Cold case solved: Kevin Ray James sentenced for 1997 bank robbery murder

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Kevin Ray James

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - After two decades, a cold case has been solved and the man responsible for a 1997 bank robbery murder has been sentenced. 

What we know:

According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Kevin Ray James, 57, was sentenced on June 13, 2025, to 19 years to life in state prison for the 1997 murder of Monica Leech during an armed bank robbery in Thousand Oaks. 

The case remained cold for more than two decades until new forensic evidence and investigative leads identified James as one of the suspects, DA Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. 

James pled guilty on May 16, and admitted that he personally used a firearm during the commission of the crime. 

The backstory:

On April 28, 1997, two armed men disguised themselves as construction workers and entered Western Financial Bank on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Officials say they forced employees, including Leech, into the vault room and demanded they open the safe. During the robbery, Leech and another bank employee were handcuffed by the suspects and forced to their knees. Leech was then fatally shot. 

The suspects fled with a little over $11,000 in cash.  

What they're saying:

Leech was a mother of four. Her family, friends, and co-workers spoke at the sentencing hearing, 

Monica Leech 

"The hurts, nightmares, and heartaches we all have will never go away, for one senseless act. You already had what you came for, the money, all you 
had to do was leave. There is no such thing as closure for what was done that day and the loss and hurt will never go away. We will all live with this for the rest of our lives because of your actions," said Monica's husband, Floyd. 

"The emotional and mental anguish caused by the act of being robbed at gunpoint is incomparable to the horror of hearing the gun go off and seeing a colleague and friend fall over right beside me. The crime was violent, but the murder of Monica Leech was pure, unprovoked evil," a coworker identified as Scott G. said in a statement.