Crime

Suspect in March double homicide near Indian River County library found dead

Published on

By Robert W. Burns III
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The Vero Beach Police Department has provided a major update in the March 24, 2026 double homicide that left Danny Ooley and Stacie Mason dead in the Indian River County Main Library parking lot.

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Investigators say the attack was targeted and domestic-related. Detectives identified the suspect as Jesse Scott Ellis and obtained an arrest warrant charging him with two counts of Premeditated Murder.

On May 27, 2026, officers responded to the 2000 block of Cove Drive after a deceased individual was discovered in a wooded area near a residential property. The body was found in advanced stages of decomposition, concealed in dense vegetation along a fence line.

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Through dental records, the individual was positively identified as Jesse Scott Ellis.

Investigators believe Ellis died by suicide shortly after the March 24th homicide. Due to the advanced decomposition, the Medical Examiner cannot yet make a definitive determination on the exact cause and manner of death, but evidence at the scene is consistent with an apparent hanging.

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Police say the case involved extensive evidence collection and forensic analysis, including digital evidence, surveillance footage, search warrants, and coordination with multiple local, state, and federal agencies.

The department thanked the public and assisting agencies for their patience and help, and acknowledged the profound impact on the victims’ families. The families have requested privacy and ask that media refrain from contacting them directly.

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