Susan Erica Avalon. (Manatee County Sheriff's Office)
In an extraordinary and chilling chain of events that has
stunned law enforcement and the public alike, a Florida woman has been accused
of killing both of her ex-husbands in two separate shootings on the very same
day, a rare and brazen double homicide spanning multiple counties.
Investigators continue to piece together the timeline of violence that unfolded
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, involving 48-year-old Susan Erica Avalon.
A Day of Devastation: Two Fatal Shootings
Manatee County deputies first responded to a shooting around 3
p.m. in Bradenton, where a 54-year-old man was found with gunshot wounds at his
residence. The victim later died at a local hospital. Surveillance footage and
investigative leads soon tied the attack to Avalon, who allegedly used a bag of
stolen food from a nearby Panera Bread restaurant as a ruse to get the victim
to answer his door before she opened fire.
While investigators were processing the Bradenton scene, they
discovered Avalon’s connection to a second ex-husband living in Tampa. Law
enforcement agencies coordinated in response, and officers conducted a welfare
check at the Tampa address. Inside, they found another adult man dead from
multiple gunshot wounds, with signs that forced entry had occurred at the
backdoor. Authorities believe this killing is linked to the Bradenton homicide
and that both victims were known to Avalon.
How She Allegedly Executed the Plan
Surveillance video played a key role in tracking Avalon’s
movements. Investigators located footage showing her entering Panera Bread and
taking a bag of food from a delivery shelf without paying. They later confirmed
the bag was brought to one of the victim’s homes prior to the shooting. License
plate reader data then traced her silver Honda Odyssey traveling from her
Citrus County residence across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge into Manatee County
and back, linking her to the shootings.
When detectives located Avalon at her Citrus County home
following the first shooting, she was reportedly cleaning her minivan with
bleach and rags. During questioning, law enforcement told Avalon they needed to
ask her about her ex-husband — to which she allegedly responded, “Which one?” —
a remark that immediately alerted officers to the possibility of multiple
victims.
Custody Battles and Motives Under Scrutiny
Court records show long-standing tensions between Avalon and
at least one of her former spouses. She and the Bradenton victim had been
divorced for about 11 years, and their relationship included ongoing custody
disputes and unresolved child support — reportedly around $4,000. Avalon was
also facing a December deadline to pay a smaller amount to avoid losing her
driver’s license.
Neither law enforcement nor prosecutors have publicly
outlined a definitive motive, but investigators are exploring the possibility
that custody battles, financial disputes, and long-running personal conflicts
contributed to the alleged rampage. Additional details about Avalon’s prior
run-ins with the law reveal that she was arrested on a child abuse charge in
Virginia in 2004, and was tied to other child abuse cases in Tampa and Pasco
County that were later dropped. Those cases reportedly involved disputes with
her former husbands.
Arrest and Charges
Avalon remains in custody as both the Manatee County
Sheriff’s Office and Tampa Police Department continue their investigations. She
currently faces a second-degree murder charge in Manatee County, although
prosecutors have indicated plans to pursue more severe charges, including first-degree
murder, and may seek the death penalty based on the alleged premeditation and
brutality of the crimes. Efforts are also underway to determine applicable
charges in the Tampa case.
Detectives are continuing to search Avalon’s vehicle for
evidence, and the murder weapon has not yet been recovered. Authorities have
emphasized that the case remains active and that additional updates will be
released as more information becomes available.
Impact on Family and Community
The reverberations of this double tragedy are profound. Law
enforcement confirmed that the victims and Avalon share children together,
meaning the case affects multiple family members, including minors. Officials
have not disclosed the identities of the victims, and details about the family
dynamics are being guarded as part of the ongoing investigation.
Neighbors and community members have expressed shock at the
violence and complexity of the case, particularly given the unusual nature of
one individual allegedly committing two separate homicides against former
spouses on the same day.
What’s Next?
Authorities urge anyone with additional information related
to the shootings to come forward. As the investigation unfolds, prosecutors and
law enforcement agencies are coordinating across counties to ensure a
comprehensive legal response.
Stay tuned for further updates as more facts emerge in this
unusually harrowing case.
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