Mom of 4 killed during bank robbery in 1997, CA officials say. Man pleads guilty
In April 1997, California deputy John Reilly had been on patrol for 18 months when he responded to a call that brought him to tears.
The family of Monica Leech, a 39-year-old mother of four, came looking for her following a robbery at the Thousand Oaks bank where she worked as a teller, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said during a March 2023 news conference.
Leech, though, had been fatally shot, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said in a May 16 news release.
It was the first time Reilly cried on the job, Fryhoff said.
For decades, Leech’s family went without answers in her slaying.
But in 2023, with the advent of new DNA technology, Kevin Ray James was arrested, according to Fryhoff.
Now, the 57-year-old has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Leech’s death, prosecutors said.
“Losing Monica has been an unbearable tragedy,” Leech’s family said in a statement to prosecutors. “While nothing can bring her back, we are pleased that the defendant has accepted responsibility for her death. This outcome brings a sense of justice and accountability and allows us to begin moving forward while honoring Monica’s memory.”
Bank robbery
Two men entered Western Financial Bank shortly after 10 a.m. April 28, 1997, Fryhoff said.
The men donned “raincoats, hard hats and pantyhose-type stocking over their faces,” disguising themselves as construction workers, according to Fryhoff.
One of the men jumped over the counter and demanded money from employees, Fryhoff said.
Three bank employees, including Leech, “were forced into the vault room, and they were forced to unlock the and open the bank safe,” Fryhoff said.
Leech and another employee were handcuffed, then she was fatally shot in the back of the head, Fryhoff said.
“Monica was cooperative and not a threat to the bank robbers, so investigators don’t understand why she had to be shot,” Fryhoff said.
The two men fled the area in an SUV with just over $11,000 in cash, according to Fryhoff.
Leech, a Ventura County native, had been working at the bank for only a matter of months before her death, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said during the 2023 news conference.
“She liked needlepoint; she enjoyed taking walks in the morning; she was a beloved wife, daughter and mother,” Nasarenko said. “She helped to raise four children.”
Despite detectives’ investigation over the years, there was not enough evidence to identify a suspect in Leech’s slaying, Fryhoff said.
“The case eventually went cold,” Fryhoff said.
DNA advancements lead to arrest
Then, in March 2021, investigators reopened the case, Fryhoff said.
Additionally, the FBI offered a $30,000 reward for information about the case, Fryhoff said.
“Advances in DNA testing made it possible to reevaluate evidence for laboratory analysis linking Kevin James to Monica’s murder,” Fryhoff said.
James was arrested on a murder charge March 9, 2023, Fryhoff said.
Guilty plea
In addition to a second-degree murder charge, James also “admitted that he personally used a firearm during the commission of the crime,” prosecutors said.
As part of his plea deal, James will be sentenced to 19 years to life in state prison, prosecutors said.
“Today marks the successful conclusion of a 28-year pursuit of justice for Monica Leech and her family,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Richard Simon said in the release. “This resolution not only holds him accountable but also protects our community and spares Monica’s loved ones the pain of reliving this tragedy through a prolonged trial.”
James is scheduled to appear in court June 13 for sentencing, according to prosecutors.
Thousand Oaks is about a 40-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Mom of 4 killed during bank robbery in 1997, CA officials say. Man pleads guilty."
