A Florida mother, Hailey Dempsey, killed her mother and two daughters before dying by suicide, police said, after a troubled weekend involving her husband.
Who was Hailey Dempsey?
Hailey Megan Dempsey was a 27-year-old mother from Plant City, Florida. On May 3, police say she shot and killed her 55-year-old mother, Valerie DeBoe, inside the family's North Burton Street home. She then left with her three young daughters and shot two of them before turning the gun on herself, as per WFLA. Her 2-year-old daughter survived after Dempsey allegedly fired at her but missed.
Plant City Police Chief Richard Mills Jr gave an update on the case during a press conference on Thursday, August 13, closing a three-month investigation.
Deep Dive
What drove Hailey Dempsey to commit the murder-suicide involving her family?
How did the police rule out Hailey Dempsey's husband as a suspect in the murder-suicide?
What details emerged about the events leading up to the murder-suicide by Hailey Dempsey?
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What led to the killings
According to Mills, police were called to the Dempsey household three times in the two days before the murder-suicide. The first call, on May 1, came after Dempsey got into a verbal argument with her husband, Jay Dempsey, over pornography she found on his phone. “It wasn't cheating or anything like that, evidently it was just porn, and they were having an argument over that. I think that's what everything stemmed from,” Mills said
{{/usCountry}}According to Mills, police were called to the Dempsey household three times in the two days before the murder-suicide. The first call, on May 1, came after Dempsey got into a verbal argument with her husband, Jay Dempsey, over pornography she found on his phone. “It wasn't cheating or anything like that, evidently it was just porn, and they were having an argument over that. I think that's what everything stemmed from,” Mills said
{{/usCountry}}The responding officer found “no indication whatsoever” of violence or criminal behavior between the couple. Police were called again later that day after Dempsey said she believed a tracking device had been placed on her car but officers found none. That night, Dempsey left the house with her mother and children and stayed at a hotel.
The next day, Dempsey called police again and asked them to accompany her to the home to collect clothing while her husband was away. Police said Dempsey and her husband later met at a local library for a “one-on-one” conversation, as per WFLA.
How the victims were found
Surveillance footage later helped investigators trace Dempsey and the children through several streets in Plant City. Police said four gunshots were recorded at about 6:57am in the 900 block of North Wheeler Street.
Officers responded to reports of gunshots but did not initially find the victims. About an hour later, a witness reported finding several people who appeared to have been shot and hearing a young child crying.
Police found Dempsey, her 4-year-old daughter, her 4-month-old daughter and her surviving 2-year-old daughter near 303 W. Tever St Dempsey and the two younger children later died. Police said Dempsey had also fired at the 2-year-old but missed.
According to Mills, the surviving child was found crying and covered in blood but had no apparent physical injuries
Why police ruled out Hailey Dempsey’s husband
Following the killings, Jay Dempsey was detained by police due to possible involvement. However, authorities said they “thoroughly investigated” the theory and eventually ruled him out as a suspect, as per WFLA.
Mills also said investigators found “indications of some mental illness involved with the case,” though he did not share further details.
Mills described the toll the case took on him and his department. He said the investigation, which took three months, “required patience, diligence and precision,” as per WFLA.
Speaking about the crime scene, Mills said, “I've been in law enforcement for 34 years, I was on that scene, and it was probably the worst scene that I've ever seen in my life. It's absolutely heartbreaking. The worst thing I've ever seen in my life.”