[Music] left there Michael's truck came straight to the fire department okay what if I told you I have you on video walking up behind uh Mike when yall are over by the orange truck red truck talking and you pull a pistol out of your right front pocket hello everyone in today's video we're looking at a friendship that seems solid years of trust collaboration and respect but Underneath It All hidden tensions and bruised egos were Brewing what started as a simple partnership took a dark turn leading to a tragic confrontation and while at first this might seem like a straightforward dispute this case shows how complex human nature can be and how even the closest relationships can unravel in the most unexpected ways let's Dive In Michael Evers 63 years old known to everyone as Mike was the kind of guy you just wanted to be around he spent his life doing what he loved working with classic cars hanging out with friends and spending time with his dog Jack Mike wasn't just a car guy he was an auto Enthusiast through and through he was a part of several hot rod clubs and had run a successful auto repair shop in Pensacola with his father for over 50 years but more than that Mike was a family man Dependable easygoing and always willing to strike up a conversation he had a way of connecting with people and the community loved him for it one of Mike's closest friends was Brian easterlin a 52-year-old Volunteer Fire Chief the two had been friends for at least 15 years often working together on car restoration projects Brian would rebuild Ford Mustangs and Mike would handle the painting at his Pensacola shop it was a strong partnership they shared both the work and the profits everything seemed perfect but all of that changed on June 5th 2022 what started as an ordinary morning turned into full-on concern when Mike hadn't been heard from in 3 days friends and family were worried this wasn't like him by Sunday that concern had grown too strong to ignore and they reached out to the Pensacola police department and asked for welfare check at his home when officers arrived at Mike's home they were immediately struck by an eerie silence no signs of life no answer at the door one officer who was actually a close friend of Mike's couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong trusting his gut he decided to head over to Mike's auto shop on kraton road hoping he'd find him there a family member let him in and the search began as the officer Moved Through The Familiar space his foot hit something unexpected a large object hidden underneath a car cover his heart raced with a growing sense of dread he carefully pulled back the cover and what he saw confirmed his worst fears Mike's right elbow was visible sticking out from beneath the cover the rest of Mike's body was uncovered revealing the unthinkable Michael Evers was dead a single gunshot wound to the back of the head this was a tragic end to a man who'd spent decades building cars and strong relationships in that very shop from there the investigation kicked into overdrive detectives reached out to Mike's stepdaughter who managed his moo franchise on Burgess Road she told police that she last Saw Mike on June 2nd he had stopped by the shop mentioning he was waiting for a friend to bring him some money that friend Brian easterling she confirmed that Mike and Brian were the only two in the building when she locked up at 5:00 p.m. with this critical lead the Escambia County Sheriff's Office wasted no time they got a warrant and headed straight for Brian's home in Okaloosa County around 11:00 p.m. a SWAT team moved in Catching him completely off guard Brian was arrested on the spot not even given time to change clothes and was transported to the Sheriff's Office for questioning what Brian didn't know was that the detective had something up his sleeve and the interrogation was about to take a serious turn you think of any reason why we didn't want to talk to you this evening Brian no okay um I've I've spoken to to Michael uh lives across the street from you I've spoken to Glenn um you know there there was an incident that happened on Thursday okay um in aamb County um were you in aamb County on Thursday yes all right what uh what were you doing in scan County I went and visited Mike 's at Mo at moo okay um and after you left uh left moo where did you had I came back here I had a meeting at the fire station at 7:00 okay um all right um Mr ever was found deceased today okay MH um uh a family member called in a welfare check for him Pensacola Police Department went to his residence weren't able to find him they went they went to his business on kraton road okay they located him inside covered up with a car cover okay when I got there I learned there's video cameras inside and outside there at 3939 uh Craton Road M okay I reviewed those video cameras okay it's very good video very clear video um I'd be happy to show you um show you just how clear it is walking into the building okay um so I'd like to ask you again uh when you left Mo where did you go well it's SW go there to pick up some parts and then in the head back okay what happened there on cron Road um Mike had even go to some kind of function and uh so I was in the hurry I left there Michael's truck came straight to the fire department