A former Florida sheriff’s deputy was arrested Friday and charged with killing his estranged wife, who worked for the same department, and trying to pass it off as a suicide.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it responded Monday to what appeared to be the suicide of OCSO Lt. Eloilda “Ellie” Shea, 39. By the end of the week, however, homicide detectives had determined that she was shot to death by former OCSO Sgt. Anthony Shea, 49.
Shea resigned earlier this year, the sheriff’s office said, while he was being investigated “for allegations that would have resulted in his termination.”
According to WESH, Shea had an affair and was being investigated for conducting that affair while on duty.
Shea told investigators that on the night of the murder, he and his estranged wife “had a bad night last night, arguing about my affair,” according to a police report. He said Ellie Shea needed space, so he left the house and went to a grocery store. When he returned, he said, he found her in the bedroom in a pool of blood.
Deputies say Shea initially gave full consent to detectives to investigate the scene but later withdrew that permission.
“Anthony Shea attempts to control the crime scene and direct deputies to evidence which will confirm his alibi,” said the report.
According to the report, investigators believe he sent messages from Ellie’s cell phone and inadvertently activated the audio recorder, which ran for 50 minutes and never captured the sound of a gunshot. Detectives say they she was already dead. The audio recording does capture Anthony Shea coming into the room and remaining there for nearly a minute before calling 911.
Although he said he did, the recording did not capture him providing medical aid.
Ellie Shea began working for the department in 2011 and was the mother of two daughters, the sheriff’s office said.
Shea, who had worked at the department since 2006, is being held without bond.
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[Featured image: Anthony Shea and Ellie Shea/Orange County Sheriff’s Office]
