A man has pleaded guilty to the cold case murder of a Ventura County bank teller that happened more than a quarter of a century ago.
Monica Leech was shot to death during the April 1997 armed robbery of a Thousand Oaks bank. Two men disguised as construction workers entered the bank and forced employees into the vault room. The Camarillo woman was handcuffed and then shot.
The two men fled with more than $11,000 in cash.
The case went cold. But, in 2023, detectives say new evidence helped them identify a San Bernardino man as the gunman in the killing.
Kevin Ray James was arrested and charged with the Leech's killing. Instead of going to trial, the 57-year-old man pleaded guilty to Leech’s murder. He’ll receive a 19-year-to-life state prison sentence as part of a plea deal.
