Inset: Jesse Scott Ellis (Vero Beach Police Deptartment). Main, left to right: Stacie Ellis Mason and Danny Ooley (Indian River County).
A 64-year-old man in Florida accused of killing his estranged wife and her co-worker in a library parking lot remains missing after authorities say he fled the scene and disappeared into the ocean following what police describe as a “targeted marital issue” stemming from a possible affair.
Jesse Scott Ellis is suspected of fatally shooting his wife, 49-year-old Stacie Ellis Mason, and 56-year-old Danny Ooley, an assistant director of public works for Indian River County. The shooting unfolded early Tuesday morning outside the Indian River County Main Library in Vero Beach.
According to Police Chief David Currey, the victims arrived separately at the parking lot, which investigators say they had used as a meeting place before. Ooley pulled in driving a Ford Ranger, and Mason arrived shortly after in an SUV before getting into the passenger seat of his truck.
Surveillance footage shows Ellis arriving soon after and approaching the vehicle armed with a rifle-style firearm. Investigators say he then opened fire, striking both victims multiple times at close range.
“This was a targeted marital issue that went terribly, terribly wrong,” Currey said during a Wednesday news conference.
Authorities believe Mason and Ooley were engaged in a romantic relationship — described by police as “essentially an affair” — and say that relationship was central to the motive. Currey characterized the killings as a “crime of passion,” explaining that the victims “were apparently seeing each other for a period of time, and one husband [was] upset about it.”
Ellis and Mason had been married for 13 years and were in the process of separating and “potentially divorcing,” with plans to sell their home, according to investigators. Ooley was also married, further complicating what police say was an emotionally charged situation that escalated into violence.
After the shooting, Ellis fled the scene in a gray Ford F-150 and drove to nearby South Beach Park. Witnesses later reported seeing a man matching his description enter the ocean “fully clothed” and swim several hundred yards offshore.
Around the same time, fire rescue crews responded to a call about a man in the water. Officials say they made contact with Ellis but did not realize he was connected to the shooting. He reportedly gave a false name, appeared calm, and declined assistance before swimming away.
That encounter is believed to be the last confirmed sighting of Ellis.
Police later located his abandoned truck at the park, prompting a large-scale search involving multiple agencies. Boats, drones, and K-9 units have been deployed as authorities try to determine whether Ellis drowned or managed to leave the water undetected.
“That’s a good question,” Currey said when asked about the suspect’s whereabouts. “Could he have drowned? Potentially, yes. Could he have come back out of the water? Potentially, yes.”
Investigators have also executed search warrants at a residence connected to Ellis, recovering firearms and digital evidence that are now undergoing forensic analysis.
Officials emphasized that the violence appears to have been targeted and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
In a short interview with NBC News, Ooley’s mother, Mary Ooley, said her son was not cheating on his wife.
“He was not having an affair,” she told the network. “They were there checking for a job they were going to be doing.”
The killings have shaken the community, particularly among county employees. Ooley had spent nearly 25 years working in public service, while Mason had served the county since 2014 as a traffic analyst technician.
Authorities say the investigation remains active as they continue searching for Ellis and working to piece together the full circumstances leading up to the deadly confrontation.
