Two Florida county employees having a workplace affair were gunned down in a brutal double killing as they were about to hook up in a car outside a public library – allegedly by the woman’s estranged husband, who is now at large.
Stacie Mason, 49, and Danny Ooley, 56 – who were both employed by Indian River County – were shot multiple times with an AR-15-style rifle in Vero Beach early Tuesday, in what police have described as a ‘crime of passion’.
Investigators have since identified the suspect as Mason’s spurned 64-year-old husband Jesse Ellis.
The victims, who were both married, were highly regarded county officials and had been having an affair for several weeks, said Vero Beach Police chief David Currey.
According to police, the pair had arrived separately at the Indian River County Main Library just before 7am and parked in the lot nearby.
Mason exited her Volkswagen SUV and got into Ooley’s Ford Ranger pickup – only for Ellis to approach the vehicle moments later.
The horror that unfolded was captured on CCTV, which police have not yet been released.
Speaking at a press conference, Chief Currey said the footage shows the suspect ‘coming toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and firing multiple shots and then going around to the passenger side.’
Ooley was shot first inside the truck, with multiple rounds going into the vehicle. As the gunfire continued, Mason either attempted to escape or was pulled out of the truck by the gunman.
Investigators say Ellis fled the scene in his 2022 gray F150 pick-up and drove to nearby South Beach, leaving the double-murder weapon behind.
Thirty minutes later, a man matching his description was reported to have entered the ocean fully clothed and swam out at least 900 yards near Riomar Country Club, said the police chief.
A high-performance Zodiac-style boat was launched by the fire department which caught up with the man, who gave a false name and refused help.
The Daily Mail has learned Indian River County Fire Rescue were called to conduct a welfare check on the man and had no idea of a connection to the murders at the time.
Assistant fire chief Steve Greer said the man gave a false name and did not appear to be in distress. ‘He said he was OK and he does this often,’ said Greer. ‘He became agitated. Fire rescue crews went back to shore.’
That was the last time the man, who entered the ocean wearing long shorts and a dark blue shirt, was seen. Fire and rescue told later police about their encounter.
Referring to the alleged killer – and without giving more details of the confrontation in the ocean – Currey said: ‘He’s still at large, he’s still a person of interest.
‘We can confirm citizen says it was him that swam out there.
‘Could he have drowned? Potentially, yes. Could he have come back out of the water? Potentially, yes.
‘If he’s at large, can he find a way to have some kind of transportation? Absolutely. We have his truck, he’s probably not going home.’
Currey continued: ‘This was a crime of passion. Two individuals that were apparently seeing each other for a period of time and one husband being upset about it.’
Ellis and Mason had been wed for 13 years, but the marriage had hit the rocks.
They were ‘in the midst of potentially separating or divorcing and their home was getting ready to be sold. They were conversing among themselves about separating,’ said Currey.
And revealing what could turn out to be a key element of the horror, the chief said: ‘Mr Ellis did obtain some professional service to look into some things.’
Appearing to imply the spurned husband had hired a private investigator, Currey added later: ‘You heard me say he obtained some professional services. He had information of some things that were taking place.
‘The library was a location where they had apparently met before. And they met again there yesterday morning and Mr Ellis was apparently aware of that.’
Both victims’ vehicles were spotted via roadside cameras coming into the city northbound just before 7 in the morning, said Currey.
Search warrants at residences connected to the suspect have been carried out.
‘Investigators recovered multiple firearms and digital evidence including cell phones which are currently undergoing forensic analysis. This remains an ongoing investigation,’ Currey said.
He added that boats and vehicles were scouring the beach, while investigators were hoping to retrieve video footage from home security cameras at houses and condos beside the water.
Ooley had worked for the county for nearly 25 years, rising from a maintenance worker to the assistant director of public works. Mason had spent 14 years with Indian River as a traffic analyst technician.
‘Danny and Stacie were not just employees, but colleagues and dedicated public servants who supported this community every day,’ Indian River said in a statement.
‘Their absence is deeply felt across out organization and the community they served.’
It continued: ‘This is not a normal day for our organization. We recognize many of our employees are grieving, and we want them to take the time they need. Supporting one another during this moment is not optional.
‘We know that Stacie and Danny would want us to continue working hard for the public.
‘We will take care of one another in the days ahead. We will check in, we will carry this weight together, and we ask for the public’s patience and understanding as our employees grieve.’
source: MSN
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