okay what if I told you I have you on video walking up behind uh Mike when yall are over by the orange truck red truck talking and you pull a pistol out of your right front pocket and shoot him once in the back of the head I told you I've got the whole thing on video okay my reason for being here this evening isn't so much what happened cuz I know what happened I I I it's on video the whole thing's on video um one of the questions I was when we got here is what happened to M Truck we've since found it down at by the Circle K at the at the uh um down the Circle K by the by the gas station down there okay um so I don't need to know where the truck is basically my only question my the only thing I need answers to right now and the same thing with your wife I just got done talking to her is why and I'll be honest with you when you know when we started investigating this this morning and I mean you see the picture I got from the video it's crystal clear all the cameras are and I start looking into you you don't I don't I don't I don't I don't understand why I I mean you retired Air Force Civil Service Civil Service firefighter for 26 years out there yeah current fire chief of Baker and I kept telling myself I'm like something's not right here this this this doesn't make sense this guy didn't do this this guy doesn't have a history you're 52 53 years old 52 I mean you got some little DB stuff you know in the early 2000s you know some what domestic violence stuff in the early 2000s but but nothing like this you know and I don't and it looks like you and Mike are just having a conversation I mean when I talked to the uh the manager at the moo she said y'all hung out there until about 5:00 she had to leave at some point but came back and y'all were hanging out in the office just just talking so it doesn't sound like there's any animosity there so so what happened well he owes me some money and he refused to pay me sad he owes everybody money how much money does he owe you about 25 Grand okay so gave me this s story about building this new shop and you know and um so what what was the reasoning for taking the the trailer of the car you get my 25 Grand okay to to to sell it to get to get your money okay um so you so if you don't mind we'll just kind of start over a little bit um why why did you used Michael's truck that day oh well cuz Michael backed over a mailbox the day before and I was going to ask Mike to see if he could fix it for him as a favor okay uh did Michael know that CU Michael was under the impression that your truck was broken something about a tire um that you needed to borrow his truck back I just was asking Michael if he can look at where he backed over mailbox the day before okay so uh so what time do you think you got to the moo that day well we were supposed to go have lunch but he had some employees calling sick and one's got Co and we uh but he couldn't leave Mo and then his daughter and or stepdaughter had to leave so we waited and then I had to get back and he was just kind of blowing me off so we just well yeah you 25 25 Grand I can understand I'm sure that pissed you off quite a bit it would me so uh so y'all hang out at the make until about 5ish yeah it was yeah like five cuz I told him I had to get back okay and he said we'll run by this thing he had some parts and then he was going to give me the money and then we got there he said he didn't have any the money that he owed somebody else $99,000 and had to put the $3,000 in his uh in the account just to keep make float just more excuses yeah the whole time he's building a new shop yeah man has all all his cars and you can't do nothing with them yeah um so y'all y'all get back to his shop there on kraton um walk me you weren't there long so just kind of walk me no he's walked in and he said he was going to go get money and he went in there and he came back up and he's like listen man I just don't have your money I'm like well I got you know bills to pay and stuff to do and and like it's been all week I supposed to be over there and uh I finally picked up one of my cars that was over there that it's been there for a long time and then uh I don't know I just got fed up with being lied to and then turn around he buys more cars and you [Music] know I mean I love him that it like you just taking advantage of who you meet with at the fire department's who' you meet with at the fire department we had our business meeting okay so it's it was everybody I guess okay um what kind of gun was it that you tossed off the bridge let see uh 38 okay 38 revolver mhm okay um they uh the reason I asked is because they're they're doing a search for at your house right now M and they found a 32 Caliber M uh pistol that was my dad's that was your dad's yeah and what what they're trying to do is they're trying not to take everything so they're trying to get it narrowed down so that's it it I've never had bullets for it it's just an antique like 190 okay s or something um so is a 38 revolver okay um is there anything else you think that's important that I haven't asked you okay um did you did you look anywhere else in the business for money or did you just look in his pocket no I just looked in his pocket I went upstairs the door was locked but then I left okay it was