A Florida woman was arrested by Manatee County detectives and charged with murdering two of her ex-husbands on the same day earlier this month.
One shooting happened shortly before 3 p.m. on Dec. 17, with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arriving on the scene to find the 54-year-old victim with two gunshot wounds, according to WESH-TV.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died several hours later.
Before he died, the victim told deputies that someone came to his door and shot him after he answered, adding that it was possibly his ex-wife.
The victim’s 15-year-old daughter was inside the house at the time, and although she did not witness the shooting, she heard gunfire and reported seeing a silver Honda Odyssey leaving the area, driven by someone in a mask.
Law enforcement said Susan Erica Avalon, 51, of Citrus County, was eventually identified as a person of interest.
Authorities said they came to her home on Dec. 18 and discovered her wiping down her vehicle “with cleaning rags and bleach.”
After they told Avalon they wanted to speak with her about her ex-husband, she replied: “Which one?”
This prompted police to check on the status of her second ex-husband in Tampa, Florida.
Working in cooperation with the Tampa Police Department, investigators discovered the second ex-husband was already dead inside his home, from multiple gunshot wounds.
A judge ordered Susan Avalon held without release Tuesday after noting a warrant had been issued charging her with second-degree murder.https://t.co/MJV6Pd9eEG pic.twitter.com/ydvnOHzhLv
— ABC7 Sarasota (@mysuncoast) December 23, 2025
“Authorities believe Avalon went to Tampa first to kill her second ex-husband, then traveled to Manatee County to shoot her first ex-husband,” WESH-TV reported.
“The 54-year-old’s name is being withheld due to Marsy’s Law,” the article continued, referring to a 2018 state constitutional amendment that guards victims’ privacy. “The Tampa victim’s name has not been released. Detectives have not disclosed a motive at this time.”
“It doesn’t get any more brazen than this,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said on Thursday. “This is a very active neighborhood, 3:00 in the afternoon on a Wednesday, kids coming home from school. She didn’t seem to care.”
Wells also said Avalon will face a second-degree murder charge in Manatee County, but prosecutors are planning on seeking a more serious charge as the case unfolds.
“We believe this is premeditated,” he explained. “She knew what she was doing. It was planned. She came here to kill her ex-husband.”
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