VERO BEACH, Florida — Authorities have identified human remains discovered Wednesday in a wooded residential area as Jesse Scott Ellis, 64, the man wanted in connection with the March 24 fatal shootings of two Indian River County employees.
Police Chief David Currey announced Thursday that dental records confirmed the identity of the decomposed body found on the 2000 block of Cove Drive. Investigators say evidence at the location is consistent with Ellis having died by suicide via hanging from a small tree shortly after the double homicide.
“Based on the circumstances and evidence observed at the scene, investigators believe Ellis died by suicide shortly after the March 24th homicide incident,” Currey stated. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the medical examiner has not yet issued a final determination on the precise cause and manner of death, though findings support an apparent hanging.
The discovery concludes an intensive investigation that began March 24, when officers found Danny Ooley and Stacie Ellis Mason dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Indian River County Main Library. Detectives rapidly classified the incident as a targeted, domestic-related act involving Ellis. An arrest warrant charging him with two counts of premeditated murder was promptly issued.
As part of the probe, investigators analyzed surveillance footage, conducted witness interviews, executed search warrants, and processed forensic and digital evidence. Ellis’s vehicle was located near South Beach on the afternoon of March 24. Based on investigative leads, authorities believe that after the shootings, Ellis entered the ocean, exited near the Spires, and was recorded on a residential security camera around 11:10 a.m. walking south toward South Beach.
At the time, Ellis was wearing a ball cap bearing a local electrical company insignia, a graphic t-shirt, and camouflage-style cargo shorts. Wet clothing items matching this description—along with a belt containing Ellis’s initials—were recovered near the remains. No weapons were found at the scene.
The body was located by workers performing masonry and pool maintenance at a residence on Cove Drive, a quiet, dead-end street running parallel to A1A just north of the 17th Street Causeway. Chief Currey clarified that the remains were not found “in the open” but within a densely vegetated corridor between two homes, shielded from road view by thick undergrowth, oak trees, and palms.
Identification was accelerated using dental X-rays from a local dentist Ellis had visited in February; DNA analysis is also proceeding. “This case is solved,” Currey affirmed. “We have a body and we can close this in that regard.”
Addressing why the remains were not located during earlier extensive searches, Currey noted that it is not uncommon for bodies in secluded, wooded areas near residences to remain undetected until discovered by workers. He confirmed that investigative resources—including multiple canine units and coordination with local, state, and federal partners—were deployed throughout the search.
Currey also discussed steps to strengthen communication among first responders following reports that fire rescue personnel may have encountered Ellis in the water shortly after the homicides. He stated that Lieutenant Rob Roberts has already met with the fire department to establish improved protocols for sharing noteworthy information during active investigations.
The underlying motive for the March 24 shootings remains unchanged: Ellis’s suspicion regarding a relationship between his wife and one of the victims. “Nothing from our investigation has wavered. Nothing has changed,” Currey said.
The Vero Beach Police Department expressed appreciation for the support of law enforcement partners and the community. The families of the victims have requested privacy during this difficult time, a request the department asked the public and media to respect.
“While nothing can undo the pain caused by this senseless act of violence, we hope locating and identifying Ellis provides some measure of closure to those affected,” Currey said.