Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty for a 51-year-old woman accused of killing two former partners on the same day.
Susan Avalon was arrested in December after authorities linked her to two separate shootings that unfolded hours apart in different cities.
David Scott, 54, was found at the front door of his Bradenton home on Dec. 17 with a gunshot wound to the chest. When officers arrived, Scott was still alive and identified the suspected shooter.
“Possibly my ex-wife, Susan,” he told police, according to an arrest affidavit.
The investigation took a turn the following day when officers located Avalon at her home. When they told her they wanted to speak about her ex-husband, she gave a response that raised immediate concern.
“Which one?” Avalon replied, according to reports.
That response led investigators to search for a second potential victim.
Authorities later conducted a welfare check at a home in Tampa, where they found 55-year-old Timothy Flecher dead from a gunshot wound. Police said the backdoor glass had been shattered.
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Prosecutors believe Flecher was killed first, followed by Scott hours later.
Investigators said they recovered evidence tying Avalon to the Tampa killing, including witness accounts placing her near the home at the time of the shooting.
“Witnesses reported seeing Avalon and her vehicle in a driveway near the home around the time of the shooting,” the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
“Investigators have also found several pieces of evidence they say connect her to the murder.”
Authorities also cited behavior following the shootings as part of their case.
Avalon was reportedly seen bleaching the interior of her car, and her boyfriend told investigators she had been acting differently throughout the day.
He said Avalon sent him “unusual” text messages and later called to say, “in case anything happened to her, she loved him.”
When she returned home, he recalled hearing her make additional remarks. “F–k David and f–k Tim,” she said, according to the affidavit.
The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office confirmed it is pursuing the death penalty based on the nature of the allegations.
“While our case focuses on one victim here in Hillsborough County, we know this tragedy did not end with one life,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said.
“Two families are grieving, and we are committed to seeking justice while standing with everyone impacted by this senseless violence.”
Prosecutors said the case meets multiple aggravating factors, describing the crimes as “cold, calculated and premeditated,” as well as “especially heinous, atrocious” and “cruel.”
Avalon has been charged with first-degree murder in Flecher’s death and second-degree murder in Scott’s death.
She remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to return to court in July.
The case comes as prosecutors in New York secured a conviction in a separate domestic violence case that ended with an explosion inside a home.
Keyonna Waddell, 35, was found guilty of assault and criminal possession of a weapon after authorities said she attacked her boyfriend using a stick of dynamite.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the incident began with a verbal argument between Waddell and the victim at his apartment on March 22, 2024.
After the dispute, both left the apartment. The victim later returned and went to sleep, believing he was alone.
While he was in bed, he woke up to a noise and saw flames inside the room. According to prosecutors, he realized a lit stick of dynamite had been thrown into the bedroom.
He attempted to throw the device out the window, but it detonated before he could do so. The explosion caused severe injuries, including the loss of most of his hand and part of his arm.
Authorities said the victim ran outside after the blast and saw Waddell fleeing the scene.
Investigators later determined that Waddell had threatened the victim with dynamite multiple times in the months leading up to the incident. She was arrested the following day.
“Domestic violence can escalate to deadly levels, and this case is a sobering reminder of that reality,” Tierney said.
“Thanks to the outstanding work of our prosecutors and the Suffolk County Police Department, a dangerous individual has been held accountable and will face a lengthy prison sentence for this horrific act,” he added.
Waddell now faces up to 25 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
In Pennsylvania, authorities are pursuing charges against a woman accused of using her car as a weapon during a confrontation at a car wash.
Imani Walker, 27, faces multiple charges, including attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
Police said Walker confronted her ex-boyfriend, 42-year-old Moctar Elias, at a Philadelphia car wash, where the two began arguing.
Video footage shows the dispute turning physical before Walker returned to her vehicle.
Authorities said she drove toward Elias, striking him and sending both him and the vehicle into a wall.
The impact shattered the windshield, and the car later caught fire. Co-workers pulled Elias away from the vehicle as smoke filled the area.
He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries to his neck and legs. Walker was arrested days later and is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing.
“We broke up, I don’t know, maybe she [is going] through something,” Elias said.
