Overview
- Authorities say Susan Erica Avalon, 51, was arrested in Citrus County on an out-of-county warrant and charged with second-degree homicide in the Bradenton killing.
- Investigators believe the Tampa ex-husband was killed first and that Avalon then drove to Bradenton, where her first ex-husband, 54, was shot and later died at a hospital.
- Detectives allege she posed as a food delivery driver by taking a Panera order without paying, prompting the victim to open his door before he was shot.
- A 15-year-old at the Bradenton home reported a masked person in a gray sweatshirt leaving in a silver Honda Odyssey; deputies later found Avalon cleaning a similar van with bleach and rags and heard her ask, “Which one?” when told they needed to talk about her ex-husband.
- Manatee County investigators are coordinating with prosecutors on a potential charge upgrade to first-degree murder and possible capital punishment, while Tampa police continue a related homicide investigation and search for the weapon remains underway.