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A manhunt is underway in Florida for a suspect accused of fatally shooting his wife and her alleged lover in a library parking lot, before reportedly disappearing into the ocean while still fully dressed.
Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey addressed the media on March 25, revealing that authorities are actively pursuing Jesse Scott Ellis in relation to the murders of Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley.
“This incident appears to be a crime of passion,” Currey remarked. “It involves two individuals who were reportedly involved romantically, and a husband who reacted violently to the situation.”
Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley Were Shot to Death in Library Parking Lot
Investigators suspect that Mason and Ooley, both county employees, were engaged in a romantic relationship and had planned a meeting at a downtown library’s parking area on the morning of March 24.
Currey noted that surveillance footage shows the two arriving separately, with Mason exiting her SUV to join Ooley in his vehicle’s passenger seat.
Shortly after, the surveillance footage captured Ellis, who investigators say had been married to Mason for 13 years, arrive at the parking lot, walk up to Ooley’s car and then open fire at the driver’s side. He then allegedly walked to the passenger side, where Mason was either “falling out of the vehicle or being pulled out of the vehicle” before another round of gunshots, Currey said.
After the shooting, Currey said Ellis fled on foot and police were called to the area at 7:01 a.m. Investigators recovered an automatic style long gun, believed to be used in the homicides, at the scene.
Man Believed to Be Jesse Ellis is Seen By Witness Walking Into Ocean
Around 8 a.m., a woman called 911 after seeing a man matching Ellis’ description walk into the ocean in South Beach “fully clothed,” Currey said, not far from where his vehicle was later located.
The fire department responded to the call and launched a zodiac-style boat into the water from the beach. They contacted a man about 900 yards off the shore, but the man gave authorities a different name and insisted he didn’t want any assistance.
Unaware that Ellis was wanted in connection to the homicides, firefighters deemed him “safe or ok,” according to Currey, and he was allowed to swim on his way. The rescue personnel later determined that it “may have been the same” person suspected in the killings after looking at photos of Ellis.
Ellis’ current whereabouts remain unknown and investigators aren’t sure whether he drowned or if he is at large somewhere.
“If he’s at large we certainly hope to find him,” Currey said. “We feel we will in some way shape or form.”
Investigators are currently scouring the area, using drones and boats, in an attempt to find Ellis.
Library Had Been Prior Meeting Spot For Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley
The police chief said at the time of the killings Ellis and Mason “were in the midst of potentially separating or divorcing” and were getting ready to sell their home.
Mason and Ooley—who was also married—had reportedly met at the library parking lot before and Ellis was “apparently aware of that,” according to Currey, likely leading him to the spot that morning.
Currey described it as a “targeted marital issue that went terribly, terribly wrong” and said investigators do not believe the public is at risk.
Investigators recovered Ellis’ vehicle and also served a search warrant at his home.
“Investigators recovered multiple firearms and digital evidence, including cell phones, which are currently undergoing forensic analysis,” Currey explained. “This remains, again, an active and ongoing investigation with a significant amount of evidence still being processed.”
Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley Described as Long-Time County Employees
Indian River County Administrator John Titkanich said Ooley had risen through the ranks during his nearly 25 years of service with the department, starting as a maintenance worker and moving up to assistant public works director, while Mason had spent 14 years as a traffic analyst and was “well-liked.”
He called the killings “a horrible tragedy.”
In comments to NBC News, Ooley’s mother, Mary Ooley denied the police assertion that her son was cheating on his wife.
“He was not having an affair,” she said. “They were there checking for a job they were going to be doing.”
Anyone with information on Ellis’ current whereabouts is urged to call Vero Beach Police or 911.