The Vero Beach Police Department is actively conducting a manhunt for a 64-year-old suspect accused of a tragic double homicide that claimed the lives of two local county employees.
Authorities have officially issued two arrest warrants for first-degree murder for Jesse Scott Ellis. The fatal shooting occurred on a Tuesday inside a truck parked at the local library in Vero Beach. The victims, identified as Danny Ooley and Stacie Ellis Mason, were both employed by the Indian River County Public Works department.
Investigators called the shooting a crime of passion.
According to law enforcement officials, Jesse Scott Ellis and Stacie Ellis Mason had been married for 13 years but were in the process of separating or divorcing. Police reports indicate that Mason and Ooley had recently begun seeing one another prior to the fatal encounter.
The search for the suspect remains a top priority for local law enforcement along the Treasure Coast. Detectives report that following the shooting, Ellis fled the scene and was last known to have jumped into the water at South Beach Park in Vero Beach. He has not been seen since entering the ocean, and authorities are continuing their intensive search efforts to locate him.
Key details of the ongoing investigation include:
- Suspect: Jesse Scott Ellis, 64, wanted on two active warrants for first-degree murder.
- Victims: Danny Ooley and Stacie Ellis Mason, both Indian River County Public Works colleagues.
- Location of Incident: A truck parked at the library in Vero Beach.
- Last Known Whereabouts: South Beach Park, where the suspect fled into the water.
Residents of Vero Beach and the surrounding Indian River County area are urged to remain vigilant as police continue to investigate this heartbreaking and ongoing case.
