Manatee deputies say the Bradenton slaying was planned; Tampa police are investigating a second death.
TAMPA, Fla. — A woman from Citrus County was arrested after two former husbands were found shot to death Wednesday in separate incidents in Tampa and Bradenton, authorities said. Detectives in both counties are comparing timelines, surveillance video and vehicle data to map her movements.
Investigators identified the suspect as Susan Avalon, 51. Manatee County deputies say Avalon shot and killed a 54-year-old man at his Bradenton home shortly before 3 p.m., then drove north, where detectives later took her into custody. The Tampa Police Department, acting on a welfare check request, found another man — also a former husband of Avalon — dead from gunshot wounds at a home on East Frierson Avenue. Manatee County has charged Avalon in the Bradenton case and plans to seek the death penalty. Tampa police say their investigation remains active and additional charges are likely.
Manatee Sheriff Rick Wells said the Bradenton killing appeared “brazen” and deliberate. According to the sheriff, a person carrying a bag of food knocked on the victim’s door on Chatum Light Run. When the 54-year-old opened it, he was shot. The man’s 15-year-old daughter, inside the home, heard three shots and saw a silver Honda Odyssey leaving the neighborhood. Wells said deputies were able to briefly speak with the victim before he died; he suggested his ex-wife might be responsible. Detectives gathered surveillance footage from a nearby Panera Bread that showed a woman taking food and leaving without paying around the time of the attack.
Detectives used witness descriptions, license-plate readers and traffic cameras to trace an Odyssey over the Sunshine Skyway into Citrus County. When investigators arrived at Avalon’s home, they reported seeing her walk outside carrying bleach and rags and wiping down a vehicle. Wells said when detectives told her they needed to speak about her ex-husband, she answered, “Which one?” He said Avalon and the Bradenton victim were married for 11 years and that she owed about $4,000 in child support. The sheriff added that a live-in boyfriend told detectives Avalon had recently learned where one ex-husband was living and made a cryptic comment to him the day before.
The Bradenton subdivision sits near Lakewood Ranch, a dense area of cul-de-sacs and schools where afternoon traffic is heavy. Deputies stressed that the shooting occurred when children were returning home and neighbors were outside. In Tampa’s Seminole Heights area, officers forced entry after failing to make contact during a welfare check and found the second victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Officials said autopsies will determine the exact causes of death and help confirm the order of events. Investigators have not released the Tampa victim’s name pending family notifications.
In Manatee County, Avalon faces a first-degree homicide charge. A first appearance hearing is expected soon, where a judge will consider pretrial detention. Prosecutors in the 12th Judicial Circuit will review the evidence as detectives finalize ballistics testing and telephone, license-plate and surveillance timelines. Tampa police said they are working with the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office on potential charges tied to the Frierson Avenue scene. Officials said more details could be released after next-of-kin notifications and once lab results and digital forensics are returned.
Neighbors in both cities described an unusual amount of afternoon police activity. In Bradenton, residents said patrol cars swarmed the block minutes after school buses passed. “There were sirens everywhere,” said a resident who asked not to be named. In Tampa, a nearby shop owner said officers cordoned off a stretch of East Frierson Avenue into the evening. Wells said the Bradenton victim’s teenage daughter is receiving support services. “She’s been through something no child should endure,” he said, crediting her quick vehicle description with helping steer the investigation.
As of Friday, Avalon remained jailed as the two agencies worked in tandem to confirm ballistic matches and sequence the two shootings. The next expected updates are a first appearance in Manatee County and a Tampa briefing once lab findings are back.
Author note: Last updated December 19, 2025.