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A 48-year-old woman has been arrested after allegedly fatally shooting both of her ex-husbands in separate daylight attacks on the same day, authorities have said.
Susan Avalon was taken into custody on Wednesday, December 17, and charged with murder after investigators said she shot one former husband in Tampa before traveling more than 50 miles to Manatee County, where she allegedly killed another ex-husband later that afternoon.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said the second shooting occurred around 2:55 p.m. at the victim’s home. Investigators believe the killings were linked to ongoing custody disputes between Avalon and her former spouses.
“This doesn’t get any more brazen than this,” Wells said during a press conference on Thursday, December 18. “We believe this was premeditated. She knew what she was doing. It was planned, and she came here to kill her ex-husband.”
According to investigators, Avalon allegedly lured the Manatee County victim, a 54-year-old man she divorced about 11 years ago, to open his front door by bringing stolen food from a Panera Bread outlet. She then allegedly shot him twice. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries.
Authorities said surveillance footage showed Avalon entering the bakery and taking food from a delivery pickup shelf without paying before heading to her ex-husband’s home. Her live-in boyfriend reportedly told police she had recently tracked down the victim’s address.
Investigators said the former couple had been involved in ongoing custody disputes and that the victim owed about $4,000 in unpaid child support. Avalon was also reportedly facing a deadline to pay $200 or risk losing her driver’s license.
After the shooting, detectives tracked Avalon’s silver Honda Odyssey to her home in Citrus County, where they allegedly found her cleaning the vehicle with bleach and rags. When questioned about her ex-husband, Avalon reportedly responded, “Which one?”
“We only knew of one,” Wells said. “As we dug deeper, we discovered she had been married again after that marriage, and that ex-husband lived in Tampa.”
Manatee County investigators alerted Tampa police, who conducted a welfare check at the second ex-husband’s home on Frierson Avenue. He was found dead inside with multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities also noted damage to the back door, suggesting forced entry.
Officials have not released the name or age of the Tampa victim but believe he was shot earlier in the day.
Avalon has been charged with second-degree murder in Manatee County. Sheriff Wells said prosecutors are seeking to upgrade the charge to first-degree murder and pursue the death penalty. She has not yet been charged in connection with the Tampa killing as the investigation remains ongoing.
Records show Avalon was previously arrested on child abuse charges in Virginia in 2004. She reportedly has five children from both marriages and had faced two other child abuse cases in Tampa and Pasco County that were later dropped.
Avalon is currently being held at the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto.
