months on it exclusively.
What happened to Jill and Kent Easter — the criminal trials?
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Jill Easter's plea and sentence
Jill Bjorkholm Easter, 41, Irvine, pleaded guilty on 30 October 2013 to one felony count of false imprisonment by deceit and was sentenced to one year in jail and three years of formal probation. After pleading guilty, Jill Easter was sentenced in October to one year in prison, with all but 120 days stayed, followed by three years of probation, and 100 hours of community service.
The court also issued a restraining order against Jill Easter to keep her away from Peters.
Kent Easter's conviction
Kent W. Easter, the Biglaw partner who was accused of planting illegal substances in a school volunteer's car, was convicted of false imprisonment by fraud and deceit at his retrial. On 17 October 2014, Easter was sentenced to 180 days in prison, 100 hours of community service, and three years of probation. He served only 87 days in jail.
Both lawyers lost their licences
Kent's law licence was suspended, Jill was disbarred, and they were now divorced — and on top of it all, a jury awarded Peters $5.7M in her case against them. Kelli Peters' attorney, Rob Marcereau said:
"Mrs. Peters and her family have been living in fear of what the Easters might do next. This is obviously an extreme case with despicable actions."
The $5.7 million civil judgment
An Orange County couple was ordered to pay $5.7 million for planting illegal substances in the car of the former PTA president. A jury made the award to Kelli Peters, after a Superior Court panel deliberated less than an hour, finding that Kent Easter and his ex-wife Jill Easter acted with malice, oppression, or fraud.
Kent Easter declared bankruptcy before the civil trial, but such protection does not extend to lawsuit damages, said Kelli's attorney Rob Marcereau.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal ended any chances that Jill Easter — who now goes by the name Ava Everheart — could have the judgment overturned, after she dropped her appeal. She had continued with her appeal even after Kent Easter dropped his and settled his case with Kelli Peters and her family.
The name changes
Jill Easter wrote crime novels under the name Ava Bjork, then changed her real-life name to Ava Easter, and later changed her name legally to Ava Everheart. She and Kent Easter separately requested that their three children carry the same last name, Everheart.
Detectives found a copy of Easter's self-published novel, Holding House, written under the pen name Ava Bjork, in the master bedroom during a search of the family home. She smiled glamorously from the back cover, with styled blond hair and arresting blue eyes. Like its author, the female protagonist was a Berkeley-educated lawyer who had found work at a Bay Area firm.
Jill on Dr. Phil — still denying involvement
Disbarred and convicted of planting illegal substances on a volunteer and PTA mom at her son's elementary school, Jill Easter told Dr. Phil McGraw she wanted to clear her name in the bizarre scandal that captured headlines around the world.
On the show, she disputed the DNA evidence against her:
"That is transfer DNA. It doesn't mean that I touched those items."
Kelli Peters, also appearing on the show, was unequivocal. She said:
"Everything she says I did to her, she did to me."
Life after conviction
Although she is a self-published author of a book titled Holding House, which she wrote under the alias Ava Bjork, she has not released any more books after that. Jill reportedly changed her name multiple times, but goes by the name of Ava Everheart and works as a consultant in Orange County, California. She is also active on Amazon, sharing reviews about different products.
What happened to Kent Easter today?
Kent Easter said he was trying to get work as a legal consultant because his law licence was suspended. He had been living with his parents while caring for the couple's three children.
In 2021, Kent Easter appeared in an episode of Jeopardy! — a brief moment of public visibility that surprised many who had followed the case. He has otherwise maintained a low profile.
The Framed mystery series by Los Angeles Times journalist Christopher Goffard intrigued millions as it delved into who would want to harm Kelli Peters. The six-part series remains widely read today.
A feature film based on the Kelli Peters case, with Julia Roberts attached to star and produce, has been shopped to studios. The film is based on a book Kelli Peters wrote with Sam Rule.
On an appearance on the Dr. Phil show, Kelli Peters said she, her husband, and daughter suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder years after Kent Wycliffe Easter and Jill Bjorkholm Easter were convicted. Speaking on why the Framed story resonated so widely with readers, Journalist Christopher Goffard said:
"It seemed to speak to larger issues — about the nature of the criminal justice system, class, suburbia, and the universal fear of false accusation." —
FAQs
- What is Jill Easter's real name now? Jill Bjorkholm Easter legally changed her name first to Ava Easter, then to Ava Bjork (a pen name), and finally to Ava Everheart, which remains her current legal name.
- What happened to Jill and Kent Easter's son? The Easters' children — they have three in total — were minors throughout the proceedings and their names have been kept private. Both parents requested all three children legally adopt the Everheart surname.
- What was Jill Easter's attorney's name? Jill Easter was represented by Orange County attorney Paul Meyer during plea negotiations. She represented herself (pro se) in the subsequent civil proceedings.
- Did Jill and Kent Easter pay Kelli Peters the $5.7 million? Both Easters disputed and appealed the civil judgment. Kent declared bankruptcy, and both eventually dropped their appeals. Peters has reportedly received only a fraction of the awarded sum, though the judgment remains enforceable.
- Are Jill and Kent Easter still married? No. The Easters finalised their divorce in Orange County Superior Court. Their settlement included child support and spousal support payments from Kent.
- What happened to Kent Easter's law licence? Kent Easter's California law licence was suspended following his criminal conviction and he was ultimately disbarred by the California State Bar.
- Is there a movie or TV show about the Kelli Peters case? Yes — a feature film titled Framed, with Julia Roberts attached to play Kelli Peters, has been in development. The story was also the subject of a celebrated six-part series in the Los Angeles Times by journalist Christopher Goffard.
- What is Ava Everheart doing now? Jill Easter, now Ava Everheart, reportedly works as a consultant in Orange County, California. She no longer practises law, having been disbarred in 2014.
Tuko.co.ke also highlighted facts about Kurt Perez, the behind-the-scenes crew member whose work as a grip helped bring The Blacklist to the screen.
His name appeared in a tribute at the end of a 2022 episode after he died in a car crash aged 50. The simple message, “In memory of Kurt Perez”, prompted viewers to discover the crew member behind the show.
Source: TUKO.co.ke