A Florida woman has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of one ex-husband and is now being investigated in the death of another ex-husband that occurred the same day.
Susan Avalon, 51, was taken into custody this week in relation to the death of a 54-year-old man whose name has not been released publicly.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a home in Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, where they found the man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
During a Thursday news conference, the Manatee County sheriff said the victim told responding officers that his ex-wife — whom he divorced about 11 years ago — was “possibly” responsible for the shooting.
Later Wednesday evening, Avalon was arrested in Citrus County, roughly 125 miles from Manatee County.
Investigators said they learned Avalon had taken a Panera soup from a nearby store without paying and then went to the victim’s home. Authorities said details provided by the victim’s teenage daughter — including a description of a vehicle and a person outside the residence — helped them identify and locate Avalon.
At her Citrus County residence, investigators said they observed Avalon cleaning her vehicle with bleach, according to comments made by the Manatee County sheriff at the Thursday briefing.
Police also alleged that when officers approached Avalon and told her they wanted to speak with her about her ex-husband, she replied: “Which one?”
That response, the sheriff said, led investigators to conduct a welfare check on Avalon’s second ex-husband in Tampa, Fla., where he was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound at his residence.
In a Thursday update, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said there is “credible evidence” indicating Avalon is connected to the Tampa homicide. Investigators believe the Tampa man was killed before the suspect went to the Bradenton victim’s home.
Avalon has been charged with second-degree homicide in the Manatee County case. It was not immediately clear whether she has been arrested or formally charged in the Tampa case.
Tampa police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
