Ongoing case
Tampa, Florida
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2025-12-17
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ex-boyfriend & ex-husband
In loving memory of Timothy Fletcher and David Scott...two dedicated, hardworking fathers whose voices and legacies live on through the courage and love of their children.
domestic violence fatality
Coordinated Double Homicide
Custody Dispute
Child Support Enforcement
Multi-Jurisdictional Investigation
911 Dispatch Interception
Death Penalty Sought
Premeditated Burglary
Life and memory
Timothy Fletcher, age 55, lived in the Belmont Heights neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. He was a dedicated father who had recently been awarded custody of his children following protracted legal battles. In an effort to navigate complex family dynamics, Timothy had actively stayed in communication with David Scott, the ex-husband of his former partner, to mutually manage ongoing issues surrounding custody and child welfare. Timothy is remembered by his family, including his daughter, who has stepped forward as a public voice to demand thorough accountability for his death.
David Scott, age 54, resided in Bradenton, Florida, and was a father of five children across his lifetime. He had been divorced from the suspect for approximately a decade and held legal custody of his 15-year-old daughter, who lived with him. Known as a protective parent, David succumbed to his injuries after ensuring responding officers knew exactly who was responsible for the attack on his home, protecting his daughter who was present during the incident.
Fatal incident
The coordinated attacks occurred sequentially within a four-hour span on December 17, 2025. At approximately 12:40 p.m., Susan Avalon allegedly arrived at Timothy Fletcher's home in Tampa. She forced entry by shattering the glass of his rear door and shot him. Fletcher's phone dialed 911 during the struggle, capturing the sound of gunshots, but Avalon answered the operator’s immediate callback, aborted police dispatch by claiming she was "exercising," and fled the scene.
Avalon then drove approximately 45 minutes south to David Scott’s gated community in Bradenton. Armed with stolen food packaging to mimic a delivery service, she approached Scott’s front door. When Scott answered, Avalon allegedly shot him twice. Scott’s 15-year-old daughter was inside the home and witnessed a silver Honda Odyssey fleeing the scene, while a wounded Scott gave a dying declaration to arriving deputies, implicating his ex-wife.
Aftermath
Following the shooting in Bradenton, Manatee County Sheriff's deputies utilized license plate readers to track Avalon's silver Honda Odyssey back to her residence in Citrus County. Upon arrival, detectives observed Avalon attempting to sanitize the interior of her car with bleach. When told they were investigating her ex-husband, she asked, "Which one?", prompting a welfare check that discovered Fletcher's body in Tampa.
Avalon was arrested and held without bond. On April 15, 2026, she entered a plea of not guilty. On April 21, 2026, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office announced it would seek the death penalty against Avalon, citing cold, calculated premeditation and the commission of a burglary. On May 21, 2026, a grand jury formally indicted her on counts of first-degree premeditated murder and armed burglary for Fletcher’s death. Concurrently, she faces second-degree murder charges in Manatee County for the death of David Scott. Status and management hearings are slated for late July 2026.
Prevention context
This case illuminates several systemic barriers and critical intervention vulnerabilities:
• 911 Call Center Verification: A significant procedural gap occurred when a silent/distress 911 call capturing gunfire was canceled solely based on the word of a female answering the callback. Timothy Fletcher's daughter has publicly questioned why standard policy did not require an automated physical dispatch to verify the resident's safety, a delay that left the primary homicide scene undiscovered for hours.
• Co-Victim/Target Communication: The fact that both victims were actively communicating about shared safety and custody concerns highlights the heightened risk faced by multiple former partners of an abusive or litigious individual.
• Financial Trigger Escalation: The suspect faced immediate driver’s license suspension due to $4,000 in child support arrears due that month, presenting a acute systemic trigger often seen in retaliatory domestic violence.
Additional evidence and source material
Some materials do not fit neatly into one category but still belong in the documentary record of the case.
News report
State Attorney's Office to seek death penalty for woman charged with murdering 2 exes
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State Attorney's Office to seek death penalty for woman charged with murdering 2 exes
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News report
Prosecutors seek death penalty for woman accused of killing exes in 2 counties
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Prosecutors seek death penalty for woman accused of killing exes in 2 counties
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News report
Florida woman charged with killing her ex-husband; sheriff says she also killed another ex-husband hours before
A Florida woman is behind bars after she was accused of killing not just one, but two of her ex-husbands on the same day, the sheriff's office said. She disguised herself as a food delivery driver so she could get close to her ex-husband
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Florida woman charged with killing her ex-husband; sheriff says she also killed another ex-husband hours before
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