VERO BEACH, FL - The Vero Beach Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for a local man who allegedly killed his estranged wife and her co-worker, WPBF reported.
Jesse S. Ellis, 64, is subject to an active arrest warrant for two counts of premeditated first-degree murder out of Indian River County. Police allege that Ellis shot and killed his estranged wife, Stacie Mason, and her co-worker, Danny Ooley, as they sat in Ooley’s truck on March 24 in the parking lot of the Indian River County Library in Vero Beach.
In a bizarre twist, police say Ellis then walked into the ocean while fully clothed, sparking a days-long manhunt, The New York Post reported.
Police say Mason and Ooley were involved in a workplace romance. Both worked for the Indian River County government. Officers found Ellis’ unoccupied truck in a parking lot at South Beach Park.
Ellis is described as a white male, 6ft 4in., with blue eyes and gray hair.
Security footage showed Mason and Ooley arriving at the library in separate cars. Mason exited her vehicle and went into Ooley’s.
Moments later, Ellis drove into the parking lot and, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, fired multiple shots into the passenger compartment of Ooley’s vehicle, according to Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey, speaking at a press conference.
Currey said his department doesn’t believe Ellis poses a threat to the public, noting that the shooting was determined to be a “targeted marital issue.”
“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 and potentially committing the crime that was committed,” Currey continued.
When Ellis walked into the ocean and disappeared, a concerned bystander notified emergency responders. When rescuers arrived via boat, they determined he didn’t need assistance, and, since it was unknown that he was a suspect in a crime, they left. It was later determined he had used a bogus name, Currey said.
It is unknown whether Ellis later entered the water again, and Currey suggested he may have drowned himself. A search by rescue crews on the water proved unsuccessful.
In the months leading up to the murders, the couple’s marriage had been on the rocks. Currey said that it was possible the couple was “potentially separating or divorcing” and preparing to sell their home. They each have children from prior marriages, he said.
One of Ellis’ daughters, Kristi, told NBC News while shedding tears that she has “no family” left.
“I just lost my parents,” she said. “I have no family.”
Ooley’s mother claimed the couple “was not having an affair.”
“They were [at the library] checking for a job they were going to be doing,” she told NBC News.
When pressed for further information, she passed the phone to her husband, who declined to comment.
Deryl Loar, chairman of the Indian River County Commission, where both victims worked, told reporters the two were dedicated servants.
“This is a resilient community,” he told reporters. “We will get through this.”
The Vero Beach Police Department said the public can submit anonymous tips regarding Ellis to the Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers by calling 800-273-8477.
Comments