Florida Police Release Chilling Beach Image of Suspected Double Murderer
Police in Vero Beach, Florida, have released a chilling security camera image showing who they believe is suspected double killer Jesse Ellis casually strolling along a beach just hours after he allegedly gunned down his wife and her married lover in a jealous rage. The grainy photograph was captured on a homeowner's surveillance system at approximately 11:20 AM on Tuesday, shortly after unwitting good Samaritans had reportedly helped Ellis out of the Atlantic Ocean while he complained of cramp.
Horrific Library Shooting Precedes Beach Sighting
Jilted husband Jesse Ellis, 64, is alleged to have executed his wife Stacie Mason, 49, and her married coworker Danny Ooley, 56, in cold blood at around 7:00 AM on Tuesday morning. The two victims were parked outside the Indian River County Main Library for an apparent rendezvous when Ellis is said to have approached Ooley's Ford Ranger pickup truck and fired at least 21 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle into the vehicle, killing both occupants instantly.
Ellis then fled the gruesome scene in his 2022 gray Ford F-150, leaving the weapon behind in the library parking lot. He subsequently headed to nearby South Beach Park, where investigators believe he entered the Atlantic Ocean fully clothed and swam far out from shore.
Police Shift Stance: Suspect Now Considered Armed and Dangerous
Initially, law enforcement officials had suggested the suspect might have drowned or did not pose an immediate threat to public safety. However, Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey stated at a Friday press conference that Ellis is now officially considered on the loose, potentially armed, and the public should remain vigilant.
Chief Currey revealed that officers discovered Ellis's pickup truck near the park at around 12:45 AM. The vehicle contained a wet pair of long camouflage shorts covered in sand, a soaked and sandy shirt, a .380 caliber magazine, and an empty holster. The associated .380 weapon has not been accounted for.
'Ellis should be considered a threat to himself and possibly others,' Chief Currey warned emphatically.
Disturbing Evidence Points to Premeditation and Despair
The truck was reportedly 'full of stuff like he was moving' and contained several documents indicating Ellis's intention to harm himself or end his life. One note simply stated, 'sorry, guys,' and was signed by Ellis. Other documents, dating back to early March, detailed his emotional pain, inability to eat, drink, or sleep, and included account numbers for his children.
At Ellis's Vero Beach residence, police found an open gun locker with numerous firearms left behind. Ellis had also left his phone with a Post-It note containing the PIN number. Authorities have secured his passport, and he has been flagged with Homeland Security and at all airports. His credit cards are also in police possession.
Victims Were Respected County Employees
Both victims were highly regarded officials working for Indian River County. Danny Ooley had been employed by the county for nearly 25 years, rising from a maintenance worker to the assistant director of public works. Stacie Mason had spent 14 years as a traffic analyst technician. The pair had been involved in a workplace affair for several weeks prior to the tragedy.
Indian River County released a statement expressing profound grief: 'Danny and Stacie were not just employees, but colleagues and dedicated public servants who supported this community every day. Their absence is deeply felt across our organization and the community they served.'
Investigation Reveals Methodical Planning
Chief Currey described the killings as a targeted execution involving significant planning. Ellis had hired a private investigator and received information about his wife's activities the night before the murders. Surveillance footage, which police have not yet released publicly, shows the suspect approaching the driver's side of Ooley's truck and firing multiple shots before moving to the passenger side.
'This was a crime of passion,' Currey stated. 'Two individuals that were apparently seeing each other for a period of time and one husband being upset about it. He executed those two individuals. Stacy, his wife, of 13 years and Danny Ooley. He executed them, without question.'
Ellis and Mason were reportedly in the process of separating or divorcing, with their home preparing to be sold. The library had been a previous meeting location for Mason and Ooley, and Ellis was apparently aware of this pattern.
Search Intensifies as Mystery Deepens
The new beach photograph follows earlier revelations that fire and rescue personnel conducted a welfare check on a fully clothed man swimming approximately 900 yards out in the ocean about 90 minutes after the killings. Personnel in a small Zodiac launch were unaware of the nearby horror and left the scene after the man insisted he was okay and did not require assistance.
Police are now exploring the possibility that Ellis may have access to a second vehicle. Chief Currey acknowledged the uncertainty: 'Yes, we're not sure where he is right now. It appears he entered the ocean and came out. Based on information we have received and the photographs, was his intent to drown, which is a difficult way to commit suicide? And then decided, that's not going to work, or how he wants to do it, and then comes back to shore. Certainly, that may have been the case.'
The investigation continues with boats and vehicles scouring beach areas while investigators retrieve additional video footage from home security cameras along the coastline.
