John Jefferson
Left: Anthony Shea (Orange County Jail). Right: Ellie Shea (Orange County Sheriff’s Office).
One Florida sheriff’s deputy, a mother of two, is dead, and a newly-former sheriff’s deputy, her estranged husband, is behind bars.
Anthony John Shea, 49, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree with a firearm for the Monday shooting death of his wife, Orange County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Eloilda “Ellie” Shea, 39.
Until this year, the couple worked for the same agency. The alleged killer resigned as a sergeant in August, after nearly 18 years on the job, amid an internal investigation that could have resulted in his firing, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office.
On Monday afternoon, Anthony Shea made the 911 call, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Orlando-based CBS affiliate WKMG. When detectives arrived, the husband allegedly said he had found his wife on their bed, in a pool of blood, a gun resting on her chest.
And the defendant had a familiar story to tell.
The reason for his departure was an intimate relationship while on the job, according to the sheriff’s office. This affair also apparently served to fray his marriage. Anthony Shea allegedly told investigators that Ellie Shea had grown increasingly despondent and depressed since the revelation and the concomitant investigation. The husband also admitted to fighting with his wife about the affair all the time.
“We had a bad night last night, arguing about my affair,” Anthony Shea allegedly told detectives, according to a copy of the affidavit obtained by Orlando-based ABC affiliate WFTV.
On the day of the slaying, the defendant went to a Publix grocery store with their children. Meanwhile, the victim purportedly called in sick to work. Back at home, the defendant described finding his wife with a lone wound to her temple. He said he performed CPR until medical crews arrived.
The grim find in the bedroom, Anthony Shea allegedly suggested, “appeared to be a suicide,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators, however, soon came to think otherwise.
A combination of cellular phone records and body-worn camera footage — which is said to have contained an accidental audio recording — led detectives to believe the victim had been murdered, according to the affidavit. The defendant allegedly used his wife’s phone to send messages to his own phone, delayed calling 911 after the shooting and misled deputies at the scene of the crime.
“Ellie cared deeply about this agency and the work we do, and I considered her a rising star,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement. “We have all struggled this week with feelings of shock, grief and guilt while we tried to make sense of Ellie’s death, which was meant to appear as a suicide. I want to thank our homicide detectives, who had the extraordinarily difficult job of investigating a colleague’s murder, for their diligence in ensuring justice for Ellie.”
The sheriff’s office, in a separate press release, fondly remembered the slain lieutenant for her off-the-job attributes:
She lit up every room she entered with her infectiously bubbly personality, beautiful spirit and kind smile.
Ellie was a mentor, teacher, advocate, protector, cheerleader and an inspiration to women aspiring to be leaders.
A loving mommy of two little girls, Ellie served her community with grace, integrity and pride, and she will be profoundly missed.
The defendant was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail with bond on Friday, sheriff’s office records show.
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