A Florida father who spent months under suspicion following the deaths of his wife, two children and mother-in-law has been cleared after investigators concluded that his wife was responsible for the killings before taking her own life.
Plant City Police Chief Richard Mills Jr. announced Thursday that Hailey Dempsey, 28, killed her mother, Valerie DeBoe, 58, two of her children and then herself.
Investigators also determined that Hailey fired at the couple’s surviving two-year-old daughter but missed.
The case had sparked intense scrutiny in the Tampa-area community, with Jay Dempsey, 27, questioned by police after the May 3 tragedy.
Jay Dempsey Was Never Charged
Although Jay was taken in for questioning and became the subject of speculation online, authorities never arrested or charged him in connection with the deaths.
Police said he cooperated with investigators throughout the case.
Mills explained that detectives needed time to examine the available evidence before publicly ruling him out.
“My responsibility as chief of police was to protect the integrity of this investigation until our detectives have evidence necessary to reach a definitive conclusion,” Mills said.
The chief described the investigation as extremely complex, involving extensive forensic examination and a substantial amount of digital evidence.
Police Trace the Killings to Hailey
According to investigators, the sequence of events began at the Dempsey family home, where officers later discovered DeBoe’s body on the second floor.
Police said evidence established that Hailey killed her mother before taking her children outside.
Investigators determined that she then shot two of the children and attempted to shoot the third before turning the weapon on herself.
Officers had initially found Hailey and her children in the yard of a nearby home on West Tever Street at about 10am on May 3.
Hailey had suffered a gunshot wound to the temple and was lying over one of the children.
Another child was found dead nearby with a gunshot wound to the head, while the third child was uninjured.
Hailey was transported to hospital but later died from her injuries.
Jay Came Under Suspicion After Police Found His Car
Jay’s involvement was questioned partly because his vehicle was discovered outside the property where his mother-in-law’s body was found.
Neighbors also told police they had seen Jay leave the area in another vehicle early on the morning of the killings.
Those circumstances led investigators to question him, while social media users subsequently circulated speculation about his possible involvement.
However, police ultimately found no evidence that Jay was responsible.
Surviving Daughter Was Placed in Foster Care
The investigation had devastating consequences for Jay beyond the loss of his wife, children and mother-in-law.
After he was questioned by authorities, the Florida Department of Children placed his surviving two-year-old daughter in foster care.
The child remained in state care for months while Jay mourned his family and continued efforts to regain custody.
He finally regained custody on July 1 after the department sought to end the child’s shelter status.
In its filing, the department said that, to its knowledge, Jay was not a suspect and noted that police had neither arrested him nor referred the case to the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office.
A judge approved the request the same day.
Attorney Says Family Is Still Grieving
Jay’s attorney, Patrick Courtney, said the police announcement brought relief but could not erase the devastating loss suffered by the family.
While the father had been cleared, Courtney said the tragedy continued to cause profound pain.
In a statement issued on Jay’s behalf, the attorney also condemned the misinformation and accusations that had circulated during the investigation.
The statement emphasized that the family was focused on hope, life and moving forward rather than responding to those who had made allegations without evidence.
Jay Thanks Those Who Helped His Daughter
Jay also expressed gratitude to the foster family who cared for his daughter while he fought to bring her home.
He described his child as vibrant and full of life, crediting the foster family for providing love and care during an extraordinarily difficult period.
He also thanked relatives, friends and supporters who stepped in during what he described as a desperate period for the family.
“The aftershock and pain is something no one can suffer alone,” the statement said.
Police Cite Possible Mental Health Issues
Authorities have not released a definitive motive for the killings.
However, Mills said investigators had identified indications that mental illness may have played a role in the events.
The police chief stressed that detectives had followed the evidence rather than assumptions as they worked to reconstruct what happened.
The conclusion formally shifts responsibility for the deaths away from Jay and establishes Hailey as the perpetrator of the murder-suicide, according to investigators.
