HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — One month after four members of the same family, including two children, were shot and killed, newly released search warrants offer a closer look at the hours leading up to their deaths.
Neighbors tell Tampa Bay 28 that the new information brings no comfort and raises even more questions.
The shooting happened on May 3rd. Since then, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly named.
Tampa Bay 28 has been following the case since day one, and she spoke to residents after the warrants were released.
“I’m nervous,” one neighbor said.
According to the search warrants, 27-year-old Hailey Dempsey and her two children were seen walking through the neighborhood in the morning on May 3rd.
Just a few hours later, a 911 call was made. Police arrived at West Tever Street to find Dempsey and her two children shot. A short time later, Dempsey's mother was also found dead inside the home on North Burton Street.
The warrants also reveal that two days before the shooting, police had spoken with Dempsey about a domestic disturbance with her husband, Jay. Witnesses told police they had seen Jay leaving the home in what appeared to be body armor on the morning of the shooting.
Police have not named Jay or anyone else as a suspect.
Jay Dempsey's attorney tells Tampa Bay 28, “Jay has been cooperative from the moment he first interacted with law enforcement.”
Neighbors said that the new details are not bringing comfort, only more questions.
“I mean, I am literally shaking still… I have not slept. I am barely eating,” one neighbor said.
To better understand what these search warrants mean for the investigation, we spoke with Dr. Roy G Taylor. He is a police procedure expert and police chief in North Carolina.
“There is a lot of info to go through and compile,” he said.
He explained that cases like this take time, especially when investigators are still processing digital and forensic evidence.
Residents in the neighborhood said that they are starting to lose hope and are worried this case may never be solved.
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Husband cooperated with police in case of four Plant City deaths: Attorney
Search warrants filed by the Plant City Police Department provided more information on the shooting that left four dead in May.
