The tragic murders of musician Scott Sessions and waitress Heather Frank shocked Colorado in early 2020. What began as a mysterious disappearance of a local trumpeter quickly turned into a double homicide investigation that would expose a violent relationship, digital footprints, and a chilling cover-up. At the center of it all was Kevin Dean Eastman, a man with a history of domestic abuse and an obsessive connection to one of the victims, Heather Frank. This is the story of how a night of music and romance turned deadly, and where Eastman is today.
A MISSING MUSICIAN RAISES ALARMS
On February 10, 2020, Scott Sessions, 53, failed to show up for a sold-out performance at The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Friends and bandmates immediately knew something was wrong—Scott was known for being punctual and passionate about music. When his father, Stan Sessions, reported him missing the following day, authorities got involved right away.
A day later, a snowplow driver discovered a burned and bound body wrapped in plastic near Poudre Canyon. It was Scott Sessions. His throat had been slit so severely he was nearly decapitated. The brutal nature of the crime suggested deep rage. Investigators believed this wasn’t random—it was personal.
THE CLUES IN THE DATA
Detectives searched Sessions’ home and accessed his phone records. The last known messages were exchanged via Facebook Messenger with a woman named Heather Frank. According to those messages, Sessions had plans to meet her on February 8 at her apartment.
Frank, a waitress and divorced mother of three, had been casually seeing Sessions. Her friends and family described her as outgoing and devoted to her children. Her oldest son, Alexander McLaughlin, said they were “best friends” and described his mother as loving and supportive. At the same time, Frank had a complicated relationship with Kevin Eastman, her on-and-off boyfriend of over five years.
RED FLAGS AND SURVEILLANCE
Police learned Eastman had a long history of domestic violence involving Heather. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault against her. Friends recalled that Heather tried multiple times to end the relationship, but Eastman always found a way back into her life.
Authorities began surveillance on Frank, noticing she was often in the company of Eastman. They subpoenaed cell phone records and surveillance footage. Data revealed that both Frank’s and Eastman’s phones were at her apartment on the night Sessions disappeared. Hours later, those phones traveled together toward Poudre Canyon—the site where Sessions’ body was discovered.
This damning evidence led investigators to track their movements more closely. A surveillance camera caught Eastman’s car in the area. It was clear they had driven up the canyon and returned within a three-hour window, enough time to dispose of a body.
A SECOND BODY, A DARKER TRUTH
As investigators closed in, they placed tracking devices on Eastman’s and Frank’s vehicles. On February 15, 2020, Frank left her home with Eastman. She appeared disoriented and got into his vehicle. The next day, Eastman was seen tending a large fire on a rural property owned by his former employer, Troy Bonnell. Authorities believed he was trying to destroy evidence.
Eastman was arrested shortly after at a gas station. But the case took another tragic turn—Heather Frank was missing.
While Eastman was being interrogated, acting strangely and even singing “Amazing Grace” when left alone, news broke: Heather Frank’s body had been found. She had been killed and dumped in a burn pit on Bonnell’s property. At that point, Kevin Eastman was charged with both murders.
THE TRIAL AND VERDICT
Kevin Eastman’s trial began in June 2022, more than two years after the murders. Prosecutors made a compelling case: Eastman had ambushed Sessions with a knife inside Heather Frank’s apartment and later killed Frank to silence her. DNA evidence, surveillance footage, and cell phone data backed up their claims.
The defense argued that Heather Frank may have killed Sessions and Eastman only helped hide the crime. They even suggested Bonnell may have been involved in Frank’s death. But the jury didn’t buy it.
On July 20, 2022, Kevin Eastman was found guilty of:
• Two counts of first-degree murder
• Two counts of tampering with a deceased body
• Two counts of tampering with physical evidence
• One count included a domestic violence enhancer
WHERE IS KEVIN EASTMAN NOW?
Today, Kevin Eastman, now 53, is serving his life sentence at the Fremont Correctional Facility in Fremont County, Colorado. With no possibility of parole, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Despite his conviction, Eastman maintains his innocence and is in the process of appealing his case.
THE FAMILIES SPEAK OUT
The families of both victims have been forever changed. At the sentencing, Scott’s father Stan expressed hope and forgiveness, saying he wouldn’t let hate control the rest of his life. But others, like Scott’s longtime friend Sherrie Peif, admitted they couldn’t find it in themselves to forgive.
Heather Frank’s son, Alexander McLaughlin, shared how deeply the loss impacted their family. He remembered his mother not as a criminal or a suspect, but as a victim of long-term abuse who tried to break free but never got the chance.
“She just ended up being a part of something she didn’t ask for,” he said.
A CASE THAT WON’T BE FORGOTTEN
The murders of Heather Frank and Scott Sessions are now the subject of true crime documentaries, including an episode of ABC’s “20/20” and NBC’s “Dateline: The Last Weekend.” Their stories serve as painful reminders of how dangerous domestic violence can become when ignored or untreated.
While the court closed the chapter with Eastman’s sentencing, the wounds remain for the families left behind. Two lives were stolen in an act of brutality and fear. But justice, after years of investigation and heartache, was finally served.
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Scott Sessions and Heather Frank: Who Killed Them and What Happened?
