INVERNESS, Fla. — Susan Avalon is accused of killing two of her exes: one in Hillsborough County, another in Manatee County.
It’s a span of over 100 miles from Bradenton up to Citrus County.
Watch full report from Mary O'Connell
"I’d see her on a golf cart taking her kids down to the bus stop,” said Charles Jackson. "We’ve talked in passing, chit-chatted a little bit."
Jackson lives in Inverness, down the road from Avalon.
“For me, she was real friendly. Super friendly person,” said Jackson.
Records show Avalon was arrested on Sabal Creek Point in Inverness. Tampa Bay 28 reporter Mary O’Connell knocked on that door, though no one else was home.
“When you heard the news yesterday about what had happened with Susan and her arrest, what went through your mind?” asked O’Connell.
“Disbelief,” replied Jackson. "I heard it from her boyfriend. He was down here checking the mail at the community mailbox, and he told me, he apologized for the commotion last night, or the night it happened, which I was unaware because it happened down there. I didn’t hear nothing, didn't see nothing. It was kind of, it’s one of those moments you just go wow. It does exist in my community.”
Tampa Bay 28 spent time in both Tampa and Bradenton on Thursday.
We followed up with Tampa Police to see if anyone had been charged in their case on Frierson Avenue.
TPD said it remains an active investigation and updates will come as the investigation progresses.
“What we find out as we’re talking to the live-in boyfriend is that when she returns home, she is wearing that grey sweatshirt that we see on the camera. She goes into the shower with her clothes on. She doesn’t say anything to him about killing her two ex-husbands,” said Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells. “She just tries to clean up and get rid of any evidence inside the car that she can before we finally detain her.”
Tampa Bay 28 asked the Manatee Sheriff’s Office for an update on Friday on the suspect and were told she’s in Citrus County and will be extradited at a later date.
Sheriff Wells said on Thursday she’s been charged with second-degree homicide.
“We will be seeking the death penalty, a first-degree homicide charge in her,” said Wells.
It was a surreal situation for neighbors trying to wrap their minds around something so tragic.
“You see about it on the news all the time, but then when it really happens, it kind of hits kinda close to home,” said Jackson.
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