Florida woman charged with murder for killing both her ex-husbands on same day

48-year-old Susan Avalon faces murder charges in connection with the shooting death of a 54-year-old ex-husband at his home in Manatee County around 3 pm. Investigators said Avalon had traveled more than 50 miles from Tampa, where she allegedly killed another ex-husband earlier in the day. Authorities believe ongoing custody battles with her former spouses contributed to the murders.

“It doesn’t get anymore brazen than this,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said during a press conference, according to the New York Post. “We believe this was premeditated. She knew what she was doing, it was planned and she came here to kill her ex-husband.”

According to investigators, Avalon lured the Manatee County victim to his front door with food reportedly stolen from a Panera Bread before shooting him. The man was rushed to a hospital but died the following day. The pair had divorced about 11 years ago. Avalon’s live-in boyfriend allegedly told police she had tracked down her ex-husband’s address.

Avalon’s ex’s had about $4,000 in unpaid child support, while Avalon faced a $200 payment deadline or risked losing her driver’s license. Police tracked Avalon’s vehicles to her home after the shootings and found her cleaning one of the cars with bleach and rags. When asked about her ex-husband, she allegedly replied, “Which one?”

“We only know of one,” Wells said. “We start to dig into this second ex-husband that we know nothing about, and we find she was married again after the marriage to our victim, and that this ex-husband lives in Tampa.”

Tampa authorities conducted a welfare check and found the second husband dead from multiple gunshot wounds; forced entry was evident through a damaged back door. He is believed to have been killed first.

Avalon has been charged with second-degree murder in Manatee County, which is expected to be upgraded to first-degree murder, with authorities seeking the death penalty. She had previously been arrested on child abuse charges in 2004 and reportedly has five children between both ex-husbands. She has not yet been charged in the Tampa shooting as the investigation continues.