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John Deroo

Business partner of Berry Kessler, shot six times in the face in a murder-for-hire arranged by Kessler.

FieldDetails
Full NameJohn Deroo
DiedFebruary 3, 1991
Location of DeathCustom Craft Cabinetry shop, Hudson, Florida, USA
Cause of DeathShot six times in the face
Official RulingHomicide (Kessler convicted of murder-for-hire)
CategoryBusiness Associate / Kessler-Wexner Network

Assessment: HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS — CONFIRMED HOMICIDE​

Deroo's murder is directly connected to the Epstein network through Berry Kessler, the accountant who was also the prime suspect in the 1985 murder of Arthur Shapiro — the man whose death created the opening for Epstein to take over Les Wexner's finances. Kessler purchased a $500,000 life insurance policy on Deroo months before the killing and attempted to increase it to $1 million weeks before the murder. Kessler was convicted and sentenced to death for this murder.

Circumstances of Death​

John Deroo was shot six times in the face at his Custom Craft Cabinetry shop in Hudson, Florida on February 3, 1991. The killing was a contract hit arranged by his business partner Berry Kessler.

The Kessler Pattern​

Deroo's murder is part of a pattern of deaths surrounding Berry Kessler and the Columbus, Ohio financial network connected to Les Wexner:

  • 1970: Frank Yassenoff and Ella Rich shot to death — Kessler suspected, never charged
  • ~1970s: Marjorie Dyer died in questionable car accident — co-signed Yassenoff's will with Kessler
  • 1985: Arthur Shapiro gunned down — Kessler was prime suspect; Epstein took Shapiro's position
  • 1991: John Deroo shot six times — Kessler convicted of murder-for-hire

Kessler's documented willingness to arrange contract killings adds weight to suspicions about the unsolved Shapiro murder, which directly enabled Epstein's rise to power.

Why This Death Possibly Raises Questions​

  • Kessler took out a $500,000 "key man" life insurance policy on Deroo months before the murder
  • Kessler attempted to increase the policy to $1 million weeks before the killing
  • Kessler was convicted and sentenced to death for arranging this murder
  • Kessler was separately the prime suspect in the Arthur Shapiro murder that created the opening for Epstein
  • Demonstrates Kessler's confirmed pattern of murder-for-hire operations

Key Quotes from Media Coverage​

"You have attempted to portray yourself as a kindly senior citizen. The reality is that you, in a most cold and calculated fashion, plotted and carried out a contract-style murder. You are, in fact, a clever, cunning and merciless killer." — Judge William Webb, sentencing Berry Kessler to death for the murder of John Deroo (Tampa Bay Times)

"He's going to die in prison regardless. He's going to be 87 before they get him into the electric chair." — Paul Firmani, Assistant Public Defender, arguing against the death penalty for the 75-year-old Kessler (Tampa Bay Times)

"Kessler was charged in Florida with arranging the slaying of a business partner, John Deroo. He was convicted of that crime in 1994 and died in prison in 2005." — Whitney Webb, Unlimited Hangout, connecting the Deroo murder to the broader Kessler-Wexner-Epstein pattern (Unlimited Hangout)

  • Wexner / L Brands — Columbus death pattern

See Also​

Other Shocking Stories​

  • Ghislaine Maxwell (Living — At Risk): The only convicted co-conspirator still alive. Serving 20 years. Her brother says publicly she is not suicidal.
  • Mark Salling: 50,000 child abuse images. A child abuse manual. Hanged five weeks before sentencing. Distribution network never traced.
  • Vitaly Churkin: Russian UN Ambassador. Sudden cardiac event. Cause of death withheld by State Department. Autopsy results sealed.
  • Steve Bing: Clinton mega-donor named in the Epstein files. Fell from the 27th floor of his Los Angeles apartment building.

Sources​

This information was built by Grok and Claude AI research.

Status: Deceased (1991)

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