20-year-old cold case murder reopened

LAKEWOOD - A 20-year-old unsolved murder case that was made into an ABC Television mini-series is being re-opened because of new DNA evidence.

A mother and her two young children were slashed to death in North Carolina. But the suspect, a former Army sergeant, is now living here in the Northwest.

Investigators say there really has only been one suspect in the slaying of Kathryn Eastburn -- who was the wife of an Air Force officer -- and her young daughters Kara and Erin.

And that suspect is former Army Master Sgt. Timothy Hennis, who now lives in Lakewood. He was at the Eastburn house adopting their dog a couple of days before the murders and neighbors claim somebody matching his description was there when the mother and children were killed.

Hennis was originally found guilty of the May 1985 murders in Fayetteville, North Carolina and sent to Death Row.

"There are no winners in this case," Assistant District Attorney William Vanstory said in 1986, "but I do believe we've arrive at a 'just' verdict under the facts that have been presented to that jury."

But the North Carolina Supreme Court disagreed and overturned the conviction on grounds that the evidence wasn't strong enough. A second jury acquitted Hennis and set him free.

The case gained prominence with the writing of "Innocent Victims," a book that became an ABC miniseries in 1996.

DNA testing wasn't available in 1985, but two decades later, detectives took the DNA analysis and say it points to Hennis.

Since Hennis can't be retried in civilian court because of double jeopardy restrictions, the military is taking on the case. Hennis retired a couple of years ago but is being reactivated and given until Oct. 30 to report to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Sources tell the Fayetteville Observer newspaper it's for the purpose of Court Martial.

We went to Hennis' home here in Lakewood, but the woman there said he's not available. He hasn't officially been charged yet.

No word yet from the victim’s husband, Gary Eastburn, who also now lives in the Puget Sound area. And there was also no comment when we contacted the home of Jana Eastburn. She was the then-23-month-old daughter who was in the house at the time of the killings, but was spared. She's now in her in 20s.