Vero Beach Police Provide Final Updates on Tragic March Homicide Case
Following a rigorous two-month search that gripped the local community, the Vero Beach Police Department has provided final operational updates regarding the tragic double homicide that occurred near the Indian River County Main Library. Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey confirmed that investigators operated under the strong belief that the suspect, 64-year-old Jesse Ellis, died by suicide shortly after the crime, though law enforcement maintained active search protocols to ensure public safety in the event he was still at large.
The incident took place on the morning of March 24, 2026. According to investigators, Ellis fatally shot his wife, 49-year-old Stacie Mason, and 56-year-old Danny Ooley. Both victims were veteran employees of Indian River County. The shooting occurred while the two were inside Ooley’s pickup truck in the downtown library parking lot. At the scene, officers recovered a .223-caliber, AR-15 style rifle believed to be the murder weapon, along with approximately 21 spent cartridge casings.
The Search and Investigation Protocols
Despite early indications that the suspect intended to take his own life, the department had to work all angles to thoroughly secure the area.
Vero Beach police investigators diligently pursued both the likelihood of a tragic suicide and the severe risk that an armed suspect remained at large in the community. Law enforcement utilized local, state, and national databases to circulate murder warrants throughout the two-month manhunt.
Key milestones in the local investigation included:
- Vehicle Discovery: Several hours after the shooting, at approximately 12:45 p.m., police located Ellis’s pickup truck parked at South Beach Park on the Vero Beach barrier island.
- Evidence of Intent: Investigators found multiple documents inside the vehicle indicating Ellis’s intention to self-harm. Information gathered from close friends and family members corroborated this likely outcome.
- Ocean Encounter: Prior to the truck’s discovery, ocean rescue personnel encountered a man matching Ellis’s description between a quarter and a half-mile offshore. The man claimed to be a deep-water swimmer and refused assistance. Officials believe he eventually returned to shore with the help of bystanders and proceeded south.
- Final Sighting: The last reported sighting of Ellis was around 11:10 a.m. on the day of the homicides, seen walking south in the Riomar area.
Discovery on Orchid Island
The search officially concluded on May 27, when a decomposed body was discovered on a heavily vegetated lot off Cove Drive in the Riomar Bay neighborhood on Orchid Island. Forensics and investigators confirmed the remains belonged to Ellis, noting that the evidence at the scene was consistent with an apparent hanging. Police believe he took his own life shortly after fleeing the downtown Vero Beach shooting scene.
Addressing online criticisms regarding the duration of the search, Chief Currey defended the diligent efforts of the Vero Beach Police Department and assisting agencies. Noting that a suspect in hiding usually generates some form of intelligence or local sightings, the complete radio silence over the two months strongly pointed to the reality of his immediate death. Currey stated that law enforcement dedicated significant resources to scouring the barrier island, South Beach Park, and surrounding local areas, ensuring every piece of evidence was meticulously evaluated to bring closure to a heartbreaking chapter for Indian River County.
