Investigators in Vero Beach, Florida, are searching for a man wanted in connection with a double homicide that police described as a “crime of passion.”
The victims, identified as Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley, were shot dead early Tuesday in a parking lot near the Indian River County Public Library, Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey told reporters at a Wednesday morning press conference.
Investigators are now searching for Mason’s husband, 64-year-old Jesse Ellis. He has an active warrant for two counts of first-degree murder, the Vero Beach Police Department announced Thursday.
“The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any information regarding Ellis’s whereabouts. Even the smallest detail may assist in this investigation,” the agency said.
Mason and Ellis were “in the midst of potentially separating or divorcing” after a 13-year marriage, Currey told reporters. Investigators also believe that Mason and Ooley, who were both Indian River County employees, were seeing each other.
“This was a situation of 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,” the police chief said.
The shooting happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday, while both victims were inside Ooley’s vehicle, according to Currey. Investigators later found a vehicle “believed to be associated with the suspect” at nearby South Beach Park, he added.
Shortly after the shooting, the local fire department responded to a report of a fully clothed man going into the ocean, the police chief said. Rescuers used a boat to reach that individual, who was about 900 yards offshore.
“From our understanding, they met him, spoke to him, and determined that he was in a safe scenario,” Currey said.
When asked if rescuers knew who the man was, Currey told reporters, “He gave them a name, but it wasn’t that name.”
”Later on, they felt by the picture or photo that it may have been the same guy … I don’t know that it’s 100 percent or not,” the police chief added.
Investigators are considering multiple possibilities.
“Could he have drowned? Potentially, yes. Could he have come back out of the water? Potentially, yes. So, that’s why we certainly need to know where he is,” Currey said.
Deryl Loar, chair of the Indian River County Commission, told reporters there are resources available for those who worked with Mason and Ooley.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to not only the county, but specifically our over 900 associate co-workers with Danny and Stacie,” he said. “Our goal is to comfort them, offer them any type of counseling that may be needed whatsoever.”
When reached for comment, the Vero Beach Police Department told The Independent officials plan to hold another press conference Friday morning.