locked okay he he tell me the money was there do you know what kind of 38 it was I mean was it a CT or a Rossy anything like that no little snub nose or did it have a long barrel no it was short short barrel okay okay do you have any questions for me no when when did y'all do this deal that he's been cheating yall scaring you out of Mone no it's been about a year on the Mustang that we were doing and one and and when he bought that 65 coup I had some my monies from my when my dad passed away and was supposed to just quickly flip it around but he had it tied up in the [Music] shop why why did you take the gun with you today or I always carry a gun I have concealed carry you do have concealed carry mhm M okay um yeah I noticed on the video when uh Mike walks in and you're standing at the doorway you're looking around pretty hard you're turn you're looking you know make basically from what it looks like to me you're making sure nobody's are around is that accurate No you turn in a complete circle well I just looking around I mean he said he was just going to go get the money and then he went in the hallway and then he came out and he start we started talking about money got tied up in the cars on the lift there and then the truck the burgundy truck and then he was just then he just tell me you don't have the money at what point did you decide or did you get I I just just I just like I feel like I'm just getting lied to to my face and and cheated at him my money I mean Mike and I have been doing cars for 15 years you know it's just it seems like always end up with a short the stick I talked to a couple people and they said they usually carries a money clip full of money well yeah usually I always see it in a in a bank bag and other people say it's usually in a Red Bank bag um we never we never found a red Bank bag yeah neither did I so it wasn't in the truck you didn't have he didn't have he told me he had to deposit $30,000 Thursday which you probably can check his records but he said that he didn't have enough money to pay for his people to work for it to cover the bills at makeo and so he used that money for that and I mean if he would have just told me that to begin with I wouldn't even came over there he's the pain guy from the look of it what what what's your part are you Mech I do I do like on the Mustang do a lot of the um all the putting it together building it okay and like all my labor okay where's your phone at my what your phone is right next to my bed plug in did you go back by the shop in in the past few days to I'm assuming you knew as as soon as I knew was after I left that I mean soon as it happened so stupid I didn't know what to do I was just so angry what uh what fire station did you go to that Thursday evening the one the baker the baker fire station M okay did you stop anywhere along the way Tom thumbs anything like that what about on the way over there no sure okay all right um what's your wife's saying me obviously she's I know she's upset she's ISRO um so the the only reason you know the only question she had for me is is a reason the why why and I told her I said I can't I can't tell you the why the only only person that that has the answer to that is Brian um yeah so that uh I think it think it'd be better you know coming from you than than coming coming from me okay after locking in a confession and some seriously damaging statements the detective gives Brian a brief moment with his wife before the booking process begins you can hear it in her tone she's hit with a storm of emotions shock disbelief and deep disappointment in that moment it all sinks in their lives are never going to be the same what's even more unsettling she's now realizing just how little she really knew about the man she shared her home and her deepest thoughts with for so many years what were you thinking nothing I wasn't I wasn't this is my rage I'm sorry I just I know but please please please just listen to me listen to me I know just I'm not worried about me I I know I deserve whatever happens to me I know what do you think I'm not going to ever get to see my kids or my grandkids or you but please how did you do that he was your friend he I loved him like a brother but he just car what's that why' you buy this car did you well cuz there I Get Money that car did you take money after you after you what did you do no nothing he didn't have he didn't have any money he didn't have anything so I don't know why he he he tried to tell me he did I know I know I'm so sick I don't know what to do I you just get your dad to help sell everything and Brian I don't know I can't take it back after that second I didn't know what to do I panicked what did you do he just shot he just pulled your gun out and shot it I was just it was just rage he turned his back to me and just like and I just snapped honey I'm sorry I'm sorry we always talked about people doing stuff like that now crazy and what of people's lives I know I know I just my temper I've never have done it I mean I've never I don't know I don't I don't I just I just feel like I you just jerking me around and jerking me around I feel I'm so sorry honey I'm so sorry but just take care of yourself and there's nothing like just just just try to take care of yourself and and the grandkids