A jilted husband allegedly killed his wife and her suspected lover outside a Florida library — then disappeared into the ocean while still fully clothed, sparking a days-long manhunt.
Jesse Scott Ellis, 64, allegedly gunned down his wife of 13 years, Stacie Ellis Mason, and her married colleague, Danny Ooley, in the parking lot of the Indian River County Main Library in Vero Beach, Florida on Tuesday.
Mason and Ooley, 56, are believed to have been having an affair, officials with the Vero Beach Police Department said.
Security footage obtained by the police department showed Mason and Ooley, who were both employed by the Indian River County government, arriving at their local library in separate vehicles. Mason exited her car and climbed into Ooley’s.
Ellis pulled into the parking lot moments later, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and fired multiple shots at Ooley’s vehicle, Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey recounted during a press conference.
He assured that Ellis was not a threat to the public, since authorities determined the shooting was 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 said.
Ellis appeared to flee the scene and was later spotted walking into the water, still fully clothed, at the South Beach Park.
A concerned bystander who watched him disappear into the ocean called authorities. When rescuers arrived, they determined that he did not need their assistance and left after he offered what they later learned was a fake name, Currey said.
At the time, the rescuers didn’t know that the man in question was a murder suspect, police added.
Currey noted that it’s possible Ellis drowned himself. Authorities are still searching for him by boat.
Ellis and Mason’s marriage was reportedly on the outs in the months leading up to the double homicide.
The couple, who share children from prior marriages, were “potentially separating or divorcing” and preparing to sell their home, Currey said.
One of Ellis’ daughters, Kristi, tearfully told NBC News that she has “no family” left.
Ooley’s mother, meanwhile, insisted that he “was not having an affair.”
“They were [at the library] checking for a job they were going to be doing,” she told the outlet.
Police discovered that Ellis had “obtained some professional services” and gleaned “some things that were taking place,” but did not elaborate further.
Ellis is wanted on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder — a capital felony that could land him on death row if he’s found alive. Police are holding another press conference at 11 a.m. Friday.