Prosecutors seek death penalty against Florida woman accused of killing two exes
The woman accused of killing her ex-husband in Parrish before driving to Tampa and fatally shooting another former partner the same day could face the death penalty.
Hillsborough County prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will seek the death penalty against 51-year-old Susan Avalon, who faces a first-degree murder charge in the Dec. 17 shooting death of her ex-boyfriend in Tampa.
Avalon also is accused of fatally shooting another ex-husband in Manatee County earlier that day. Deputies say she used a bag of food stolen from Panera Bread in order to get him to answer the door before allegedly shooting him.
Court records show prosecutors in Manatee County have charged Avalon with second-degree murder with a firearm, a life felony, and that case will be prosecuted separately.
According to a statement from the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office contacted Tampa police after learning about the death of Avalon’s ex-husband and asked officers to conduct a welfare check at the Tampa home of another former partner.
When officers arrived at the home in the 1200 block of Frierson Avenue in Tampa, they found shattered glass on the back door and discovered the man inside dead from a gunshot wound, prosecutors said.
Witnesses reported seeing Avalon and her vehicle parked in a driveway near the home around the time of the shooting, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Investigators also said they found several pieces of evidence linking Avalon to the killing.
Florida law requires prosecutors to identify aggravating factors before seeking the death penalty. According to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, prosecutors believe several apply in Avalon’s case, including that the killing was “cold, calculated, and premeditated,” was “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel,” happened during a burglary and involved “a contemporaneous violent felony.”
“While our case focuses on one victim here in Hillsborough County, we know this tragedy did not end with one life. Two families are grieving, and we are committed to seeking justice while standing with everyone impacted by this senseless violence,” Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in the statement.
Avalon is scheduled to appear in court in Hillsborough County for a hearing on July 9. In Manatee County, Avalon is scheduled to return to court for a hearing later that month on July 30.