and just tell everybody I love them but please make sure somebody takes June to the airport I know but she somebody has to cuz she can't take care of herself it was just just I just it this rage and then once I did I just panicked I didn't know what to do I mean I just I couldn't this is a dream what this is a dream this I know it's no it's a nightmare I I just I've never I know you've always took care of people and help people and I I just wasn't going to be screwed over again I just would not where are you now where are you at going be in the jail the rest of my life just call your dad explain to him let him help you sell my truck sell a camper sell the house if you need to and just and just take care of yourself I need to know is there anything else I need is there anything else I need to know this just doesn't seem right how' you come home and be calm you just left well after there's nothing I then I was just like what the [ __ ] did I just do I can't believe it you have like that what's that you don't have AG you like that I you hurt people I don't I don't I've never heard anybody before but I just wasn't the way he just talked to me I just wasn't I mean he switched it everything was fine and then then it was just I don't have the money you know don't I had to put money in the bank to pay for Meo and it's just like I get Li to to my face and I feel like I get use and here he's got all this money and or supposed to have all this money in all these cars but yet he can't pay me what he owes me you don't kill anybody what you don't shoot I know dead did you leave there you should have called the police then went I would a good Shir I couldn't think I just had to leave I just if anything ask me how self def so unbelievable I just want I just want to die I I deserve to die even taking anything medicines or anything different or I wish I could blame it on that honey but I just blacked out I just it was this rage I wanted to hit him but I I just I just I don't know I just grabed my gun and shot him but had nothing to do with Michael or anything it was just me but I had when I was at M go I asked Mike to look at it and he said that he could get it fixed real cheap you know just as a favor but I was just going to get it fixed in Surprise Michael and then it didn't matter what I drove it it had nothing to do with what I drove it just I just didn't he told you he had your money yes I thought you had I wish ask questions or something to help you it's my fault I guess no it's not your fault it's my fault I just Tred to wanted to make sure we everything financially was coming supposed to come my way I'm sorry I know I can't take it back I'm sorry there's nothing I can do this face whatever I mean I know it's going to be tough on everybody but don't you deserve so much better I just my rage I just I just I just let them you'll be a talk all that obviously you know her her phone number you have it memorized all that I'm sorry just be strong please all right sir go ahead and stand up for me okay turn around for me okay Place Your Hand by your back [Music] just going to double check you make sure you get anything sharply Brian easterling was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail at 3:00 a.m. the interrogation was a crushing blow to his defense leaving his lawyers scrambling in a desperate move they filed a motion to suppress the interrogation claiming Brian was arrested too late at night they said his late night arrest combined with his Clon aapam use left him mentally impaired from sleep deprivation making his confession invalid but the judge wasn't buying it and quickly denied the motion with that out of the way the trial of Florida versus Brian easterling kicked off on December 13th 2023 throughout the trial the prosecution argued that Brian brought the gun with him with one intention to kill they pushed for a first-degree murder conviction showing the jury a surveillance video that backed up Brian's confession the footage clearly showed him shooting Mike in the back of the head and instead of calling 911 after the fact Brian rifled through Mike's pockets for money took steps to cover his tracks and then left the scene in one of Mike's cars something he admitted he took as payment for the debt Mike owed him but the defense had a different version of events they argued that Brian always carried a firearm due to his concealed carry permit and they insisted he never intended to kill Mike contrary to what he'd said in the interrogation Brian now claimed that he told Mike I'm not leaving here without my money Mike allegedly shot back you want a bet you're in my shop and started moving toward a cabinet where Brian believed he kept a gun fearing for his life Brian fired in self-defense the defense pointed out that Mike's gun was later found locked away in a safe far from the scene they asked the jury to consider justifiable homicide in the end the jury didn't buy Brian's self-defense story or his attempt to shift the blame on to the victim Brian easterling was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole it was the final chapter in the tragic story of Michael Evers and the end of the road for a once respected Volunteer Fire Chief who lost it all because he couldn't see the true value of what he already had