An Orange County lieutenant was shot and killed by her husband, a former deputy with the department, who tried to make her death look like a suicide after he was caught having an affair on duty, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
Lt. Eloilda "Ellie" Shea, 39, was allegedly killed on Monday at around 2 p.m. at the home she shared with the suspect, Anthony Shea, a former sergeant, on El Prado Avenue in Orlando.
Anthony Shea, 49, is now accused of first-degree murder.
According to an arrest report, the suspect called 911 to report that his wife had killed herself in their bedroom, telling law enforcement when they arrived that they had been arguing for three days.
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"We had a bad night last night, arguing about my affair," he allegedly said. "I cheated on her, there's an investigation, I quit because it was so embarrassing."
That affair had become the subject of an internal investigation at the Orange County Sheriff's Office, as Anthony Shea, who joined the department in 2006, was accused of having intercourse on duty, according to the arrest report.
It prompted his resignation in August 2024.
When authorities responded to the couple's home after the shooting, they found Eloilda Shea, who joined the sheriff's office in 2011, with a gunshot wound, and later pronounced her dead at the scene.
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"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 Orange County Sheriff's Office wrote in a post on X.
According to the arrest report, Anthony Shea allegedly provided a statement and granted investigators "full access" to search the home and electronic devices.
He claimed his wife had called out sick from work, and texted him requesting space, so he took their daughters to Publix and came back to find her dead.
Surveillance video proves he did go to Publix with the children, the report states, but police said Anthony Shea "inadvertently" activated an audio recorder on his wife's phone, which provided a different timeline of events.
According to the arrest report, police believe the victim did call out from work, then texted her husband to take the dog out and asked how the girls were. She also texted someone else that she thought she had food poisoning.
But authorities say that was her last actual communication.
Words cannot do justice to the pain our OCSO family is experiencing this week as we mourn the loss of Lieutenant Eloilda "Ellie" Shea, who was shot and killed by her estranged husband on Monday, October 14.
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) October 18, 2024
Lt. Shea, just 39 years old, joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Office… pic.twitter.com/F5gTlCnmWP
Detectives believe Anthony Shea sent a message from his wife's phone to his that read: “Just the Brussels. Tony I can’t do this anymore please understand it’s too much what you did to me I can’t anymore. Take the girls for a drive give me space please.”
That's when he allegedly accidentally started the recording, which lasts 54 minutes and captures him telling his daughter, "I'm right here," and "Alright just go, she's sleeping."
A gunshot is not heard, and authorities do not believe the victim was alive during the recording.
Authorities believe in that time, the suspect left with his daughters to Publix, came back, texted his wife that he'd returned, went to the bedroom for 50 seconds and then called 911.
Hours into the investigation, Anthony Shea withdrew his permission to search, according to the arrest report. It added that he did not become emotional to her condition and tried to point deputies to evidence that would confirm his alibi.
"Based on the totality of circumstances, the investigation determined Eloilda Shea did not commit suicide. Anthony Shea did commit the murder of Eloilda Shea and attempted to conceal his actions under the guise of a suicide. Anthony Shea established an alibi through digital devices and surveillance video. Anthony Shea manufactured evidence by sending digital communications from Eloilda Shea’s cell phone to his own. Anthony Shea denied Eloilda Shea the possibility of treatment and life saving measures by delaying contacting 9-1-1 for emergency medical services," the report states.
Sheriff John Mina said in a statement: "Ellie cared deeply about this agency and the work we do, and I considered her a rising star. 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. It is devastating to know we will never again be on the receiving end of Ellie's kindness or warm smile."
Anthony Shea is being held without bond at Orange County Jail.
